Meet our new Baba Souk logo! 🙂 When we finally decided we needed a logo update (like a year ago) I first thought to myself, well, I’m technically a graphic designer (studied in graphic art at university), I should probably design it myself. Then I tried. Then I tried again… Something felt wrong. I just couldn’t do it on my own. So I reached out to one of my favorite local graphic designers, Catherine Lavoie. She created some very cool options but I couldn’t decide. That’s not like me, I usually know what I like within a second. I loved her proposition but it needed something more… Handmade!
Thanks to Instagram, I found this very talented calligraphy artist Seulghi. I combined both of their talents and created a logo! I’m so happy with the result and I hope you’ll love our new Baba Souk logo!
I’m realizing more and more that it takes a constellation of stars to create something real good! – Stephanie
We’ve been struggling with our loft space ever since we moved our Baba Souk office to the East end of Montreal a few years ago into a 800 sq. ft loft. What we realized is that as much as we love the loft life (high ceiling, lots of light and white brick walls) making a loft space functional is not as easy as we thought. We realized over time that the key is to determine space usage. And we really needed to reserve space for two functional desks. The challenge was to make it efficient while making sure we we’re taking up as little space as possible.
We were also SO lucky to be working on this little redesign in collaboration with Home Depot, not only did they provide all the materials but let’s be honest – the best part – they answered our millions of questions. I personally dread going to large surface hardware stores. It seems I never find what I’m looking for, I’m never exactly sure what to pick and why! Oh why! It seems like nobody’s working there when you’re looking for help!? :S Customer service is super important to our brand and Home Depot was the obvious choice. There’s always someone there dressed in orange to help you out when you feel like crying in the middle of the aisle 22. So here’s what it looks like now 🙂
I had so much fun though, working on this little office corner redesign with Camille Picard and Tinka of Solve My Space. Camille is all about making things extra pretty and Tinka is an organization maven.
Our original inspiration came during our last trip to Marrakech. Camille and I were visiting the cutest yoga studio, THEYOGiINME and felt immediately inspired. We just adored the color palette, the pink and yellow, the mix of French design combined with Moroccan crafts.
Camille’s signature design style usually include a bold wallpaper. We sourced high and low to find the perfect wallpaper. We wanted a bit of tropical but something that reminded us of Marrakech, agaves, oranges, olives, luscious leaves, pottery and that peachy pink we love so much. And then after hours of web browsing, we had to face reality, we would NEVER find that perfect wallpaper. We still were not willing to compromise (we may or may not be a little stubborn?) Anyways, we decided we would have to design it.
We decided to work with graphic designer Catherine Lavoie because we felt her style was exactly what we were looking for, graphic and colorful with a little Scandinavian edge.
The sketching started and I had so much fun playing “artistic director” with Catherine because she got what we wanted very quickly. After a few rounds of sketching, we had the Aha! moment as soon as we saw this pattern. It was love at first sight.
Here’s a little mood board we made when we received the wallpaper. Plants, macrame from our latest collab, pink paint swatches, our original THEYOGiINME inspiration picture and Moroccan rattan lamps we brought back for the office.
The tricky part was that we didn’t have gyprock walls to install the wallpaper, our loft walls are made of bricks. That’s where Home Depot was such a game changer. We needed a wood structure, gyprock sheets, paint, screws etc… We were able to find everything thanks to their empathetic employees guiding us throughout our project. Here are some before and after shots. Many thanks to Camille’s dad who put everything together like a champ! He even made a custom desk for us.
I’m so pleased with the final result! Julia (my right hand) and I finally have an inspiring office corner to share. It really makes a difference when you work in a space you love. I know personally, it does bring joy every morning. Now let’s see if we’ll be able to keep it this cute and tidy… 😉
I know creating a décor can be daunting. Where to start? What to focus on? We’ve been there. Since we’ve been coming up with lots of options for our photoshoots, we’ve had a bit of practice and we realize there are a few basic rules to keep in mind. If you have no idea where to begin and you love that timeless classic boho living room style, you can easily recreate it with these 6 must-have items.
Of course, you know I’ve always said a Moroccan rug can make a décor. Well, believe me, it’s true. If you prefer a classic style like this décor we shot at the Damask & Dentelle Apartment, I’d say go for a timeless Beni Ourain rug. It’s the coziest and it has that minimalist look that will never go out of style. Beni Ourain rugs are handmade and are made to last a lifetime. I know people are worried about getting a white rug but they can easily be cleaned by professionals. Since it’s made of natural wool, the stains will easily come out and your rug will look new again. We have a bunch online right now, have a look right here. If you can’t find the size you’re looking for, we can always look into a custom option with you, just get in touch.
2. A Velvet couch
Velvet adds tons of sophistication to a room. It’s rich, cozy and the trend is not going anywhere anytime soon. Pick a colour you’ve always loved. This teal looks pretty amazing to me. (The couch is from West Elm) I love its mid-century look.
3. A charismatic light fixture
This will add tons of style to your room. Look around for gorgeous vintage options at your local flea markets or shop around the web for some stunning options. This one is from West Elm again but I’ve seen lots of options on Etsy.
