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Get the Look: Maxine’s Moody Bathroom in ‘Russian Doll’

Anita Shriver
Anita Shriver
Anita is an actor turned designer with a passion for creating beautiful spaces and experiences. Currently based in Boston with a passport that is always current, she is involved in turn-key residential design and educational design. Interests also include good jokes, strong drinks, and listening to true crime podcasts.
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updated May 3, 2019
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(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

It seems that everyone is obsessed with “Russian Doll,” Netflix’s newest dark comedy. It’s a visual feast highlighting the dark corners of New York and society in general. And in between think pieces about the various timelines and how they collide, I’d love to deep dive into the bathroom that Nadia keeps reappearing into each time her life resets. The bathroom is in Maxine’s apartment, which I would move into in a heartbeat because: 1) it’s a city block long; 2) it’s full of fabulous weird stuff; and 3) has a pot filler in her kitchen (it’s the small things that really make it a home, am I right?)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

This bathroom is unique because it’s dark and moody, not light and spa-like. It’s a bathroom with a point of view. It’s a bathroom for the courageous. And what’s great is it’s actually a really simple look to achieve. Start by wrapping your walls in black subway tiles up to 48 inches high. Use white grout to accentuate the brick pattern. To keep it from feeling like a cave, use black and white penny tiles on the floor, embellished with a simple design. The light will bounce off the white floor so you have enough illumination to apply a blue eye liner look straight out of the ’60s (I’m seriously crushing hard on Maxine’s party look).

Next, put in a dark wood vanity with brass plumbing fixtures. The golden tones are going to pop against the black wall tile and bring warmth to the deep color palette.

The lighting brings quite a dose of personality to the space. Flanking the mirror are crystal sconces, which feels very glam, but as Nadia is walking out the door, she passes under a lantern pendant. To keep these from feeling too discordant, keep the lantern simple and black so it blends in with the dark walls.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

The really fun parts of this bathroom (and Maxine’s apartment in general) are her wild art installation pieces. The two items that may be hard to source, but with enough time and patience on eBay or with a glue gun in your hand, you too can install a vaguely genitalia-inspired light-up wall geode and a hand-gun door handle. I would advise going the DIY route, as these are meant to be customized works of art. But if arts and crafts are not your gig, try a geode painting or a neon vagina wall light available online.

Now go watch the show and let me know which timeline you think we end up in at the final scene!

Get the look

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(Image credit: Anita Shriver)
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Bathroom
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