HOTEL AMORE Feature: Maya Leroux Skotland, Gallery owner and Model, based in Paris
Hi dear Internet Friends!
I hope you are doing well. I am fine, spent the week shooting a campaign, doing film and photography, which I conceptualized and art-directed, and travelled to Vienna yesterday. Highlight of my day, maybe my life! was that I met my favorite director Luca Guadagnino in a cafe yesterday! I love love his movies, my favorite one is Io Sono Amore - I am Love with Tilda Swinton, set in Milan at Villa Necchi, which I have watched approximately 500 times. I am not easily starstruck, and wouldn’t want to say hi to celebrities usually - but I would to Luca Guadagnino, Marina Abramovic, Tilda Swinton and maybe that’s it already! Gaetano Pesce would have been another, but he sadly passed. It’s so nice to do that, even if it takes courage for the moment, he was really lovely, and even introduced me to his producer, Marco Morabito, who sat next to him.
I am taking lots of notes here in Vienna to share with you soon a Vienna guide!
Today I would like to introduce you to Maya Leroux Skotland, who works as a model and galerist in Paris. We haven’t met in person yet, I followed her on Instagram some time ago and thought she was sharing a lot of inspiring interior content, which is why I asked her to be part of the HOTEL AMORE features and she said yes <3
Hi Maya! So nice to have you.
What do you do and what do you love in life?
I am coming from a family a bit different from most families. My dad is a French photographer and my mom is half-Norwegian, half-Caribbean, but the majority of my childhood I have been brought up in Denmark; we would spend most of our time in Goa, India, during the long winters. After my parents divorce I have been living a lot in Spain and England. My mom and her husband run a Yoga retreat in the mountains in Andalusia in the summer months. His family is in Bath, England. So we have been living in both places a lot.Â
The past four years I have been living in Paris with my boyfriend. I wanted to come here to get back to my French roots. He is a photographer and I have been working as a model for a long time too, so it seemed like Paris would be a great fit for us. The fashion scene is so vibrant here compared to Copenhagen, where we used to live and we’ve come to love it so much that we are not sure if we’ll ever leave. Recently I have embarked on an exciting new venture with a new online gallery that I am opening. Galerie MLS (Galerie Maya Leroux Skotland), a gallery dedicated to 20th-century design objects. It’s a project close to my heart, allowing me to share my love for beautifully crafted pieces and the stories behind them. I can’t wait to share it with you!
Who and what is an inspiration to you, and why?
As I am currently starting up my gallery, I feel enormously inspired by the decisions that comes with the opening - selecting, and sourcing fabrics for upholstery, creating fonds and shaping the general identity etc. My mom has though always been a great influence for me too - both on the big questions in life, but stylistic as well. She’s an uncut gem when it comes to interior and great taste!Â
Through what lens do you see the world?
In today's world, there’s undoubtedly a lot of darkness. I strive to focus on the small things that can bring a sense of happiness and solace, whether it's a beautiful object, a comforting meal, or practicing self-care. Living in Paris, I feel a sense of responsibility to take advantage of the opportunities around me to create, inspire, and bring a bit of beauty into the everyday.
What inspires and informs your interior taste?
Right now I am very much into early 20th-century design, but I like to take a layered approach rather than sticking to one specific style. Inspiration comes from various sources, and I enjoy mixing different influences to create a space that feels alive and tells a story. It’s about embracing a balance of classic elegance with unexpected touches.
Can you share your favorite three outfits that make you feel like you own the world?
People who know me recognize my "uniform": a knit sweater or a shirt, tailored trousers, and boots. It fits every occasion.
Outfit on the left: This is a good example of a version of one of my uniforms. I’m wearing a blue shirt sourced from a small secret boutique I love in Naples, the tweed blazer is from chanel, trousers are classic black suit mens trousers from Gucci, shoes are from Wales Bonner/Adidas and the bag is a favorite chocolate brown from Bottega.
Outfit on the right: The blazer is a piece from my boyfriends vintage Armani suit, the trousers are again, the black Gucci suit trousers haha. Jewelry is by Sophie Bille Brahe and the sunnies are from Jacques Marie Mage.
What are your three favorite pieces of furniture or interior objects that you have at home?
I adore my four antique dining chairs, which bring a sense of history to my apartment. I was lucky enough to source them at a french auction. I love buying flowers and having them in my green Gambaro & Poggi glass vase that I found on one of the many parisian fleamarkets that takes place in the weekends.
My grandmother is an incredible artist and I am lucky to have one of my favorites of hers hanging next to our dining table. I love watching that when I’m having my morning coffee in our dining room. Her name is Janet Freeman. Her and her husband, Richard Freeman, were both great artists. She’s luckily still alive, but she isn’t painting much more, unfortunately.
What did you most recently buy?
Lately, I’ve been investing a lot in pieces for the gallery. I just gifted myself a beautiful shirt from The Row though. It’s gorgeous.
What would you buy if money was no object?
An island. I’ve always been captivated by the idea of having a place to escape to, where I could disconnect and be surrounded by nature. I’ve always liked the hideouts for the villains in James Bond movies. They’re all very stylish and have these insane hideouts on a tropic island. If money was no object and I had to spend them materialistically on myself, that would be it.
What are your three top favorite places in Paris and why?Â
Home! I always love being at home haha. Besides that I love going to the flea-market in Saint Ouen on the weekends too. Saint Ouen is like a flea-market village north of Paris only open on the weekends. I go there for inspiration and to hang out with my friends. It’s a perfect spot to mix friends and work!
Besides that I looove going to the parks - especially Parc Monceau is a favorite. It’s a bit more chill than most parks in Paris and it feels somewhat timeless. A shame though that there are no good coffee spots close to it, we really miss a good coffee when we’re walking there. I’ve noticed though that there are lots of Swedish people who’ve opened up coffee spots in Paris. Really good ones where you can get real good coffee and classic Scandinavian pastries and buns. Residence Kann, Fauna and Bokbar to name a few.
What are your three top favorite places in the world and why?Â
Copenhagen and Tisvildeleje: Spending summers there with old friends —it’s where some of my best memories are made. The bakery in Tisvildeleje is beyond good. They’ve got some real treasures there. If you drop by, don’t miss out their scones, their æble-snitter and the müsli brød.
Bath: Visiting my mom there is always special, and the city itself has a historic charm that I adore. Â
Milan: The city’s vibrant design scene never fails to inspire me, and I love its mix of modernity and tradition. During my last visit I passed by Villa Necchi Campiglio, which blew me away. That is a gorgeous villa!
Thanks a lot Maya! See you soon, maybe in Paris <3
A bientôt,
LKD
Beautiful feature and I adore I am love too 💜 what a lucky moment!