Archive by Author

Finding the Perfect Moroccan Rugs – Room by room guide

Hey hi, I’m Stephanie, Baba Souk’s founder 🙂 Over the years, I’ve been testing Moroccan rugs everywhere around my home and the homes of many clients and friends, I’ve learned A lot! I’d like to share what type of Moroccan rugs work best for different spaces around the home.

Moroccan Rugs for Nurseries and Kids’ Bedrooms:

a Baba Souk rug in the kids bedroom
This is the most fun place to have Moroccan rugs. My absolute favourites for kids’ bedrooms are our cotton carpets! First of all, they have joyful colors and patterns that are just perfect for kids’ decor. The thing that I really love is that they are super versatile. So they’ll be adorable in the nursery but will continue to work as your kid’s decor changes over the years!

moroccan rugs fro the kids bedroom by Baba Souk

Another thing is that they are easily washable. Juice spill? Just spray on some Shout spray or OxiClean, and you should be good! If you have a big laundry machine at home, you can wash it with cold water and hang it to dry, or my favorite, wash it in your backyard with the hose or, even better, a pressure machine, it works very well. I own one that I’ve probably washed 30 times by now. It still looks great. They are really made to last. Have a look at this page for all our tips and tricks on how to care for your cotton rugs.

small Moroccan rugs for kids

This is an example on how you can use a small 2’x4′ cotton rug right beside a crib or a transition bed like this cute cat bed.

The only other rug that I really think is perfect for a nursery is our famous Funfetti rug. Yes, it’s a little less easy to maintain, but I mean, HOW CUTE?

wool rug with colorful dots from Baba Souk

Living Room Rug Recommendations
This room is a little trickier because let’s be real – it depends on whether you have Little tornadoes and furry friends – or not!

If you are two grown-ups, I would not hesitate to recommend a Beni Ourain rug. The comfort is unmatched. They are perfect for low-traffic living room and could not be prettier or cozier. Every time I’ve added a Beni Ourain rug to a space, it instantly made it cozy and warm. So I highly recommend it if this is what you’re looking for.

Moroccan Rugs, 4 Sizes Available – White wool & Black Dots

On the other hand, if you have a messy family like mine or a dog with dark hair, I prefer to be honest with you; you might want to avoid a white rug! Over the years, I found that our colorful wool rugs are very good with busy families. They still have that coziness, but the colors make them easier to maintain.

colorful Moroccan rugs from Baba Souk

Master’s Bedroom Top 3 Rug Picks:
#1 The Marigold Rug: I personally have a Marigold rug in my bedroom (Yes, my husband loves it too!) My toddler loves it even more; it’s super cozy to sit on, and he loves to read books right on it. I love the look and the soft feeling under my feet. I’ve paired it with soft pink bedding, golden yellow bedding, and lilac bedding – They all look good.

#2 Classic Dots: A super fun twist on the classic Beni Ourain rugs, this wool rug is luxurious, cozy, and it has something sassy about it! It would turn any boring bedroom into a very fun cozy atmosphere. The great thing is that it could be paired with almost any bedding, so you can keep the rug and switch up the bedding for a fresh look.

white wool rug and black dots from Baba Souk

#3 Checkers: If you prefer cotton, I highly recommend the pink checkered cotton rug. It can be made in the size you need. The look is super cool. Your husband doesn’t like pink? Don’t worry, we can have it made especially for you in almost any color. Send us an email to discuss colors; we’d be happy to make the rug of your dreams come to life 🙂

The Best Kitchen Runner
I’ve tested a bunch of rugs in my kitchen. While the cotton rugs work well, the easiest to care for are our Baba Souk machine-washable kitchen runners. What a revelation! We really couldn’t find cool kitchen runners that were durable, water-absorbent, easy to care for, and fun! So we had to create our own design. We adore it, and we’ve been getting the best reviews from our clients. I own one in my kitchen, and I have two young boys; they are messy little people, and I think I must have washed my runner 100 times! It’s in perfect shape. I’m amazed every time I wash it; I can’t believe how good it looks after 1 year of very busy family life.

kitchen runner rug, machine washable from from baba souk

kitchen runner rug, machine washable from from baba souk

If you don’t like pink, don’t worry; we plan on adding other color combos soon.

