Moorish Bedroom Furniture
After the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, Islamic Spain became a cultural mix of influences that shaped both private homes and religious spaces. Moorish design was the name given to this style, which evolved through the 15th century with vibrant tile work, horseshoe arches and lavish ornamentation, most visible at sites such as Granada’s Alhambra and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. Moorish furniture was often similarly ornate, and featured pieces inlaid with wood, ivory and bone.
When European designers began studying Moorish art and architecture in the early 19th century, it led to a Moorish Revival. Appropriating the style’s decorative flourishes and architectural elements, it promoted a romantic view of Islamic design. Travelers could bring home a memento of what they witnessed in the Middle East, a trend that aligned with a fad for themed interiors. Men’s smoking rooms arranged with ottomans, divans and settees and inlaid tables were especially popular, as were cafés where coffee was served amid bead curtains and colorful floor mats. (Handwoven rugs are a centerpiece of Moorish interiors.) Octagonal rooms with domed ceilings were created for wealthy homes, frequently with furnishings like pipe stands, filigree plasterwork and arched doorways. The horseshoe arch is an iconic attribute of Moorish architecture that, in addition to Spain, can be found in Sicily, Morocco and elsewhere.
Several late 19th to early 20th-century movements featured Moorish touches. The American and English Aesthetic Movement, for example, borrowed liberally from global decorating styles, as seen in furniture designed by Lockwood de Forest, a New York-born artist who mixed Eastern and Western forms. The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau also references the elegant use of geometry in Moorish design, with Milanese Art Nouveau furniture designer Carlo Bugatti drawing inspiration from the style. The Arts and Crafts movement, which prized expressive yet simple design, incorporated Moorish influences; hand-painted furniture and tile work created by William De Morgan, a British designer and potter who made furnishings for the likes of Morris & Co., were informed by techniques from Moorish Spain.
Find a collection of Moorish lighting, decorative objects, folk art and more furniture on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century Indian Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Bone, Wood, Mother-of-Pearl, Abalone, Shell
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Fabric
17th Century Portuguese Antique Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood
2010s American Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Hardwood
1990s Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood
20th Century Canadian Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood
2010s Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Late 19th Century Portuguese Antique Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Brass
2010s American Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Wood, Bone, Shell, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Shell, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Bone, Shell, Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Mirror, Wood, Walnut
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Reclaimed Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
20th Century Syrian Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl
20th Century Moroccan Moorish Bedroom Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl