Julie and Alex Leymarie by Richard Powers

Julie and Alex Leymarie

Pictures Richard Powers

Words Dominic Bradbury

Not available in Italy

Julie and Alex Leymarie have made a hidden home for themselves among the olive trees in a rural enclave not far from Marrakech.  Entrepreneur and boutique owner Julie Leymarie and hotelier husband Alex have created a family retreat within a private garden in the grounds of the Beldi Country Club – the hotel owned, designed and run by Alex and his family.

The house has a tranquil quality, even though the hotel is arranged around them, and an organic, crafted aesthetic. It was built to Alex and Julie’s own design and made by the Beldi construction team, with the initial phase lasting around a year; later the house was extended to add a master bedroom and more space for the Leymarie’s three young children. Last year, Alex and Julie added a guest annexe to one side of the building for visiting friends.

The couple also collaborated on the interiors of the stone and pisé home, blending many bespoke pieces of furniture and integrated elements with vintage finds from the Marrakech flea markets, plus treasures from their years living in India, where Julie still has a fashion boutique, Le Mill, in Mumbai. The house also features a choice of terraces, verandahs and outdoor rooms that connect with the garden setting and the olive grove, around which their house has been woven.