Designer Laurence Leenaert, head of the LRNCE label, opened Riad Rosemary in one of the oldest districts of Marrakech. This first hotel project, carried out with her husband Ayoub Boualam, is a window open to her creative universe harmoniously combining craftsmanship and modernity.
On the rooftop of the Rosemary boutique hotel overlooking the Riad Zitoun Jdid district, very close to the Bahia Palace, in Marrakech, we find a slightly naive bench which served as a setting during the wedding of Laurence Leenaert and Ayoub Boualam, in an enchanting garden, in 2019. This creation from their lifestyle brand LRNCE, hoisted under the Moroccan sky, is among the multitude of attentions reserved for the guests of their 5 rooms since last September. “We wanted to bring, within the riad, personal objects like this bench, but also ceramics and books in order to make our guests’ stay more intimate, welcoming them warmly as in a traditional Moroccan house,” explains Ayoub. A family spirit infuses this project carried with passion by the Belgian-Moroccan couple. It is also Michelle, Laurence’s sister, who ensures the comfort of visitors to this eminently inspiring address.
The riad, in one of the oldest districts of the medina, was designed by the architect Quentin Wilbaux, who has restored countless properties in Marrakech thanks to detailed historical documentation work. The previous owner, a certain Rose-Marie, happily entrusted her house to the care of Laurence and Ayoub in 2021, who were then thinking of broadening their field of expression. « After having explored Moroccan craftsmanship for almost ten years through the LRNCE range of products, we wanted to create a place to live that would resemble it. We wanted to offer travelers a riad open to art and design, combining traditional Moroccan architecture and know-how with the colorful aesthetic of the brand », reports Laurence.
