Ancient Bath

I love a pair of slippers in the bathroom. This pair was hand sewn in Mauritania and they are right at home with the rust tiled floor and Indian curtains.

Corners

I had an empty corner in the living room and wanted to make it look exotic. Screens to the rescue again! This beautiful standing screen made in Indonesia looks wonderful against the salmon colored walls. The palm sets off a light tone in green and goes with the turquoise pot. And the tray table was a lucky find at a thrift boutique in Walnut Creek, CA. It is a heavy brass tray with Arabic calligraphy around the surface and stands on dark wood legs with mother of pearl in-lay.

Kitchen Bliss

Antiqued copper and silver give this kitchen a vintage look. The mirror is Moroccan style and the silver teapots are Russian.

Fireplace Decor

This is a complete view of the fireplace with the tray arrangement. On the mantle are different jugs, teapots and lanterns all with copper and bronze tones. Everything flows together nicely complete with multi-colored kiln rugs and a wool rug from Afghanistan.

Tray Display

I used a collection of trays to decorate my fireplace. Repetition is powerful in decore The biggest tray is about two feet in diameter and the smallest is about a foot in diameter. I love how they are not shiny to give an antique effect. This is a great way to cover an unused fireplace.

Thai Jungle Living Area

I found some great Thai meditation cushions to create a Thai jungle in our living room. The bamboo mat and tall plants give an outdoor feel to the open area with high ceilings. This is a work in progress...

Wall Hanging

This is a beautiful way to display keepsakes. The Indian wall-shelf contrasts nicely against the white wall and holds just enough for treasured items. The shelf was found at the Ashby Flea Market in Berkeley, CA.

Geometric Screens!

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Beautiful screens in Islamic Geometric Designs!

Exotic Corner

Floor seating can be tricky. To make this corner work I used a mini-folding screen, (originally part of an antique folding table), as a headboard. This gives nice height and balance to the floor-ceiling ratio.
Then I used a rug as a cushion cover which is handy if you don't have time to sew a cover on. Then I put a similar rug on the floor for nice consistancy.

Antique lock

For perspective, the lock is shown here with the window blinds.

Side Table

This beautifully carved table is has a glass top and mother of pearl inlay. It works well as a coffee table or even low desk for any room.

3-D Hangings

An antique Egyptian lock and key makes a unique wall hanging. Three-dimensional pieces in general are a great way to accent narrow wall spaces. This one hangs between two windows.

bookshelf decor

Atop a small bookshelf, I placed an Uzbeki lamp with a brown incense box and large palm plant. The artwork is from Jordan and reflect nicely with gold tones.

Brass Arrangement

These beautiful brass containers are arranged on a brass tray. Set by the front door, it makes the perfect place for keys, cell phones and loose change.

Hearth decor

This unique fireplace decor works well if you don't have a big centerpiece. A small plate with Arabic calligraphy is used amidst brass candle sticks. A small mirror could be used in place of the plate or even a plant such as ivy.

Peaceful Sparce Living Room

A large blank wall is turned into a prayer and meditation area. Indian carved wood bookstands and a beautiful Indian screen create eye-points. A Hajj Noor Deen scroll gives a hint of Asian flair.

Kohl

Atop a bathroom cabinet I placed nice toxin-absorbing plants in antique metal pots. In between are three vintage kohl bottles (they are Persian brass which matches nicely with the pots.) The 'tree' tops slide out with kohl powder ready to use on the end-tips.

Noor

This beautiful lamp looks amazing hung in a corner.
The colorful glass panels emit a "rainbow light" as my 4 year old calls it.
And intricate shadows are cast on the wall at night.

Brass Garden

A nice arrangement of antique brass teapots and jugs.
The blue rust goes well with the flowing Rosemary behind.

Indian wood folding table with brass tray and brass plant pot.
I love how the green bamboo stands out against this Indian folding screen. Antique rug salvaged from the basement is faded with age. It used to bold red with blue and cream designs, now it's beautiful muted mauve.

Wall Candy

Egyptian Wall Hanging
Eight-sided star shaped mirror paired with a photo frame. This one has original Mosque art in place of a picture. Trinkets hang from the sides.

Eye of the Living Room

Seating area in our 2-bedroom Santa Monica apartment.
A dividing bookshelf is used here to section off a more cozy living room in this small living space. I cut a three-part futon to make the seating cushion and covered it with a Turkish tapestry that has a green-tan color tone. A Jordanian wood carved table makes a nice stand for drinks and the Moroccan style lantern (which is from Cost-Plus). The gold-toned metal tray completes the exotic look and balances the wall. I try to avoid hanging small things on the wall, it's too much clutter. The idea for this living room was to have enough seating (there is another futon pad facing the one shown here), while keeping the space open.

Santa Monica Bedroom

This is a bright bedroom in our Santa Monica apartment. I used caramel yellow colors mixed with brown tones to reflect the sun-light. The bedspread is from India along with the brown mirrored pillows on top. I placed Mauritanian pillows against the window to create a nice reading area with the metal carved lantern hanging for a soft glow in the evenings. The small table underneath the hanging lantern is Syrian and was recovered from basement storage.

Zawiya: Living Room Corner

A corner is transformed into a warm seating area. Two futons form the base with Turkish coverings and neutral colored pillows, which accentuate the crimson rug and decor colors.
Three Hajj Noor Deen paintings adorn one wall and a Mauritanian leather book bag hangs on the other. A Japanese style floor lamp lets off soft light. Thus African fused with Asian art complete the Islamic-Zen mood.