Our Famous Baba Souk Bath Mat
We wanted to create a very cute, machine-washable, water-absorbent, and easy-to-care-for bath mat. After lots of sketching and testing, we decided to have our own Baba Souk design made in India in a small Fairtrade factory where they can easily duplicate the bath mat and keep the price reasonable. We are planning to create more bath mat designs, but this one has been popular from day 1.

bath mat from baba souk

It is very cute, and the colors are soft and fun; it goes well with all sorts of bathroom decor. It hasn’t lost its popularity; we sometimes struggle to have enough inventory, so if you want it and it’s in stock, grab it!

If you have any questions about ordering a rug from our website, please visit our FAQ page or don’t hesitate to email us for personalized assistance; we’d love to help and give you advice and recommendations; it’s our jam 🙂

If you need styling and home decor inspiration, visit our Instagram.

-Stephanie

no comments. Leave yours!

Moroccan Rugs: A Love Story

I’ve been obsessed with Moroccan rugs since my first visit to Marrakech back in 2011! My husband was born and raised in Marrakech; I was just visiting his family for the first time and just fell in love with everything handmade! I wanted to bring back so many things for myself and then realized he knew many artisans. That’s when the idea sparked. I created Baba Souk in 2012 with a mission to offer the most exquisite rugs and home decor accessories, aiming to turn your home into a colorful place of joy and happiness, one rug at a time!

Sorting through Piles of Rugs

I love to go through piles and piles of rugs and handpick the most amazing ones. I’ve always been the type of girl who finds the best dress at Winners or the coolest piece of vintage clothing. What can I say? I love to find gems! Now, after more than 10 years in this business, we’ve also developed great relationships with artisans. This enables us to create our own Moroccan rug designs. As a former clothing designer, this is my jam, and I’m having fun with the process, despite all the obstacles and challenges that come with creating and crafting our own rug collection.

Durability Meets Sustainability

I love Moroccan rugs for so many reasons, but one of the main reasons is their durability. I’m very sick & tired of our throw-away culture, I’m done with cheap stuff that stays nice for only a couple of months! It’s irritating and it’s very bad for our planet. Yes, buying an expensive rug can be daunting, but when it’s gorgeous and you know it will last for at least a decade, you know it’s the right choice, especially for our planet.

My Personal Faves – Moroccan cotton rugs

colourful morrocan rugs

Did you know our cotton rugs are made of leftover fabric scraps from clothing factories? Yes, you’ve read correctly, there are tons of fast-fashion clothing factories in Casablanca, and the fabric scraps from factories are recycled into rugs! This always blows my mind! Each little piece of cotton fabric is hand-knotted to the weft of the carpet creating colorful patterns and the most fun texture. Babies and kids are usually mesmerized by our cotton rugs and love to step on them!

As a designer, I love to use them in kid’s bedrooms. The cool part is they’re very versatile! They will adapt to your kid’s decor for many years to come. They’ll look super cute near a crib, then switch up the decor and make it work for bigger kid decor, a teenager, and yes, even an adult! Their versatility is remarkable.

moroccan rugs cotton baba souk

Our cotton rugs are easy to care for; you can wash them in the machine or with a water pressure machine in your backyard using cold water and laundry soap. Learn all about our best tips for taking care of your rug right here.

Classic Wool Rugs – Timeless Comfort

Our Beni Ourain rugs are what we love to call our classic rugs. They’re super cozy, 100% wool rugs that will never go out of style. Characterized by white wool and black lines or diamonds, I’m sure you’ve seen them before. The sad part is that they have been knocked off by all the big retailers. But it’s easy to tell when it’s not the real thing. Moroccan rugs are hard to duplicate because they are 100% handmade. A machine-manufactured rug is just too straight, too white, too shiny, and has so much less appeal. Our handmade Moroccan rugs are the coziest thing you’ll ever step on. Super thick and hand-knotted with luxurious wool, they are definitely superb.

moroccan rugs wool beni ourain

Top Choice for Architects and Designers

Known to be architects’ and designers’ top choice, these minimalist rugs are made to last a lifetime. I love to use these classic rugs in the bedroom as they bring so much coziness to a space. They’ll make your room feel warm and inviting while keeping your toes happy when you hit the ground first thing in the morning.

