Maxime Masters a Rental

updated Apr 18, 2019

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Name: Maxime
Location: Gramercy, Manhattan
Size: 650 square feet — 1 bedroom
Years lived in: 9 months

When Maxime (of house call fame) takes something out of a drawer to use, he puts it back immediately upon finishing the task. After a few minutes in Maxime’s incredibly sun-drenched apartment, I noticed this pattern and knew that as perfect as the apartment looked for my arrival, it was likely the normal state of affairs.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Just over entrance to main apartment from vestibule (Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Maxime moved in to this apartment 9 months ago with his partner. His contribution to the design is everything except the brown living room vintage sofa. As an architect/interior designer, Maxime knows what he likes and wherever he finds it he buys it and makes it look integral to his home. Most of his larger pieces hail from IKEA or 17th Street thrift shops. He might splurge on accessories at places like Calypso or the Conran Shop.

The sun — thanks to an open courtyard, southern exposure, and no window treatments — fills the apartment with light during the day. And at night, Maxime, a fanatical lamp collector, has managed to achieve equally stunning lighting for the space.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Most people would have been turned off by the default rental white paint that covers every wall of the apartment. Maxime liked it, kept it and adapted it to serve his purpose of a bright, uplifting, and relatively monochromatic home. The bedroom best illustrates this point. It is so monochromatic, that shadows play a crucial role in the design of the room!

Maxime and his partner like to entertain. They host 8 people for dinner parties and 40 for cocktails! They have a lot of seating and high ceilings so, even at capacity, it doesn’t feel claustrophobic.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My style: Eclectic

Inspiration:Daryl Carter, Thomas O’Brien, Frederic Mechiche

Favorite Element: The bay window with Southern exposure brings in a lot of natural light

Biggest Challenge: To fit 8 people for dinner

What Friends Say: Is it always this clean??

Biggest Embarrassment: The bathroom could benefit from a makeover.

Proudest DIY: TV stand

Biggest Indulgence: Baie Candle from Diptyque

Best advice: Your home should always feel inviting

Resources:
West Elm (accessories/bed/linen/reading lamps/folding table, trays)
Pottery Barn (accessories, vases, pillows, floor lamps, picture frames)
White on White (rocking chair Eames, Saarinen side table, Bertoia entry bench)
Room and Board
Aero (accessories, picture frames,trays….)
Calypso (accessories)
Design within Reach (Narrow bookcase, Desk lamp, Eames desk chair)
Nancy Koltes (Medicis vases, Mercury decoration, candle holders,Linen, home fragrances….)
Conran Shop (Metal cabinet in bedroom)
Thrift shop on 17th Street (Pine console)
Antique shops allover the country and Europe (pair of chairs, console in entry, bench in bedroom hallway, oval desk, dinning table with droop leaves….)
Kartell (lamp bougie)
Cyan design (garden stools)
Habitat (accessories, glassware, tableware…)
Le Jacquard Francais (table clothes, towels, dish towels, napkins)
Diptyque (candles, room sprays….)
Apartment 48 12W 17th Street (silverware, service utensils….)
Sur La Table (kitchen utensils)
ABC Carpets and Home (vintage sofa)
The Door store (day bed)
IKEA (large bookcase, carpet, drawers in bedroom)

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

(Images: Jill Slater)

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