A Medi-roccan Canvas by Intheory Design
Shaped by instinct, intention, and the quiet pleasure of collecting, this home by Intheory Design brings together the warmth of Mediterranean living with the earthy textures of Moroccan interiors, creating a space that feels personal, tactile, and gently lived in from the very beginning.
The homeowners arrived with years of gathered objects, from lamps picked up during travels to ceramics, plants, keepsakes, and pieces that held more memory than material value. What they wanted was not a home where everything had to match, but a place where these fragments could sit together naturally, surrounded by surfaces that felt imperfect in the right way. Their references leaned toward Spanish homes, Moroccan textures, sun-washed walls, and finishes that could age gracefully while carrying a sense of time.
This way of living shaped the planning as much as the look of the home. As people who enjoy hosting family and friends, cooking, baking, and spending time in shared spaces, the homeowners wanted fewer boundaries between everyday activities. The wall between the kitchen and living area was removed to open up the layout, allowing light, air, and conversation to move easily through the home.
Morning routines became one of the quiet anchors of the design. One person might be at the kitchen counter while the other lingers nearby, coffee brewing as conversation begins before the day has fully started. By extending the kitchen counter and improving sightlines between the kitchen and living area, the space became more connected to the way the homeowners naturally spend time together. The kitchen, pantry, dining, and living areas now work as one shared environment, made for ease, closeness, and everyday interaction.
At the entrance, a brick wall introduces a soft threshold between the foyer and the open pantry and kitchen area, creating separation without closing the home off. Made by Loqa, a circular material design studio, the hand-fired bricks were locally produced in Thailand using 80 percent recycled materials. Each piece carries its own tonal variation, adding to the raw and imperfect character that runs through the interior.
The brick wall also became a place for hanging plants, allowing greenery to be part of the home from the moment one enters. Light and breeze pass through its openings, while shadows shift across the floor throughout the day. Beyond its visual presence, it supports passive design by encouraging natural ventilation and reducing reliance on artificial lighting, showing how an eco-conscious choice can also bring atmosphere and softness into a space.
In the search for materials, the team worked closely with the homeowners to find finishes that felt textured, characterful, and unique, moving between local sources and international suppliers when the right surface could not be found nearby. The kitchen tiles were sourced from Spain for their pattern and texture, bringing a handcrafted quality that suited the home’s earthy palette and imperfect charm. Laid by hand, the tiles contribute to a sense of craft that is felt across the project.
The homeowners were closely involved in shaping the home, not only through decisions but through the making process itself. They painted the limewashed walls by hand using a natural mineral-based finish that is free from synthetic chemicals and low in VOCs. Beyond its soft, sun-washed appearance, limewash allows the walls to breathe and offers a more environmentally conscious alternative to conventional paint. The structural beams on the ceiling were also hand wrapped in wood textures, giving them the warmth and appearance of timber.
Where a structural column once sat between the dining and living area, Intheory Design introduced a built-in bookcase that turned a fixed architectural constraint into a useful and expressive feature. Over time, the shelves became a home for books, collected objects, and everyday pieces, allowing something initially immovable to become part of the character of the space.
The living area grew through gradual layering, with plants, objects, and personal pieces settling into corners over time. Greenery was incorporated throughout the home as part of the atmosphere, bringing shade, texture, and a closer connection to nature into daily life. Custom-made lamps sourced from artists around the world, an ornate Moroccan sink, handmade tiles, and travel objects all sit within the same lived-in language, giving the home a quality that feels gathered rather than staged.
In the bedroom, the material palette becomes quieter while remaining tactile. The master wardrobe features shaker doors paired with a rattan linen-like material, chosen for its texture and warmth. In the bathroom, irregular stone-textured tiles gave the homeowners an immediate sense of certainty, their varied surfaces adding weight and grounding to the space while balancing the lighter textures found in the bedroom.
