When thinking about the aspects that With Friends in Mind would entail, I knew that including home features was important as so much of being with friends has to do with sharing space. Not to mention, how somebody chooses to create the place that they return to is the epitome of ‘show don’t tell’ when it comes to expressing the ways in which they like to live. This often yields insight and inspiration. Here, friends get the opportunity to show annnnd tell a bit more about their space.
Our first home feature is that of Max + Kian Hashemi-Rad! I met these two in the parking lot of a gas station in Eau Claire, WI ~seven years ago through mutual Minneapolis friends. Now, we unexpectedly bump into each other in the neighborhood that we share. Max is usually one of my first calls when it comes to all things home, design, and apparel due to our mutual love of shit-talking the Pantone color of the year while nearly pulling out our 401Ks over throw pillows (only sort of kidding). Ahead, you’ll hear more from him about the process of designing their lovely, light-filled railroad apartment.
JB: What updates did you make upon moving in?
MHR: We immediately slapped fresh paint on most of the walls. We chose Greek Villa by Sherwin Williams - a warm white that felt like a fresh slate compared to the scuffed and dirtied white with sun stains and additional evidence of several previous tenants. We also had to get creative with storage since, as we all know, NYC living is tiiiiiight. This meant adding open shelving in the kitchen for (our best looking) plates and dishware and reusing a large mirrored medicine cabinet from CB2 as a spice cabinet instead. Two birds; one stone. This added dimension and length to the room while perfectly hiding all of our most regularly used ingredients. We’ve since stripped our fireplace mantle down to its original stone facade, and will soon be refinishing the hardwood floors back to their original glory (fingers crossed).
JB: When did you realize that you cared about how spaces looked? Especially those that you occupy (working, living, etc)?
MHR: If I could have vocalized it as an infant, I would have. I was never not drawing floor plans to my dream house, piecing together mood boards to pitch renovation projects to my grandparents, picking out paint swatches at the hardware store, or rearranging my bedroom. Imagine me, a 7-8 year old boy huffin’ and puffin’ pushing my furniture around my bedroom for hours on end all by myself. The spaces I live in and work in are a reflection of the way I see and experience the world and I want to share that with those I invite into those spaces.
JB: What inspires the spaces that you design?
MHR: Spaces that I design for myself specifically, I design with where I am at in my life at that specific moment. My tastes and interests change constantly whether through experiences or what I’m seeing out in the world and online so I always want to design and build a space that feels like it can organically change and evolve over time alongside me. I don’t like things staying the same and stagnant for long periods of time, but I recognize that regularly changing the furniture I own or changing the orientation of my space isn’t always possible so giving the design room to breathe and the permission to shift is important.
JB: Is there a piece that feels most important to you? Why?
MHR: We own a Dang Credenza from Blu Dot in a really beautiful blush pink color that Kian and I bought together. It was our first big purchase when we moved in with one another. Since then it has found a home and purpose in more than 4 apartments and was one of the few large pieces of furniture that made the cut when we moved from Minneapolis to Brooklyn. It currently sits in our office opposite our other prized possessions - large-scale artwork painted by a few of our nieces and nephews prior to our big cross-country move. They are always a topic of discussion with guests or when they make an appearance in the background of a work Zoom call. It’s nice to have a reminder of them all these miles away.
JB: How did you go about merging design preferences when you and your now-husband moved in together?
MHR: Well for starters, we were working on a small budget so we had to be pretty intentional with the things we bought, meaning that we made sure we were both on the same page before purchase. We have moved pretty frequently in our time together and all of our homes have been pretty different than the ones before it. I think living in spaces that change significantly - architecturally and through the finishes of the space - helped us both determine what style/s we do or don’t like. From there, we were able to narrow down the direction we wanted to go with furniture and art. It also helps that I have worked in commercial furniture long enough that my employee discounts tend to help make decision-making a little easier.
JB: Something I’ve long admired about you is your color choices – how do you go about deciding on colors?
