Martyn Lawrence Bullard Explores Tangier’s Breathtaking Homes

There are few places in the world that have captivated artists, designers, and writers quite like Tangier. Perched at the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Moroccan port city has long been a crossroads of cultures, where European, African, and Middle Eastern cultures mingle in architecture, design, and daily life.

In this episode of Live, Love & Decorate, acclaimed interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard goes beyond Tangier's bustling souks and historic medina to step inside some of the city's most remarkable private homes. Along the way, he visits an extraordinary group of tastemakers, collectors, and creatives whose residences reflect both Tangier's rich history and its enduring international spirit.

"This show isn't about facades," Martyn says. "It's about what's inside. It's a celebration of the passion and the personality that transforms the city's houses into true homes."

The journey begins in the Kasbah at the home of Marco Scarani and Jamie Creel, the founders of New York's celebrated boutique Creel and Gow. Their home, inherited from legendary decorator Charles Sevigny, is a masterclass in honoring history while embracing contemporary living. Original 19th-century tile floors, Persian textiles, Moroccan craftsmanship, and modern architectural additions exist in effortless harmony.

Martyn, a longtime friend and frequent guest, is visibly captivated by the transformation.

"The house is full of surprises," he says. "You go from this sort of older, inherited experience into this fresh, modern take on Moroccan, which you've so masterfully done here."

For Marco, preserving the soul of Tangier has become just as important as decorating its homes.

"The idea in a city like this," Marco says, "is to make sure that people are faithful to the spirit of the city, to its soul, to its architecture. If you take time and do things with passion, you can restore something that doesn't even belong to you while honoring the culture that created it."

That appreciation for craftsmanship continues at Casa Tosca, the colorful villa of designers Niccolò Castellini Baldissera and Christopher Garis. Located in Tangier's historic Marshan neighborhood, the 1929 home celebrates exuberant color, layered textiles, hand-painted walls, and decades of collecting. Every room feels joyful without ever sacrificing sophistication.

For Niccolò, Tangier offers an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.

"This is the real magic about Tangier," he says while overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. "There's no other place in the world that has this crossroads of continents and seas."

Between visiting his friends, Bullard wanders through Tangier's legendary souks, where antique shops overflow with vintage textiles, silver, ceramics, and one-of-a-kind decorative objects. For designers, collectors, and curious travelers alike, the city's markets remain one of its greatest sources of inspiration.

The episode also opens the doors to the spectacular home and gardens of renowned designer Veere Grenney. Inspired by the work of Sir John Soane and surrounded by lush plantings overlooking the sea, the property blends English classicism with Moroccan landscape in a way that feels entirely personal. Veere's belief that architecture and gardens should work together resonates throughout the tour, reinforcing the idea that a home's setting is just as important as its interiors.

Martyn then visits legendary antiques dealer Gordon Watson, whose residence is a densely layered cabinet of curiosities filled with thousands of carefully collected treasures gathered over decades. Every surface reveals another remarkable object, reflecting Tangier's long history as an international trading port where influences from across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East have converged for centuries.

The episode concludes at Villa Mabrouka, the former home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, where Tangier's enduring romance comes fully into focus. Overlooking the sea, the iconic estate serves as a fitting finale to a city that continues to inspire some of the world's most influential creative minds.

Throughout the episode, Martyn discovers that Tangier's greatest luxury isn't found in grand architecture alone. It's found in homes shaped patiently over time—places where history, travel, craftsmanship, and personality coexist with remarkable ease.

"You don't really know a city until you step inside the homes of the people who live there," Martyn says. In Tangier, those homes offer an unforgettable window into one of the world's most enchanting design destinations.