Dotted Wool Rugs – A Fun Take on the Classic

The dotted wool rugs are a fun take on this classic. They have a feminine edge that makes them super-designed with a touch of sassy! We love to use the dotted rugs in the living room; they will jazz up any decor. They’re also beautiful in a bedroom. The Funfetti rug is a rug we created with baby nurseries in mind. They are EXTRA cute!

Moroccan Wool Rugs, beni ourain rug with black dots

beni ourain rug with colourful dots

Colorful Wool Rugs – Art in Every Yarn

Our colorful handmade wool rugs are considered pieces of art. The beauty of their color gradient is hard to explain with words! As much as we try to take the best picture we can, they are so much more amazing in real life! Each and every rug is absolutely unique. If you fall in love with these one-of-a-kind rugs, grab it! I’ve had so many disappointed clients who have been eyeing the rug and imagining it in their homes. Then when they’re finally ready to grab it, it’s gone! I know how disappointing it can be. These gradient beauties are impossible to replicate and add an artistic touch to your home. However, they sell out fast, so don’t hesitate if you find one you love.

 

moroccan rugs colourful wool baba souk

Customizing Your Moroccan Rug

We make lots of custom rugs for our clients. Sometimes clients fall in love with a particular rug and can’t find the size they need. Or they’ve had their eye on a rug, and now it’s sold out! Their heart sinks, and they want this exact rug (I’ve told you to grab it fast! haha). We also work with designers who are looking to create a unique rug or need to incorporate a special color in the design. We love to create the rug of your dreams! If you’re interested in creating a custom rug, please email us and provide some details about the rug you’re considering and the size you require. We’ll get back to you with feasibility, pricing, and lead time.

Introducing Baba Souk Rugs

After years of attempting to replicate our own rugs through Moroccan artisans, I realized that the artisans face significant challenges in the manufacturing process due to their lack of proper equipment. Their work is 100% handmade and purely improvised and artisanal. We finally decided to start making our own designs of machine-washable bath mats and machine-washable kitchen runners in India. It turned out to be a beautiful compromise. It’s still a fair trade product as we work with a small manufacturer and make sure to pay them fairly, and treat them with respect and kindness. We still care a lot about the product quality and aim for durability. I personally test the rugs at home with my kids, wash them a ton of times and make sure they’re robust!

Runner rugs kitchen, machine washable Baba Souk

bathroom rugs absorbant bath mat

 

How to Choose Your Moroccan Rug

Selecting the right Moroccan rug is an emotional experience. Let your heart guide you; when a rug sparks joy and captures your emotions, it’s the one. These rugs represent investments in joy and conversation starters that people will cherish for years to come. I personally also love to recommend clients! Send us an email with a picture of your space; I’d love to recommend the best rug options for your decor.

FAQS

For common questions regarding ordering a rug on Baba Souk’s website, please visit our FAQ section. Please feel free to email us with any questions you may have; we love to help!

Rug Care Instructions

For all our best tips on taking care of your rug, visit this page.

Join the Fun!

For inspiration on styling Baba Souk rugs in your home, visit our Instagram page. We also love it when clients send us pictures of their beautiful homes!

no comments. Leave yours!

Marrakech Travel Guide – By Baba Souk

Finally, an updated Marrakech Travel Guide! If you’ve been following me for a while you know that my husband was born and raised in the Marrakech souk market. Long story short – We met in Canada at university and the first time I visited his family in Marrakech back in 2011, I fell in love with everything handmade in Morocco and wanted to bring everything back with me for my own decor. I was excited! Give me all the poufs, rugs and baskets, I’m bringing them all! Haha. Soon, I realized that since he was raised in the market, he knew all the artisans and where to find everything! The opportunity to create the store of my dreams suddenly opened up.

Enough said! The point of this blog post is not to share my story but to share my TOP things to do if you’re heading to Marrakech. After staying in Marrakech for one month and visiting for the 12th time, I’m losing count 😅 , the following have made my short list of recommendations 💕 I would say these are the things you MUST do if you’re travelling to Marrakech for the 1st time.

