
Visiting Maya Nairn at home feels more like stepping into a Tuscan garden than it does into a South Austin residence. Tucked into a little pocket of eucalyptus and loquat trees on a quiet corner in the Travis Heights neighborhood, her home is at once very simple and quite breathtaking, a little slice of serenity less than a mile from downtown. This same combination is what moves us about Maya: easy elegance. Her company, De Buci Baby, is an extension — started after she started looking for some simple pieces to put in her daughter’s room, she now offers an edit of European-inspired items like linen baby blankets in neutral tones and flax nursing pillows. We talked with her about motherhood, humility, and the (cheesy but true) idea of being present, now.
I am realizing how important it is to truly be content and satisfied during each phase of life. I think in having children and starting a business it can be easy to wish away the difficulties of the present and think about what things could be like in the future…easier, more successful. Each phase has its challenges and its joys and I try to work through the challenges and really focus on the joys. My story is definitely about being present, having gratitude, and enjoying everything that I have right now.
My father is Texan and my mother is Persian and both are incredibly independent and loving. I was raised in San Antonio with my sister, on a former ranch: We had cows, horses, chickens, and a lot of freedom to roam and play outdoors. My parents included us in everything. I remember dinners out with their friends where my sister and I would push chairs together to make little beds and fall asleep once we’d had enough fun. There’s something sort of magical about falling asleep to the sounds of your parents laughing with their friends.
We have recently become interested in Sister Corita Kent’s list of “rules.” What are some of your own “rules” for living + working?
Something I’ve learned from my mother and grandmothers: Get dressed. Put yourself together every day.
Being a mother has changed everything about me. It is such a grounding force. With work it probably gives me immense perspective.
At the risk of using the (overused) word “balance”…how do you find your own?
I am a very independent person so I am my most balanced when I am able to occasionally step away from my role as a mother and just be a wife, or just be a friend, or just be myself. I am able to do this through the support of my husband, my mother, and my sister. My husband is a true partner and is always happy to pick up the extra weight when I’m away and my mom and sister are so incredibly generous with their time and with their love for my children.
The start to every morning, when our kids run upstairs and hop in our bed.
Of course I have fears. For some reason they all stir around in the middle of the night, but I have a very logical brain, so once I’m awake I can usually logic my way out of them.
In a person…grace, humility, vulnerability.
I love to cook, but in this phase of my life if I’m having dinner by myself, it’s definitely not something I’ve made. For entertaining, I love dishes that I can mostly prep in advance. Fish en papillote is probably my favorite. It’s simple, beautiful and delicious.
That I am responsible for my own happiness. It’s an incredibly empowering thing to realize.
Photography by KATE LESUEUR | Story by LEIGH PATTERSON | Styling by ALEXA HOTZ