MHR: I’m not big on using only neutrals, but I also am not a fan of bright saturated colors so I tend to find myself constantly gravitating towards the marriage of the two ends of the spectrum. That led me down a path toward muted greens, soft blues, mauves, and mushrooms. There are a million colors between white and black and once you start getting specific with the names, the shades, and the hues, you’ll never look at yellow the same again. Suddenly it’s called “ochre” and you’ll see that it compliments “oyster” perfectly.
JB: From somebody who has worked in commercial interiors and designed their own spaces - what do you have to share about sourcing? How do you go about finding pieces of any scale for your home?
MHR: As a renter, and specifically a renter in New York City, I'm constantly searching for things that can either serve a dual purpose or have the ability to shapeshift down the line. Our Hem Palo Sectional Sofa for example is large and in charge, but it's a modular piece of furniture that can be separated into multiple sofas and is sort of like a build-your-own adventure letting you move the back cushions and armrests into different configurations. It even doubles as the perfect bed for a guest without having to make room for a raggedy pullout couch or squeaky air mattress making it the perfect piece to follow us around for years and years ahead. Invest in the pieces that you are going to be using the most. The things that you touch and interact with on a daily basis are worth the money, time, and energy to find and save up for! Don’t let the Ikeas and Wayfairs of the world tell you otherwise. Finding good things can be hard, but once you can identify the reason why you like a specific piece of furniture, or art, or textile, it makes hunting those things down easier and you can begin to narrow down your search to a much more digestible level. These items can also hold up well over time, and we’re the first to turn to F*cebook M*rketplace for buying/selling. There are a lot of good finds/gems at more affordable prices as long as you’re willing to weed through the noise!
JB: People often say, “My apartment could never look like that, I just don’t have a good eye, etc., etc”. What advice do you have for those who crave a personal and well-designed space but don’t know where to start?
MHR: Rome wasn’t built in a day! Or so they say. Start small and intentionally. It’s okay to take your time to collect things and piece it all together. Our current apartment has been good practice in just that for me and I think that’s why it’s been my favorite home yet. Try to steer clear of committing to trends because trends come and go and soon so will your interest in the space around you. Don’t force it! No one likes a try hard so be patient with your exploration in design. Check in with yourself, too. It’s okay if you want something that might seem frivolous or that might seem like a big commitment. We’re both big time home-bodies and we want our home to bring us joy and peace and happiness, it’s okay if that’s you too!
JB: Remember when you signed your lease – is this how you envisioned your space? If not, what changed?
MHR: This is not how I envisioned it. We are peeling back the layers on the original features of this apartment (like stripping nearly a dozen layers of paint off our fireplace to reveal a marble…or soapstone maybe? surround and mantel) and it’s making us reevaluate what design elements we want to highlight or honor which has been great for our own exploration in design (and DIY projects).
JB: What does Kian, the resident green thumb, need us to know about our house plants as we head into spring?
KHR: So much. @ my fellow NYC people: spring is here so those radiators are turning off and I got two words: bless. it. The city’s swampy summer bodes well for a lot of plants that need warm, humid environments they don’t get in the winter. Head to your nearest local plant shop to pick up a new plant to breathe some fresh air (literally) into your home. Keep it easy breezy, beautiful and it will do literal wonders. Can’t commit to caring for one? Some good fake ones are out there these days (Max – don’t say anything).
JB: Time for some quick-fire questions. Fave and least fave design trends?
MHR: Least: Cane furniture. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
Fave: Stainless steel! And it’s not just for appliances anymore. Check out this kitchen for proof!!!
JB: What are you currently lighting and listening to in your space?
MHR: The sea salt candle from Queer Candle Co and our Alvaro Sconces from Lichen while likely listening to French Pop or The Basement Yard Podcast.
JB: What is in your cart?!
MHR: Short Term: Another Tote Bag from Another Aspect
Long Term: Art from RF Alvarez
Thanks to Max + Kian for sharing your home! xoxox
Photos: Max Hashemi-Rad