Marrakech Travel Guide: UPDATED JULY 2022

WHAT TO SEE 😍
-Ben Yussef Madrasa
-Jardin Majorelle 💙 (personal fave)
-Musée YSL (right beside The Majorelle garden)
-La Mamounia (Former royal estate. Dress up and go for drinks, it’s gorgeous. Fun fact, men have to wear closed shoes)
-Le Beldi Country Club (Go for lunch + bring your bathing suits)

WHERE TO STAY🏨
-Dar Malouki
-Riad BE
-Riad Chamali
Villa outside the medina (highly recommend if you’re planning to rent a car / travelling with kids during hot summer days and want AC + private pool but still want a local feel with all the cute Boho Morocco vibes)
-TIP: Type “Riad, Medina Marrakech” in Airbnb for many other options.
*I would not recommend staying in a modern hotel, you will miss out on the experience.

WHERE TO SHOP 💕
-Souk Market, old medina (get lost for hours in the souk labyrinths, don’t worry you’ll find your way back to the Jemaa el-Fnaa Square)
-All the cute shops around the Majorelle Garden, especially Le 33 and Chabbi Chic

Marrakech Travel Guide, riad chamali

WHAT TO EAT / DRINK 🍹
(Make a reservation especially if you plan to have a meal, but you can always just drop in for a drink).
-Riad Elf Fen (personal fave 💕 You can access the rooftop terrace via their boutique, no reservations needed for drinks)
-La Terrace des Épices
-Kabana

WHAT TO EAT 😋
(no alcohol but still worth a visit! 😉 )
-La famille
-L’mida
-Le Nomade

EAT IN 🛌
-Pâtisserie l’Artisan by Philippe – Recently discovered
this place and I’m still dreaming about it, all the Moroccan baking but with a French twist 👌 Heaven! 🥐
-Triangolo Pizza Delivery – Already tired of tajines? Fresh local ingredients + best pizza crust ever

FLY✈️
Tip! Fly via Royal Air Maroc so you can bring back 2 big bags per person for all your souvenirs 😛

WHEN TO GO ☀️
-April, May, June, September, October
(Avoid winter and the VERY HOT July and August. You might want to avoid special times like Ramadan and Eid al-Adha as lots of places are closed during these religious festivities)

MONEY EXCHANGE 💸
-Bring cash. Exchange your money at “Hotel Ali”, Jemaa
el-Fnaa Square. Best exchange rate, easy & fast.

I have also written a lengthy blog post with all sorts of travel recommendations. Click right here to read it.

Marrakech is not the easiest destination, but it’s the dreamiest! You will never forget your experience.

Safe Travels!

– Stephanie xx

Marrakech Travel Guide, Baba Souk

no comments. Leave yours!

Win a DREAMY girl’s bedroom with South Shore Furniture and Baba Souk

BABA SOUK AND SOUTHSHORE GIVEAWAY

OFFICIAL RULES (FRENCH BELOW)

DURATION OF GIVEAWAY

The “Win a DREAMY girl’s bedroom with @southshorefurniture and @babasouk” giveaway is organized by South Shore Furniture (Les industries de la Rive-Sud, Ltée) and Baba Souk (hereinafter the “giveaway organizer”). It will begin on January 27th, 2022 (11:00AM EDT) and end on January 30th, 2022 (11:59PM [midnight] EDT) (hereinafter the “Giveaway period”).

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the giveaway, participants must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older at the time of registration
  • Be residing in Canada

(Hereinafter the “eligible participant”)

Any person who falls in one of the following categories during the giveaway period or at the time of the draw, as applicable, is excluded from the giveaway:

– Employees, managers, directors, and senior executives of South Shore Furniture and Baba Souk, the “giveaway organizer,” and people residing with them.

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

To enter the giveaway, an eligible participant must:

  • Follow the @southshorefurniture Instagram page and the @babasouk Instagram page.
  • Tag friends in the comments under the giveaway post.
  • Be available for pickup in Montreal.

