Mexican interior designer Maye’s tips on using unapologetic colour

Mexican interior designer Maye Ruiz had the best of all motives for joining her profession: it brought her joy. As a high-school student, she almost chose a ‘sensible’ career path, but ultimately opted to follow her instincts.

‘At first I decided it would be smarter to pursue a job in administration where there would be better opportunities,’ she remembers. ‘But this made me realise that the creative world was what truly brightened my soul.’ Having spent her childhood building ‘country houses’ from sheets and chairs in her grandmother’s garden, interiors felt like a natural mode of expression, and she went to La Salle University in Philadelphia to study environmental and spatial design. She then taught interior-design courses and spent five years in Mexico City working in the studio of Andrés Gutiérrez, known for his colourful interiors. In 2021, she opened her eponymous practice in San Miguel de Allende, a city known for its Spanish baroque architecture.

What are Maye’s recent projects?

Casa Coa, a residential design 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 magnificent effect. ‘It’s a dramatic yet serene, sensual, romantic house, adorned with plenty of chequerboard patterns, botanical-print wallpapers, and snake references,’ says the designer.

She has also just completed Espacio Santa Tere, a cultural hub with work spaces, which is where her own studio is based. Set in an old brick building that has been converted using materials recycled from the site, it is decorated in primary hues, reflecting historic colours that were discovered during construction. ‘It was a really fun project, with strong postmodern and geometric touches,’ says Ruiz. ‘It has lots of personality, and tells the story of its neighbourhood, San Antonio.’

Both projects reflect Ruiz’s signature look, which she describes as ‘dramatic and colourful’; she is inspired by the architects Ricardo Bofill and Luis Barragán, and Anni Albers, the textile designer. ‘I also love retrofuturism, postmodernism and 1980s style, and am greatly influenced by the contemporary Swedish designer Tekla Evelina Severin, who has built a career around the use of colour,’ she adds.

What is Maye currently working on?

As well as juggling several residential renovations, Ruiz is about to begin the construction phase of her biggest project so far, a 48-room hotel in Acapulco, by the sea. 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’s 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

Expert advice

Maye Ruiz on how to decorate unapologetically, using bold colours and patterns

Make strong shades and patterns work by sticking to a strict, coherent palette. At Casa Coa, there is lots of colour, but the themes are well-defined: green decor with burgundy accents, chequerboard patterns and leaf-print wallpapers are the ideas repeated throughout. Finally, we introduced some yellow accents, which added a lot of light.

Use darker tones to define areas and lighter tones to add luminosity. One way to do this is to paint ceilings and mouldings in a dark hue and walls in a lighter variation of the same tone. We did this in the green living and dining rooms at Casa Coa, and it makes both colours seem brighter and cosier.

When it comes to patterns, think of them like clothing; mixing florals, stripes, and checks is allowed, but it’s important to look at them all together and keep them curated. I like the final result to be eclectic, not too much like a tailored suit.

With a symphony of colour, you need points of rest and light. I love to use rich browns and burgundies, then layer white and neutrals on top as smaller accents. For balance, I think it helps to keep walls and floors the same shade; I’ve done this in my own home, where tones of vibrant orange form the backdrop.