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With interior design projects spanning several of Morocco's best-known luxury hotels, artisans at Philippe Fluchaire’s Casablanca workshops are shaping a future for Morocco’s traditional craftsmanship
Dozens of craftsmen work steadily around me. They are barely distracted by our presence as the steady hum of machines and the tap of hammers drown out mine and Fluchaire’s voices. In one corner, chisels move carefully across intricately carved wooden doors, their surfaces filled with geometric Moroccan patterns. Elsewhere, lacquer is applied in soft strokes, transforming wood into glossy Art Deco panels that glimmer in the light. Along another row, craftsmen sit at sewing machines, constructing leather furnishing covers and intricately embroidered curtains.
From this hub, some of the world’s most luxurious interiors take shape; Fluchaire has been commissioned to design interiors for four crowned heads and seven heads of state. His design work extends across hospitality spaces as well, appearing in projects such as La Mamounia Marrakech, The Oberoi Marrakech, and the Royal Mansour Casablanca.
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All of this is rooted in a background in craftsmanship. “I grew up in Tunisia, where my family has been cabinetmakers and decorators for four generations,” he recalls. “So I always had a deep appreciation for design – especially traditional woodworking.”
It was not until he was in his thirties that Fluchaire considered a career in the field, however. “I was a European champion of American boxing first,” he laughs. “But because I had grown up in the design world, I was always flirting with the idea of working in the field. One day, I came to Morocco on a trip and got an opportunity to work on a project – I instantly said yes.”
The project was only meant to be a short venture. However, Fluchaire soon had offers pouring in from individuals wanting him to design and construct their private residences. “I started in my garage,” he says. “It was just one other craftsman and me – he still works with me to this day!”
During these early years, Fluchaire drew on his grandfather’s work for inspiration. “Later, encounters with big decorators such as Alberto Pinto, Jean-Baptiste Barian, and Pascal Paris also shaped my designs,” he shares.
The venture quickly grew. “Suddenly, we had twenty people on the team, incorporating a Decorative Design Office and Technical and Methods Department alongside workshop teams,” he says, explaining they had to move to a factory space to accommodate the growth. “The next year, we had scaled to one hundred and fifty members of staff, so we moved to an even bigger spot.”
Today, Fluchaire occupies a total of three factories in Casablanca and employs roughly four hundred and fifty staff members. Synergy between departments is key to the business. “We begin with highly detailed decorative plans, which are then translated into technical and methodological blueprints,” he explains. “The true ‘secret’ lies in the integration of Computer Numerical Control machining.”
These advanced digital centres act as a bridge to the artisans, who then realise detailed plans into tangible forms. Their skills stretch across master cabinetry, intricate woodcarving, upholstery, mother-of-pearl inlay, and beyond.
“We have a training programme to make sure that the artisans are able to work at the best possible level,” Fluchaire says. “Each craftsman spends three years completing the programme.” The emphasis is on precision, but also on continuity, ensuring that heritage techniques are not lost in place of modern production.
Mohammed Benbouchaib, a 59-year-old living in Casablanca, was one of the first artisans to enter the programme in 2002. “I was the manager of a prestigious workshop,” Benbouchaib says. “I kept hearing about Philippe Fluchaire within the circles of cabinetmaking and interior fitting.”
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Benbouchaib decided to apply to the organisation when the boss he was working for passed away. The decision marked a turning point, not just for his own career but for the network of skills that would grow within the Casablanca workshops.
“I had already completed many projects, but with Philippe Fluchaire, I was able to work with very precious materials that I never would have been able to get close to otherwise,” Benbouchaib explains proudly. “I learned how to do inlays of silver thread, mother-of-pearl, and bone.”
The craftsman is now heavily involved with teaching others. “I participate in the training of young apprentices,” he says. “It is a duty to ensure the continuation of these art forms.”
A deep commitment to traditional crafts, particularly Moroccan artisanal methods, defines Fluchaire’s wider practice. “At the heart of the Philippe Fluchaire Group lies a profound tribute to Moroccan craftsmanship – a legacy of savoir-faire that we have spent decades refining,” Anouar Bouabdallaoui, Special Advisor to the Philippe Fluchaire Group, says.
The desire to preserve these crafts partly emerges from the fear of them disappearing. “Young people are increasingly turning away from these professions,” he says. “Yet these crafts are a fundamental part of Morocco’s cultural legacy. If they are not actively preserved and passed on, they risk disappearing entirely – which is why our work is centred on protecting and sustaining them for future generations.”
Traditional craft forms can be seen across several of his projects. “For the MGM Hotel in Macau, we showcased some of our classic woodwork techniques,” he explains. “The furniture pieces feature precious woods like Macassar ebony, Rio rosewood, and thuja root, and are accented with inlays of mother-of-pearl, ivory, and silver thread.”
In other projects, Fluchaire embraces Art Deco styles or deconstructivism. “For the Grand Theatre of Rabat, which was designed by the late Zaha Hadid, I was able to create extraordinary works in deconstructivism,” he explains. “We had to work around asymmetric rooms, with slanted ceilings and geometric details.” The team inlaid leather, metal, and marble cutouts together. “We had to be extremely precise to achieve the right effect.”
As the team look to the future, their goal is to continue to expand internationally and share their appreciation for artisanal heritage with the world. Currently, there are plans to open a permanent office in the United States alongside a production facility in Tunisia and China. “We are building more than a business; we are securing a legacy where the soul of Moroccan craftsmanship dictates the tempo of the world's most prestigious projects,” Bouabdallaoui says proudly.
