Jewelry Designer Maya Brenner’s At-Home ‘Sanctuary’ Is Inspired by a French Boutique

Jewelry designer Maya Brenner wanted a room in her Los Angeles home that was a retreat just for her. After raising kids for 21 years and running a business for 25 years, she wanted a space of her own that could be used for “dreaming, designing, reading, and being with myself or people I love.” So she decided to take over a room that was originally built as a nursery for her youngest child and then used as a home office. Joanna Williams of Kneeland Co. was tapped to help transform the space.

Amy Chin

The inspiration for the design was a trip to Paris. “When my oldest graduated high school in 2022, I took him to Paris and I walked into a shop in the Marais that had a dressing room that was covered in fabric from floor to ceiling,” Maya says. “I could not get that room out of my mind for two years, so I wanted to create something similar for myself. I have always gravitated towards the luxuriousness and attention to detail of French design, and I wanted something that was a sort of European château meets ‘60s Park Avenue.”

The choice of fabric was crucial to the project since it would be the basis for the whole design, so Joanna pulled many swatches from various designers and showrooms, with all of them having an “elegant bohemian, but also relaxed” mood. They ended up going with Schumacher’s Emperor’s Vine fabric in Aubergine.

Amy Chin

“It’s a mid-scale floral with spiraling vines and leaves, reminiscent of an Indienne textile,” Maya explains. “Indienne florals have a sophistication and old world romance—a perfect print to cover a room, pillows, bedding, and ottomans. Indiennes are textiles that were manufactured in Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries, inspired by similar textiles that originated in India. They’re incredibly luxurious with their meticulous motifs, but also completely timeless.”

Amy Chin

Like the design room in that Parisian shop, they covered the entire room, floor-to-ceiling, in one continuous fabric. Maya says there is a warmth to it, like being enveloped in an elegant cocoon. “The piping in the corners really adds that European sensibility I love, which feels different than wallpaper,” she adds. “When we were researching vendors for the install, we had a couple who suggested using vinyl backing to protect the fabric.  Instead, we worked with a craftsman who used cotton batting behind it so that it could create a soft, pillowy feeling that is inviting and also very romantic.”

Amy Chin

They were going to add blackout curtains, but once they arrived, they realized the Schumacher fabric was too pretty and soft for heavy backing, so that idea was nixed. Valances to cover the retracting window shades were added after a French friend of Maya’s came over before the project was finished and asked about them. “I took that as a sign that we should so I quickly ordered those as well,” Maya says.

Amy Chin

With the fabric being the star of the room, the furniture needed to complement it rather than distract. Originally a changing table when the room was a nursery, the dresser was updated with gold hardware from Rejuvenation. The gorgeous fluted glass Willamette chandelier from Rejuvenation was installed, with some hardware to level it out thanks to the ceiling’s slant. And the Sedona side table from Rejuvenation is used for writing, reading, or holding a little snack.

Amy Chin

“I’m in awe of the beauty of how the fabric looks in every area of the room,” she says. “My favorite part is the piping on the corners that was made my hand that shows the meticulous craftsmanship of the vendor we worked with.  It is incredibly chic and adds a layer of sophistication to the space.”