Maria Tash

The piercing pioneer on shaping her home with the same intricate eye for detail that made her an icon

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By: Kate Przybyla

Designer and doyenne of the piercing world, Maria Tash, has curated a unique sanctuary laden with ornate details in pursuit of a slice of Manhattan that is hers, and hers only…

“Home is a place you feel safe and it’s a reflection of the things you love,” Maria Tash tells us. “It means comfort and relaxation, but also beauty and refinement”. And, as the pioneer who put piercing on the fashion map, the jewellery designer knows aesthetics. Her refined eye is as reflected in her home environment as it is her approach to ear styling: “My interior style and design style are similar; I gravitate towards luxurious, gilded pieces, but enjoy balancing those with a streamlined minimalism. I strive to find the ideal balance.”

For Tash, everything around her serves as inspiration, and her New York City neighbourhood never ceases to deliver on interior cues she can then channel into her own home. “Being in Manhattan has honed my aesthetic taste, precision, and sense of luxury,” she says. “I’m an extremely detail-oriented person, and I’m often drawn to stylistic elements I see around the city, whether it’s stone flooring in a store, a motif on a building, or an interesting light fixture in a restaurant.”

I’m an extremely detail-oriented person, and I’m often drawn to stylistic elements I see around the city: stone flooring in a store, a motif on a building, an interesting light fixture

Not driven by style alone, nostalgia is of particular importance to Tash, and surrounding herself with objects of deep meaning helps her establish a connection with her space. “It’s important to me to have many family heirlooms and childhood items,“ she says. “For example, a ceramic cup I made and painted, that I gave to my father, and which my mother saved after he passed. I have these sentimental items peppered around my house as a daily reminder of the people I love and our past together.”

Tash’s beginnings are rooted in Manhattan’s sub-cultures and their associated visual identities, and decades later, her personal history remains key to her design sense and aesthetic affinities. “I love Cristofle for candelabras, a decorating choice that I think derives from my punk/goth past,” she confesses. “I’m devoted to my Frette sheets, and I’m attracted to rich jewel tones, and very subtle patterns.”

Being surrounded by beautiful things helps me feel more inspired in my own work. I love attending antique auctions to find one-of-a-kind vintage pieces.

This decadent streak is part of what defines Tash’s home and the search itself brings her as much joy as the treasures she finds. “Being surrounded by beautiful things helps me feel more inspired in my own work. I love attending antique auctions to find one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that resonate with me,” she says. “I just purchased a few items from a Sotheby's auction: a pair of late 19th century gilt brass candelabras, a set of American silver dinner plates by Graff, and a 19th century gold and silver overlaid helmet from Persia with gorgeous chainmail detail.”

Yet, Tash’s start came from more subdued surroundings – albeit with creativity and nature at their core. “My mother encouraged me to have a childhood full of arts and crafts,” she tells us. “I spent a lot of time drawing flowers and would play with the scale of the leaves and petals.” Proximity to the natural world is something for which she still strives, even in the city, serving as a vital lifeforce for her design inspiration and the sense of calm that makes it a reality. “I live just a few blocks from Central Park, and it’s rife with contrasts,” she says. “In one section you’re surrounded by waterfalls, then there are dense wooded areas, and if you look up, you can see gorgeous penthouse apartments. There’s an ease to my neighbourhood – I enjoy the contrast of the woods while still being so close to home.”

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