Mexican interior designer Maye Ruiz had the best reason for choosing her profession: she enjoyed it. As a high school student, she almost chose a “sensible” career path, but ultimately decided to follow her instincts.
“At first I thought it would be wiser to pursue a job in administration, where there were better opportunities,” she recalls. “But it made me realize that the creative world was what really lit up my soul.” After spending her childhood building “country houses” out of sheets and chairs in her grandmother’s garden, interior design seemed a natural form of expression for her, and she went to La Salle University in Philadelphia to study environmental and spatial design. She then taught interior design courses and worked for five years in Mexico City in the studio of Andrés Gutiérrez, known for his colorful interiors. In 2021, she opened her eponymous office in San Miguel de Allende, a city known for its Spanish Baroque architecture.
What are Maye’s current projects?
Casa Coa, a residential home on one of San Miguel de Allende’s most beautiful streets, was inspired by Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 film adaptation of Great Expectations and showcases Ruiz’s flamboyant style to great effect. “It’s a dramatic yet calm, sensual, romantic house, adorned with lots of checkerboard patterns, botanical-print wallpaper and snake references,” says the designer.
She also just completed Espacio Santa Tere, a cultural center with workspaces that houses her own studio. It is located in an old brick building that was remodeled using recycled materials from the area. It is decorated in primary colors, reflecting historical colors discovered during construction. “It was a really fun project with strong postmodern and geometric accents,” says Ruiz. “It has a lot of personality and tells the story of its neighborhood, San Antonio.”
Both projects reflect Ruiz’s signature look, which she describes as “dramatic and colorful”; she draws inspiration from architects Ricardo Bofill and Luis Barragán, and textile designer Anni Albers. “I also love retrofuturism, postmodernism and 1980s style, and am heavily influenced by contemporary Swedish designer Tekla Evelina Severin, who has built a career around the use of color,” she adds.
What is Maye currently working on?
In addition to juggling multiple residential renovations, Ruiz is also beginning the construction phase of her largest project to date, a 48-room oceanfront hotel in Acapulco. She is also designing a new bar in Mexico City. Both projects will bring her exuberant aesthetic to a wider audience.
She says: “I am still discovering my own style, but for me it is important that there are no “random” elements, that ideas and materials are repeated over and over again; in design and in life I try to be consistent.” maye.mx
Competent advice
Maye Ruiz explains how to decorate uncompromisingly with bold colors and patterns
Show off bold colors and patterns by sticking to a strict, consistent palette. At Casa Coa there is a lot of color, but the themes are clearly defined: green decor with burgundy accents, checkerboard patterns and leaf-patterned wallpaper are the ideas that repeat throughout. Finally, we added some yellow accents that add a lot of light.
Use darker tones to define areas and lighter tones to add luminosity. One option is to paint ceilings and trim a dark shade and walls a lighter variation of the same shade. We did this in the green living and dining rooms at Casa Coa, and it makes both colors appear brighter and cozier.
Think of patterns like clothing. Mixing florals, stripes and checks is allowed, but it is important to look at them all together and keep them curated. I like the end result to be versatile and not look too much like a tailored suit.
In a symphony of colors you need points of calm and light. I like to use bold browns and burgundies and then add white and neutrals as smaller accents. I think keeping the walls and floors the same color helps to create a balanced look. I’ve done this in my own home, where bright oranges form the background.
