Macdonald has carefully chosen French colonial brass beds, embossed leather chests, faded silk and velvet cushions and nineteenth century bathroom suites. Richly woven silken cords and tassels hang from heavily carved Moroccan thrones in the dining salon. Macdonald's Macedonian housekeeper in London, struggling to articulate her admiration, called the tassels "golden puffkins".The Teahouse stands on Derb Laalouj, one of the main arteries in the labyrinthine-walled Medina of Essaouira The district, La Skala, is the oldest part of the city. All women are veiled and the men wear traditional Burnous, full-length hooded capes, and leather babouches (slippers). Mohammed Badra is one of the few men in Essaouira to wear western clothes.
He is a shrewd businessman while also understanding the complexities of the mystical Islamic culture. Together, Mohammed and Macdonald are converting another property on Derb Laalouj into a restaurant called Le Grand Maroc. Mohammed explained that, in Arabic, Le Grand Maroc means "the mighty Morocco" - hooking into Morocco's deeply nationalistic fervour. Next to Allah, the King of Morocco is the most worshipped being in the country.As "creative director" of Le Grand Maroc, Macdonald masterminded the interior of the restaurant. Broken, brightly coloured tiles and crockery bought from the slums of Marrakesh have been set into the walls of the restaurant in relief patterns. The iron tables and chairs were wrought by hand in Marrakesh by specially commissioned craftsmen. The overall effect is an adulterous marriage between mad Spanish architect Gaudi and 30s society decorator Syrie Maugham.Eighty percent of properties inside the walled medina of Essaouira are currently being bought by Europeans.
As home to the Villa Maroc, Essaouira has always had an allure for sophisticated European visitors. But compared to the louche and cynical Tangier or westernised Casablanca, Essaouira is raw and relatively unchanged. Macdonald spends roughly half of her year in Essaouira and intends to let word of mouth bring house-guests to The Tea House. "There is a tradition of Europeans in Morocco," she says, "but I think only a certain type of European will thrive - or survive - here."For details of The Tea House contact Morocco Made to Measure on (0171) 235 0123 or fax Le Grand Maroc on 0021-24475150.