For an extra chance, a participant can share the giveaway via Instagram story.

If either of the above conditions is not met, the participant’s entry will be deemed invalid.

The giveaway period runs from January 27th, 2022 (11:00AM EDT) to January 30th, 2022 (11:59PM EDT).

THE PRIZE

The winner of the giveaway wins a prize with a total value of $1121, including:

  • A South Shore metal daybed (SKU #12165) ($300)
  • A South Shore Solid Wood Vanity Table with Stool Set (SKU # 13044) ($208)
  • A Moroccan Baba Souk Boucherouite rug (SKU 6235-marigold-1) ($420)
  • A Baba Souk Eye Cushion (SKU # 00060189) ($46)
  • A Baba Souk Sun Cushion (SKU # 00060172) ($68)
  • A Sabra Kilim Cushion – Pink (SKU # 0005820-PI-61) ($55)
  • A Flamingo plush (SKU # 00060165) ($39)
  • A Poster 16″x20″ – The Secret Garden, Marrakech (SKU # 00060316) ($38)

* This gift set was used for studio shooting photo. Items may be slightly damaged. The furniture is already assembled.

General terms and conditions

A winner will be chosen on January 31th, 2022, from the entries submitted by all participants. The winning participant must accept the prize, provide his/her mailing address within 48 hours. Otherwise, another winner will be chosen. The winner’s name will be announced on February 2, 2022. If the winning participant refuses the prize, Baba Souk will choose a new winner.

Prize delivery

The winner must be able to travel to pick up the products directly at the Baba Souk office (2019 rue Moreau Suite #300, Montreal, H1W 2M1 Quebec).

Disqualification

The giveaway organizer reserves the right to disqualify a participant or cancel one or more of his/her entries if that person participates, or tries to participate, in this giveaway using a method that is contrary to the rules set out herein or that could be unfair to the other participants.

Limit of liability

The giveaway organizer and the people for whom this giveaway is held will not be liable for the malfunctioning of any communications line, the loss or absence of any network communication, or any transmission that is faulty, incomplete, incomprehensible, or deleted by any computer or network, thus preventing any person from reading the giveaway rules or restricting their ability to do so.

Changes to giveaway

The giveaway organizer reserves the right, fully at its discretion, to cancel, terminate, change, or suspend this giveaway, in whole or in part, should any event or human intervention occur that could alter or influence the administration, security, or impartiality of the giveaway, or the contest process, as set out in the current rules, subject to authorization by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, where applicable, and will not be assigned any liability.

Authorization

By accepting the prize, the winner authorizes the giveaway organizer and its representatives to use his/her name, photograph, and/or a video, without any form of compensation.

Any dispute about the organization or administration of a promotional contest can be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux for resolution. Any dispute over the awarding of the prize can be submitted to the Régie for the sole purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.

This giveaway is subject to all applicable laws.

BABA SOUK AND SOUTHSHORE GIVEAWAY

Règlements : Concours «Gagnez une chambre girly DE RÊVE avec @southshorefurniture et @babasouk»

DURÉE DU CONCOURS

Le concours «Gagnez une chambre girly DE RÊVE avec @southshorefurniture et @babasouk» est organisé par Meubles South Shore (Les industries de la Rive-Sud, Ltée) et Baba Souk (ci-après « l’organisateur du concours »). Il se déroulera du 27 janvier 2022 (11h00 HAE) et se terminera le 30 janvier 2022 (11h59 PM HAE) (ci-après «la période du concours»).

 

ADMISSIBILITÉ

Pour être éligibles au concours, les participants doivent remplir les conditions suivantes :

  • Être âgé de 18 ans et plus au moment de l’inscription;
  • Être résident du Canada;

(Ci-après « le participant admissible»)

Sont exclues les personnes qui, pendant la durée du concours ou au moment du tirage, le cas échéant, sont :

– Les employés, cadres, administrateurs et dirigeants de Meubles South Shore et de Baba Souk « l’organisateur du concours » ainsi que les personnes avec lesquelles ils sont domiciliés.

