Interior and exterior painting in Marrakech

We work for owners who live in Marrakech, for second-home owners and for investors who follow their site from London, Paris or further afield. Painting is rarely a stand-alone job. It comes at the end of a renovation, after plastering, electrics, plumbing and tiling, so we plan it with the other trades under one site manager instead of treating it as a last coat of colour applied once everyone else has left.

Typical jobs include freshening up an apartment before it goes on the rental market, repainting a villa whose façade has lost its colour, repairing walls damaged by damp, bringing a house renovated in stages into one coherent palette, or creating a considered atmosphere in a living room. Whether you are looking for a painter for a house, a villa or a flat, the method is the same: a visit, a written assessment, a fixed quote, then a managed site.

For a wider project, painting is part of our offer for apartment renovation in Marrakech and villa renovation in Marrakech, with the same team from the first survey to the handover of the keys.

Treating damp before painting is a process, not a miracle product. First we identify where the water comes from, then we correct it, let the wall dry, and only then choose a compatible finishing system. Without that logic, an “anti-damp” paint rolled over the problem simply hides it for a season.

• Water coming through a roof terrace or roof: the work starts on the structure itself. See our page on waterproofing roofs and terraces in Marrakech.
• Rising damp in old walls: an overly waterproof render can trap moisture inside, so we often prefer renders and paints that let the wall breathe.
• Condensation in a poorly ventilated room (bathroom, utility room, kitchen): we improve ventilation first, then apply a finish suited to humid rooms.
• A plumbing leak: it is located and repaired before the wall is touched.
• Mould: the surface is cleaned and treated, then painted with a suitable product. If the cause is still there, the stains return.

Walls in older houses and riads need particular care. Our guide to damp in riads (in French) sets out the causes and the remedies that respect the building.

Which plaster for which wall?

Façades and exterior walls

A façade in full sun suffers from UV, big swings in temperature and sometimes dust. Very dark shades heat up more, and some bright colours fade faster than light or earthy tones. We choose exterior paints made for this use, applied after washing, crack repair and a suitable primer. The season matters too: we avoid painting a scorching wall in direct sun, because the paint dries too fast and does not bond properly.

Glass-fibre wall lining (toile de verre)

Toile de verre is a wall covering woven from glass fibre, glued to the wall and then painted. It evens out uneven walls, hides small weaknesses in the surface and limits the return of hairline cracks. It is useful in a busy corridor, a stairwell or a wall that tends to crack. You choose it by its weave, and it is painted like any ordinary wall.

Floor paint

Some concrete floors, garages, utility rooms or covered terraces are treated with floor paint: a resin or specialist paint, applied after degreasing, sanding and priming. It is a plain, practical solution, but it needs a dry, clean base. For floors in living areas, tiling, zellige and large-format tiles are often more durable.

• Painting over damp: the paint blisters and the tide marks come back. The cause has to be treated first.
• Skimping on the undercoat: poorly bonded paint flakes, especially outdoors.
• Choosing a shade from a colour chart alone: colour changes with the light and with neighbouring walls. It has to be tested on site.
• Painting in full sun on a scorching wall: the paint dries too quickly, leaving lap marks and weaker adhesion.
• Using a gloss finish on an uneven wall: the slightest flaw is thrown into relief.
• Forgetting ventilation in a bathroom: mould returns whatever paint is used.
• Painting before the other trades have finished: marks, knocks and repeated touch-ups.

Where we work, and how to follow the site from a distance

Our teams work in Marrakech and the surrounding area: apartments in Guéliz, villas in the Palmeraie and houses on the roads out of town. Each neighbourhood has its own constraints on access, building management and parking for site vehicles. We check these during the visit and, for apartment blocks, we advise you to speak to the building manager.

If you do not live in Marrakech, you stay in control: a video visit before the quote, written approval of colours before anything is ordered, and photos every week on WhatsApp. It is the organisation Phenix has applied since 2011 in the South of France: a fixed quote, no variation without your written agreement, and a handover with you.