Marrakech’s Majorelle Garden really ought to be the Eighth Wonder of the World, we think. Definitely one for everyone’s bucket list.
If you aren’t familiar with it, the spectacular and colourful garden was designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle, and was later bought and brought back to life by Yves St Laurent; a style endorsement if ever there were one. Of course, what most people remember first about the garden is the iconic cobalt shade used all around the building and exterior spaces. Inspired by the beautiful coloured tiles he had spotted all around Marrakech, Majorelle patented the colour before his death, calling it Bleu Majorelle.
The shade has inspired many an artist (and paint designer) and we in fact have our own homage to Bleu Majorelle, in the form of YesColours’ Electric Blue masonry paint. We think it’s the truest colour match for the Majorelle Garden, making it a great place to start if you’re hoping to recreate the rich, bold look of the garden in your own outdoor space.
The Majorelle Garden (Jardin Majorelle) is one of the most loved travel destinations, thanks to its bright colours, tall cacti and, of course, the YSL museum right in its heart. Here you'll find out how to recreate this iconic Marrakech look in your own garden. Photo: © saiko3p / Shutterstock.
Make it Blue, Blue, Electric Blue.
Because that may be the colour of David Bowie’s room but it should also be the colour of your outdoor space if you want to give your garden a hit of Majorelle magic. Drench a whole exterior wall in YesColours’ Electric Blue masonry paint and you create a huge, bold expanse of blue you feel you could dive right into. But it looks just as striking on something smaller, like the fountain in the Majorelle Garden - try a low wall, a stone seat or even a garden gnome.
No garden? No problem. Electric Blue is also available in interior paints.
Good news: you can now achieve Marrakech's Majorelle Garden design in your own garden, thanks to our Electric Blue Masonry paint colour - perfect for bricks, concrete and even terracotta plant pots.
Add Majorelle Garden colours that pair well with Electric Blue.
You can of course let the blue do its work alone among the greenery of the plants but if the space needs lifting a little, Bleu Majorelle’s obvious partner (as seen in the garden itself) is a deep, sunny yellow. Passionate Yellow is a really saturated shade from the YesColours collection that works well, or Mellow Yellow offers the same chirpiness but in a lighter, citrus tone.
If you’d like to pretty things up a bit, take inspiration from the Majorelle Cafe with its aqua furniture and pink walls and take Fresh Aqua and Friendly Pink as your accent colours.
Or pay homage to the natural colours of the garden, the cacti, trailing plants and terracotta tiles with Loving Green and Loving Orange.
P.S. check out the most iconic YesColours colour combo, inspired by the Majorelle Garden colour palette here.
Plants are a great way to achieve the Majorelle Garden look in your own home or garden. Bonus points for this glorious colour combination of our Electric Blue paint colour and our Fresh Peach paint colour. A match made in heaven.
Choose sculptural plants.
Tall cacti, yuccas, bougainvillaeas, palm trees and bamboo are all straight out of the Marjorelle seed catalogue and they provide instant height and structure to a garden. The Palm Tree Company has an excellent spiky selection. If your soil isn’t right for the plant you want, invest in a large terracotta pot to grow it in so you can change the growing environment of the soil to suit. Or make the watering easier and install a metal cactus instead.
You can also upcycle your terracotta plant pots with our Electric Blue masonry paint. The paint has a special formula that allows the terracotta to breathe and therefore preserve the coverage and keep it away from any scratches or other surface damage. See how our Co-Founder and Creative Director - Emma, has upcycled this plant pot in her own garden.
Provide pools, ponds... even puddles.
You might well be more restricted by size than Jacques Majorelle found himself when he designed the fabulous water features for his garden, but adding even a bird bath or a simple bowl of water among the greenery brings some Marrakech vibes and sense of cool and shade.
Imagine a secret Marrakech garden... but in the UK (or any other corner of the world for that matter). This is what you're seeing above, with the incredible Marrakech-inspired garden of the wonderful Jenny @jennyjoby, painted with our Electric Blue Masonry paint.
Create a Majorelle shelter.
Let’s be honest here; you’re not going to enjoy Marrakech sunshine all year round in Macclesfield. Or even Margate. Happily, Majorelle’s garden included lots of covered pergolas and seats, and a little rain shelter in the UK is just what you need. Dress your space with Moroccan lanterns, pouffes and fairy lights to keep that souk feel going, even when a shower rolls in. Better still, add some jewel-coloured glasses for a mint tea or two while you wait for the sun to come out again.
Suzy Broome @suzybroome and her daughters have used our bestselling Electric Blue paint colour in masonry to replicate Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in their own secret garden dining space. So even if you're not into the Majorelle Garden vibe but still want to use this Yves Klein-inspired ultramarine blue colour, you can do so by incorporating it into any design you like. See how Suzy's family did it here.
If you’re looking for a little help when choosing the right paint colour for your Majorelle Garden-inspired home decor palette, book a colour consultation with us. It's easy, it's fun... and there's a free option available too.
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