 

COMMENT PARTICIPER

Pour participer au concours, un participant admissible doit :

  • Suivre la page @southshorefurniture et celle de @babasouk.
  • Taguez des amis dans les commentaires.
  • Être disponible pour ramasser son prix à Montréal.

Pour obtenir une chance supplémentaire, le participant peut aussi partager le concours dans sa story.

Dans le cas échéant, la participation ne sera pas valide.

La période de participation du concours est du 27 janvier 2022 (11h00 HAE) et se terminera le 30 janvier 2022 (11h59 PM HAE).

 

PRIX

Le gagnant du concours remportera un prix d’une valeur totale de 1 121$ comprenant :

  • Un lit de jour en métal South Shore (SKU #12165) (300$)
  • Un ensemble coiffeuse et tabouret en bois massif South Shore (SKU # 13044) (208$)
  • Un tapis Boucherouite du Maroc Baba Souk (SKU 6235-marigold-1) (420$)
  • Un coussin Œil Baba Souk (SKU # 00060189) (46$)
  • Un coussin Soleil Baba Souk (SKU # 00060172) (68$)
  • Un coussin Kilim Sabra – Rose (SKU # 0005820-PI-61) (55$)
  • Une peluche Flamant Rose (SKU # 00060165) (39$)
  • Une affiche 16″x20″– Le jardin secret, Marrakech (SKU # 00060316) (38$)

L’ensemble des cadeaux sera remis au gagnant.

* Cet ensemble cadeau a été utilisé pour la prise de photos en studio. Les items peuvent être légèrement endommagés. Les meubles sont déjà montés.

Conditions générales

Un gagnant sera tiré au sort le 31 janvier 2022 parmi tous les participants ayant soumis leur candidature. Le participant gagnant devra accepter le cadeau, fournir son adresse postale et remplir le formulaire de la RACJ dans un délai de 48 heures, sans quoi un autre gagnant sera choisi. Le gagnant sera annoncé le 2 février 2022. Si le participant gagnant refuse son prix, Baba Souk choisira un nouveau gagnant.

Remise du prix

Le gagnant doit être capable de se déplacer pour aller chercher les produits directement au bureau de Baba Souk (2019 rue Moreau Suite #300, Montréal, H1W 2M1 Québec)

Disqualification

L’organisateur du concours se réserve le droit de disqualifier une personne ou d’annuler une ou plusieurs inscriptions d’une personne si elle participe ou tente de participer au présent concours en utilisant un moyen contraire au présent règlement ou de nature à être inéquitable envers les autres participants.

Limite de responsabilité

L’organisateur du concours et les personnes au bénéfice desquelles ce concours est tenu se dégagent de toute responsabilité relativement au mauvais fonctionnement de toute ligne de communication, relativement à la perte ou à l’absence de communication réseau ou relativement à toute transmission défaillante, incomplète, incompréhensible ou effacée par tout ordinateur ou tout réseau et qui peut limiter pour toute personne la possibilité de lire le règlement de participation ou l’en empêcher.

Modification du concours

L’organisateur du concours se réserve le droit, à son entière discrétion, d’annuler, de terminer, de modifier ou de suspendre, en tout ou en partie, le présent concours dans l’éventualité où il se manifeste un événement ou toute intervention humaine pouvant altérer ou influencer l’administration, la sécurité, l’impartialité ou le déroulement du concours comme prévu dans le présent règlement, sous réserve de l’autorisation de la régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, s’il y a lieu. Aucune responsabilité ne pourra leur être imputée.

Autorisation

En acceptant le prix, tout gagnant autorise l’organisateur du concours et leurs représentants à utiliser, son nom, une photographie, une vidéo, et ce, sans aucune forme de rémunération.

Un différend quant à l’organisation ou à la conduite d’un concours publicitaire peut être soumis à la Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux afin qu’il soit tranché. Un différend quant à l’attribution d’un prix peut être soumis à la Régie uniquement aux fins d’une intervention pour tenter de le régler.

 

Le concours est assujetti à toutes les lois applicables.

N.B. : Le genre masculin n’est utilisé sans aucune discrimination et dans le seul but d’alléger le texte.

 

 

 

 

 

no comments. Leave yours!

click to scroll to top of page
link to the babasouk contact form