“This isn’t just woodwork, this is artistry,” including traditional motifs drawn from Berber heritage
Arriving at Eden Boutique Hotel, you can’t help but be enchanted by its fairy-tale décor. Guests comment that they feel the “soul” of this stunning building as soon as they walk through its doors. This is no accident, thanks to the vision that inspired Eden in the imagination of Lahcen and Ismail Sabiri, the two local-born brothers who spent seven years building it and now run it.
From the first, their dream was to develop the hotel as a project that would not only provide decent work for local people, but would also represent the finest aspects of Moroccan design and, in particular, the Berber cultural tradition. To do this, they sought out the best craftsmen in the region, incorporated workshops for them into the building of the hotel, and encouraged them to express their artistic talents as well as their practical skills in creating every aspect of the architecture and décor. In taking this approach, the Sabiri brothers and their team have given new life to centuries of tradition that might otherwise be disappearing.
The cabinetmakers incorporated traditional motifs drawn from Berber textiles, jewellery, and architecture to create intricate patterns that draw the eye to every detail.
One fine example can be seen in the exquisite wood carvings in all of Eden’s doors – every one of which is totally unique. The cabinetmakers incorporated traditional motifs drawn from Berber textiles, jewellery, and architecture to create intricate patterns that draw the eye to every detail. From the historic women’s symbol of the fibula, a triangular patterned brooch, to classic archway shapes, the variety of touches is impressive. One guest studying a door, an enthusiastic amateur woodworker, exclaimed: “This is not just woodwork, this is artistry!”
Other artefacts include beautiful inlaid tables and cupboards adorning the reception salon, the library, and the bedrooms here. Many of them keep the natural form of the piece of wood from which they are carved, connecting Eden’s interior décor with the beauty of nature in the Dades Valley outside. Wrought iron fittings for these were also crafted by the artisans based at Eden, embellished with delicate designs.
Guests frequently purchase unique items of woodwork they fall in love with at Eden, which the hotel then ships home for them. Their replacement provides on-going work for the craftsmen who are still based at their workshops there, in addition to their own private commissions. As their guest noted, this is not just woodwork… these are works of art.