It does it every time. Just add a Moroccan pouf or two in your living room and it instantly creates a low seating option that makes for a warm, cozy atmosphere. You’ll see you’ll want to hang out in that room. Gold is also one of our go-to options. It looks great in all sorts of decors and it adds light and texture to a room. Our classic Tan leather Moroccan pouf is also a sure bet.
5. A statement piece on your wall
An easy one! Add something large that has character to your living room wall. It could be a big vintage map like this one (from Damask & Dentelle Apartment), a big painting is always a good idea, it could also be a framed poster or a piece of fabric you love. Framed fabric is an inexpensive, fun solution. Vintage maps are also always cool. They add a bit of a Brooklyn flair to the mix.
6. Colourful throw pillows
You’re almost done! You’ll need a few textured throw pillows. We LOVE our one-of-a-kind Boucherouite pillows because they have this pretty amazing mix of weaved colours – but as long as your pillows have interesting texture and colours – they should work!
These are the 6 key elements you’ll need to put together a stunning living room that has tons of personality. Start with these 6 items and you’ll see your living room decor will come together pretty easily. Of course, afterwards, you’ll add your plants and a few treasures to make it your own but following these basic rules will give you an amazing start! – Stephanie
We’re starting the year with lots of good intentions and updating our everyday smoothie is just a tiny thing we can all do to keep healthy eating fun – and pretty – especially with our new Moroccan ceramic bowls.
These ceramic bowls make anything look yummier – no joke. (We have them in soft purple or soft forest green (and they look beautiful paired together.)
Our foodie friend, Emilie Murmure, put together this simple vegan smoothie you can easily make in the morning. The secret is to keep it fresh with beautiful toppings.
One serving of Smoothie :
One cup of Almond milk (Use regular milk if you prefer.)
One cup of frozen fruit (Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or berries, whatever you have on hand. You can, of course, use fresh fruit, frozen fruit only makes it easier to plan.)
One banana
One teaspoon of chia seeds.
One teaspoon of maca powder.
Use a blender to mix everything together until you get the perfect creamy smoothie texture.
Topping :
Small fruit like fresh raspberries or blueberries.
Add some star fruit and figs to make it pretty.
Add some dragon fruit balls. (See tip below.)
Chia seeds.
TIP: Use a small melon baller spoon to make dragon fruit balls, they’ll make any smoothie bowl look prettier and it’s a very fun kitchen utensil to make beautiful fruit salads. Use this spoon to make watermelon balls, cantaloupe or honeydew balls.
Serve your smoothie in our gorgeous Moroccan ceramic bowls and enjoy the fest!
We have a gorgeous and -best of all- EASY and quick DIY idea to decorate your home for Halloween. It has been published on Glitter Guide! (We’re blushing!) This fall, we’re pretty much into a softer, romantic color palette and so our stylist Camille & I thought it would be fun to create pumpkins for grown-ups this year! Because yes, Halloween can be more than cheap candy and scary jack-o-lanterns.
I know you guys are busy so this one is a quick DIY project that ANYBODY can nail in only about 15 minutes. Busy gals and overwhelmed moms – we thought of you.
What you’ll need to make your Pumpkins:
– Pumpinks: We’re really into white pumpkins and light minty green ones. We also found some soft peachy orange pumpkins at the market. They really create a nice palette together.
– Green Floral Foam spheres (these you can find at any gardening center)
– A bunch of flowers. You can get creative here. We’d love to see your arrangements! TIP: Go to the farmer’s market to buy your flowers, it’s cheaper than going to the florist.
This is our flower selection if ever you’d like to recreate this exact look:
– Blushing Bride
– Leucadendron Plumosum Spray
– Leucadendron Safari Sunset
– Amaranthus Hot Biscuit
Step 1: Cut the top of your pumpkin, don’t make the opening too wide, only as big as you need for your bouquet.
Step 2: Remove the seeds using a large spoon.
Step 3: Immerse your foam spheres in water. Let them soak for a few minutes so that they’ll absorb as much water as possible.
Step 4: Insert 1 or 2 foam spheres inside the pumpkin. You’ll need one or 2 depending on the size of your pumpkin.
Step 5: Insert the stems into the foam balls to create your flower arrangement.
There you go! You have a gorgeous floral pumpkin. If you feel your flowers need more water, just add water inside the pumpkin.
Camille & I styled our friend’s Ariane reading nook with our floral pumpkins and we really love how it turned out!
Oh, and her fluffy cat, Rico, really liked them too apparently! 🙂
You can mix your floral pumpkin with uncarved pumpkins of different sizes and start decorating your entrance, or coffee table. You could also create a very pretty centerpiece for your dinner table. Thanksgiving is not that far away guys!
They really create a stunning romantic feel. How pretty would they be for a fall wedding decor too!! If you make some floral pumpkins, please tag us via Instagram, we’d LOVE to see your creations!
Have fun! – Stephanie
Styling: Camille Pictures: Baba Souk Thanks for inviting us over your beautiful home Ariane! XO
