Between the Atlas mountains and the Agafay desert, French-Swiss designer Romain Michel-Ménière opened his personal passion project, the Berber Lodge hotel. A contemporary ‘village’ inspired by the architecture of Morocco’s historic settlements. Classic proportions were given a modern twist with enlarged windows and openings, allowing the tranquillity of the countryside to permeate within. Antique kilims, Moroccan tea trays and banquette seating are placed alongside Mid-Century Modern furnishings found in the flea markets of Morocco and Paris, and these in turn are offset by rattan furniture from Essaouira. Michel-Ménière has created a mix of traditional and contemporary via nature and a good dose of simply excellent taste. The gardens around the Berber Lodge are the work of Parisian landscape designer Arnaud Casaus, who used agave, pistachio and long grass as an unusual groundcover, set within an old olive grove.