CEO Maxwell Ryan’s Home Is a Showcase of All of Apartment Therapy’s Design Philosophies

Name: Maxwell Ryan and daughter Ursula
Location: Springs, New York (near East Hampton)
Size: 2,500 square feet
Years lived in: 3.5 years, previous incarnation 18 years

It takes a long time to build a house, but it can take even longer to live into it and document it. I’ve had the incredible luck to be able to live in this house full-time since March, and to finish documenting it by pulling out all the tips and resources I’d missed before. We were also able to make a video, so you can literally walk around inside of it with me (huge thanks to Karis and Christoper for remotely shooting and editing it all).

This house was years in the dreaming and about two years in the making. It was also super fun to do, and I now understand why people who love homes like to do it again and again. To give you some quick background, I bought the house very affordably almost 20 years ago and decided to tear it down and rebuild only after I realized the list of upgrades I wanted and the house needed was too long to warrant renovation. Additionally, my father had just passed away and left me with some money that I thought better to pour into this house than to put into a savings account. The house was my savings, my biggest canvas to create on, AND I got to live in it.

The biggest takeaway from the house is that it was not only designed energy efficiently but also to support human energy. This is done by designing for the maximum amount of “flow” in and around it. What is flow? It’s the most basic tenet of Apartment Therapy’s philosophy, was inspired by reading Theodor Schwenk’s book “Sensitive Chaos“, and has to do with supporting the movement of energy in and around a home.

Whenever the movement of energy is blocked, it dies. By keeping rooms open with multiple pathways in and around, by providing for multiple exits and entrances that allow passage in and around life supporting energy flows and never stops. As you tour the house see if you can see all the ways in which the design allows energy to flow through the house.

If you want to learn all about the previous house, the tear down and the rebuild, I documented it from the spring of 2016 until the summer of 2017. After that the indoor finishes were slow and painful. I moved in just before Thanksgiving that year:

• Chapter 1: Honey, I Tore Down The House!
• Chapter 2: Awaiting Destruction, Wasn’t The Empty House Beautiful?
• Chapter 3: The Inspiration for The Stacked Barn
• Chapter 4: Wow! Basement to Barn In Sixty Days
• Chapter 5: Shingles, Windows & Doors: OMG, It Looks Like a House!
• Chapter 6: The Guts Are Complete: Air, Insulation, Sheetrock and a Hole for the Pool
• Chapter 7: Over The Hump: Bathrooms, Kitchen & Dinesen Floors Go Down
• Chapter 8: Near the Finish Line: Landscaping, Kitchen and Pool! It’s Summer

All the lovely final pics:

If you want to know all about the major ingredients, here’s the timeline, additional beautiful pictures taken by Bjorn Wallander for House Beautiful, and the short list of major helpers:

• Architect – John Berg, Berg Design Architecture
• Contractor – Peter Germano
• Interior Design – Rebecca Robertson

• Floors, Decks and Wood Paneling – Dinesen Classic Douglas Fir
• Paint – Farrow & Ball
• Bathroom & Kitchen faucets – Hansgrohe Axor Citterio
• Exterior Stain – Sikkens PPG Exterior Semi-Transparent Stain 420 Pro Luxe ebony
• Mattresses – Hastens 2000T
• Doors & Sliders – Arcadia

• Floors, Walls, and Ceiling – Dinesen
• Coconut Mat – 1 Inch Thick Custom Cut Recessed Plain Coco Coir Mats
• Coat Hook – Line Depping for HAY
• Credenza – Jason Gandy/Aardvark Interiors
• Large Portrait of Ursula – Maria Theresa Meloni
• Small Landscape – John Britton
• Owl Light – Owl by Roost
• Sofa & Chairs – Maxwell Collection/Interior Define
• Rug – Mohair Slate from The Rug Company
• Coffee Table – Trio Oval by Neri & Hu
• Floor Lamp – AJ Floor Lamp
• Floor Lamp – Greta Grossman Grasshopper
• Faux Fur – Restoration Hardware
• Poufs – Flocks by Christien Meindertsma from DWR a long time ago
• Dark Blue/White Balls Fabric on seat – St. Frank
• Other Blue Fabrics – Les Indiennes
• Armchair – Maxwell Armchair
• Floor Lamp – Greta Grossman Grasshopper Lamp
• Fire Starter – George & Willy
• Black Chair – Johansson J64 Chair by Fredericia Furniture
• Sofa & Chairs – Maxwell Collection/Interior Define
• Side Table – Circoe Side Tabe by Susanne Grønlund for Softline
• Coffee Table – Trio Oval by Neri & Hu
• Poufs – Flocks by Christien Meindertsma from DWR a long time ago
• Rug – Mohair Slate from The Rug Company

• Side Chairs – Hans Wegner CH36 by Carl Hansen & Son
• End Chairs – Johansson J64 Chair by Fredericia Furniture
• Table & Bench – HAY Frame Table & Bench
• Sheepskins – Amazon
• Polypropylene Rug – Diamond by Annie Selke
• Pendant Lamp – Bell by Normann Copenhagen
• Wallpaper – Eldblomman Blue by Josef Frank
• Sink Faucet – AXOR Citterio Select by Hansgrohe
• Cutting Boards – John Boos R02 Maple Block
• Sink – Stages 45″ Undermount by Kohler
• Stools – Linea Perch Stool by Wesley Walters + Salla Luhtasela for Nikari
• Clock – Arne Jacobsen Banker’s Clock
• Round Cutting Boards – HomeStories
• Stove – 48″ Wolf 6 Burner & Griddle Gas Range
• Fridge – Sub-Zero Pro 48
• Wine Fridge – Sub-Zero 24″ Undercounter
• Cabinet Doors – SemiHandmade wood veneer with Black Stain
• Cabinets – IKEA Sektion
• Door Pulls – IKEA ?? like Bagganas, but discontinued it looks like
• Recycled Plastic Rug – Brita of Sweden
• Bowls, Plates & Flatware – Snowe Home

• Bird & Floral Wallpaper – Josef Frank Paradiset
• Bed – Doug McCullough
• Bedding – Snowe Home Sateen
• Wall Sconces – Mantis BS5 by Bernard Schottlander
• Moroccan Blanket – Muima Home
• Sheepskin on floor – Fibre by Auskin
• Desk Bench – Wegner CH53 Stool
• Globe Table Lamps – Menu JWDA Concrete Lamp
• Shaker chair rail, using Muuto hooks

• Red Floral Wallpaper – Josef Frank Eldblomman Red
• Bed – Doug McCullough
• Bedding – Snowe Home Sateen
• Wall Sconces – Mantis BS5 by Bernard Schottlander

• Four Poster Bed – Jayson Home
• Linen Curtains – Tavana Studio
• Linen Sheets – Rough Linen
• Shaker Stove – Antonio Citterior for Wittus
• Side Lamp – Inga Sempe for Wastberg
• Side Table – Mater at Danish Design Store
• Moroccan Blanket – Muima Home

• Tile – Marrakech Design: Hans Theselius
• Beach Towels – Snowe Home
• Mirrors – Croft House LA
• Faucets and Shower – Hansgrohe AXOR Citterio M
• Wallsconces – Dudley Best BL6 Wall Lamp
• Towel Heater Rack – Amba Jeeves

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