Karen McCartney writes about successfully integrating holiday loves into home life. Interiors-wise, of course...

As so often is the case with interiors that have their cultural roots elsewhere, it can be tricky to translate the look admired overseas back on home turf without going too far and ending up with a room that looks like it is styled for a sit-com.

We have all done it. The trip to France, Japan or Bali captures us at a time when our brains are relaxed, susceptible and we are feeling open to inspiration. We want to retain that holiday feeling and bring something of the spirit of the place into our lives in a more permanent decorative way. This can be dangerous.

Duquesa tiles via Apartment Therapy

One such style is Moroccan, and unfortunately, there is much to be seduced by – the decorative tiles, the low casual furniture that invites lounging, the piles of cushions and the perforated metal lights that emit mesmeric light patterns.

Image - Danielle De Lange

But I have done my research and have discovered how to bring these elements into your home in a way that complements the contemporary rather than re-creates the souk. Here is a foolproof list.

1. Choose one item and use it multiple times. A series of nickel serving platters in different sizes propped against a wall, a collection of ceramic bowls, or folded fabrics. Make a statement through repetition rather than lots of small, varied items.

2. Rugs are at the core of this look, not only for floors but also for walls or thrown over furnishings. Find a tonal palette and stick to it.

3. Keep it low. If low, wide daybed furniture can be built-in then pile on the cushions and make sure the coffee table is of the same height. Leather pouffes add to a relaxed ambiance.

4. Patterned tiles are having a decorative renaissance so choose a contained area – a bathroom floor or a kitchen splash back - and add some visual excitement.

5. Moroccan lighting looks effective in a contemporary setting. A group of three perforated metal lights in a variety of shapes, hung at different heights, make a statement.

6. Choose an ornate mirror or bedhead, in white, for a subtle flash of Moroccan style.

Image via Pinterest (source unknown).

And one final word of caution – don't do more than three of the above, or you might move from a beautiful sense of cultural appropriation to a sensory overload where simply too much is in play at once.