Inspiration / How To / How-To: Modern Americana with Max Humphrey

How-To: Modern Americana with Max Humphrey

By Elizabeth Yunmi Published On
Living room vignette with bench seating, pillows, wall map and clock, freestanding metal fireplace and stacked firewood

Frank, fun, and full of character, there's a reason why so many have turned to designer Max, opens in a new tab , opens in a new tabHumphrey, opens in a new tab for interior inspiration. A (former) bass player, art director, and self-proclaimed vintage hoarder, Max’s signature layered and lived-in look celebrates nostalgic collectibles and DIY style. Alongside his many talents, he’s most recently added author to his repertoire. Below, Max takes us through a few tips from his book, Modern Americana, opens in a new tab, and teaches how to use thrifted finds to create an inspired home.

1. Mix Beats Match

There’s a quote on my website, “Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” If you love it, don't stop to think if you have a place for it. Just buy it and make room for it.

"If you love it, there will always be a place for it."

Living area staged against an exposed brick wall with a blue armchair, vintage upholstered loveseat with sheepskin, wicker chair, striped rug, bookshelves and brass lamp

Pictured above is a mid-century chair with a French Settee and a 70s rattan ottoman. The rug is Turkish, and the vintage thermos are found pieces from different eras. The tip is, there’s no tip when it comes to mixing styles. If you like each piece individually, don’t overthink it.

Vaulted living room with exposed beams and black-framed windows, two leather chairs with throws facing a sofa

kitchen with wooden cabinets and pots on the stove

2. Form + Function

When I’m designing a home for anyone, I start by asking how they live. Are they homebodies or do they host dinner parties every other week? Do they have kids or pets or both? It’s less about form and function and more about how the room is going to be used.

Cozy window seat framed by wood posts overlooking the beach and ocean through floor to ceiling windows in a light wood-paneled beach house

In this beach house, I added family-friendly fabrics and furniture so it wouldn’t be an issue when kids walked in with peanut-butter jelly hands or trekked sand everywhere.

3. Color Outside the Lines

One of the first steps when it comes to designing, is to explore a color palette, which can be overwhelming at first. When in doubt, I often ask clients to look in their closet and see what colors they're drawn to. Living in Oregon, nature is a big inspiration for me, so you'll see lots of greens and blues pop up in the spaces I design.

living room with a couch and a coffee table and green walls

In the nook above, I used the same paint color (Benjamin Moore Tate Olive), but a different sheen. The wall is matte while the cabinetry has a little bit of a sheen. I always paint woodwork slightly shiny (it looks weird if it’s matte) and walls flat.

4. Look Locally

Good design is right outside your door. Portland is full of design resources, and I prefer to shop local whenever possible. Beyond finding custom furniture, you can often source building materials — like Oregon walnut — locally as well. At the end of the project, you not only have a well-designed table, you also have a great sourcing story behind it, which I find is the type of stuff that's fun to talk about when you have friends or family over.

Bed with layered bedding and patterned gray-blue curtains in a sunlit wood-paneled bedroom with a vintage fan on a distressed chair

Plaid mid-century armchair and small stool beside a window with red plaid curtains in a light-filled sitting nook

I’m always collecting something and vintage grain sack was a recent collection obsession. There’s something about them – they’re like 80-year-old linen hemp and were so soft from age and use. For my bedroom (pictured left), I literally stuffed a bunch of down pillow inserts.

In my reading nook (pictured right), I bought fabric shirting yardage from Pendleton Woolen Mill store and used it for the drapery as well as upholstery for this vintage chair.

Light-filled Americana bedroom with green iron bed, patterned pillows, fireplace with FIRE WORKS sign, blue dresser

5. Design is Nostalgia

What’s more American than sitting in school and staring at the clock, waiting for class to end? I have to have a clock in every bathroom and kitchen. It’s so much nicer not to check your phone when you’re getting in and out of the shower. Plus, iPhone, tile, and water is a disaster waiting to happen.

window seat with blue plaid pillows and a round table

One of my favorites is the IBM clock, opens in a new tab. They were made in the '40s, became popular in the ’60s, and were often used in educational settings — you can often spot originals in schools or libraries. Vintage shops are often full of clocks, but you can just as easily find a reproduction that actually works.

Dining nook with light wood table, black-and-white check banquette, white stools, a variegated rubber plant centerpiece, and framed art on a white shiplap wall

Bench beneath a large framed motion photograph of a skateboarder, with a potted plant, patterned pillow, black-and-white blanket, and red patterned rug in a white-paneled entryway

People are used to “buy it now” and instant order deliveries, but good design takes time. Interior design is not like it is on social media where there’s a big reveal at the end and it's over. Most of my projects take many months, some take many years, and the really good ones never actually end.

Window seat tucked into a blue alcove with plaid cushion, patterned and mustard throw pillows, brass wall sconces, and a window view of pine trees

bathroom with blue cabinets and black and white tiled shower

Living room corner with a gray sofa, plaid and mustard pillows, green table lamp, low green coffee table, and a wall banner reading COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES

Shop Modern Americana

Photos courtesy of Max Humphrey, opens in a new tab & Christopher Dibble, opens in a new tab

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