Maye Ruiz, an acclaimed interior designer, began her journey with an innate passion for transforming spaces. Even in her early years, she found joy in organizing her grandmother's bookshelves and reimagining everyday objects. This early inclination blossomed into a lifelong vocation, culminating in the establishment of Maye Estudio in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in 2021. Her work, marked by a bold use of color, spans both residential and hospitality projects. Ruiz's creative process is deeply influenced by art, particularly the intricate and often terrifying scenes depicted by Hieronymus Bosch, fostering a fascination with layered details and hidden narratives that she meticulously weaves into her designs. Beyond her professional endeavors, Ruiz finds inspiration in unexpected places, from humble material shops to the grounding presence of her beloved dog, Quesadilla. She embraces improvisation and conversation as essential components of her design philosophy, constantly exploring new materials and envisioning stories within the spaces she crafts.
Maye Ruiz's Creative Universe: From Childhood Passions to Bold Design
From a tender age, Maye Ruiz displayed an extraordinary aptitude for interior arrangement and imaginative repurposing. She meticulously organized the bookshelves at her grandmother’s house and ingeniously transformed a wicker planter into a stylish side table, demonstrating an early knack for design that would eventually define her career. This intrinsic drive to shape and redefine environments persisted into adulthood, confirming her calling in the world of interior design. Her formal education in interior design further refined these skills, leading to the launch of Maye Estudio in 2021, nestled in the picturesque city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Maye Estudio quickly gained recognition for its distinctive approach to residential and hospitality projects, characterized by an audacious and vibrant use of color.
A significant influence on Ruiz's artistic development stems from her childhood encounters with the works of Hieronymus Bosch. She recalls spending countless hours poring over books of the Dutch master's paintings, captivated and simultaneously awestruck by his complex and often unsettling depictions of the afterlife. This early exposure instilled in her a profound appreciation for intricate details and underlying narratives, a philosophy that now underpins her creative process, allowing her to infuse her designs with a sense of depth and discovery.
Ruiz's journey is not without its personal quirks; she candidly admits to a lifelong tendency towards distraction. During her elementary school years, studying often took a backseat to listening to music or cycling. Yet, this very impulsiveness fostered a remarkable ability to improvise and adapt, skills that have become her greatest strengths in design. She thrives on finding spontaneous solutions and embraces the fluidity of the creative moment. This innate curiosity extends to her continuous exploration of new materials, which she uses to craft unique stories for each space she conceptualizes. Furthermore, Ruiz cherishes the art of deep, meandering conversations, viewing a podcast as an ideal platform to delve into a myriad of unexpected and inspiring topics.
Today, Maye Ruiz graciously invites us into her world for the 'Friday Five' series, sharing five pivotal elements that fuel her creativity:
1. The Dynamic Red-Tiled Bookshelves
At the heart of Ruiz's home lies her cherished red-tiled bookshelf, a vibrant sanctuary where literature, objets d'art, and design pieces converge. This personal display epitomizes her incessant drive to reorganize and experiment, constantly repositioning books and shifting objects to discover new visual harmonies. It serves as a powerful reminder that creativity isn't born from a blank slate but flourishes through the continuous interplay with existing elements, where striking contrasts breathe life into every composition.
2. Serendipitous Discoveries in Material Shops
A wellspring of inspiration for Ruiz, particularly during creative blocks, is her visits to unpretentious material shops. Unlike polished showrooms, these places emanate an authentic, raw creativity. She vividly recounts photographing a wall in Dolores Hidalgo, adorned with simple tiles artfully embellished with color, forming a dynamic pattern that redefined the space. Such unexpected finds underscore her belief that profound inspiration can emerge from the ordinary, provided one observes with an attentive eye.
3. The Art of Lamp Sketching
Beyond orchestrating expansive spaces, Ruiz finds herself increasingly drawn to the creation of individual objects. Her lamp sketches, drawn some time ago, are a testament to her affinity for color, postmodern aesthetics, and forms that are both playful and sophisticated. These designs, she notes, often serve as a canvas for her 'messy inner world,' finding balance and order through geometric precision and symmetry. For Ruiz, sketching remains an indispensable, authentic first step in any creative endeavor.
4. Quesadilla, the Canine Muse
For a mind as deeply contemplative as Ruiz's, her dog, Quesadilla (named after the beloved Mexican dish), acts as a vital anchor to the present moment. Quesadilla's unwavering presence provides a much-needed connection, offering solace, recharging her creative energy, and reigniting her inspiration. This furry companion is a constant source of grounding amidst her immersive thoughts.
5. The Enduring Impact of Hieronymus Bosch's 'The Vision of Tondal'
One of Ruiz's earliest and most profound visual awakenings came through the art of Hieronymus Bosch, particularly his masterpiece, 'The Vision of Tondal.' As a child, while tidying her grandmother's books, she stumbled upon a volume dedicated to Bosch, which she revisited endlessly. The intricate and often terrifying imagery of his infernal landscapes, rich with symbolism and hidden narratives, left an indelible mark on her, shaping her understanding of detail and storytelling in art.