Hi everyone, how are ya? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve mumbled the F word under my breath working from home. It’s so hard with a 5-year-old! My husband also works from home, so if I need privacy, forget it - never happens! This is why I need my own space for photo shoots, to record my podcasts and videos for my online classes, etc. But sometimes, I honestly don’t need privacy at all. I need other women to network with. I need to be around others like me who are really trying to make good things happen in their work life each day. So when I heard about Maison in New York through a friend, I had to learn more.

Maison is a private club designed for women where members can focus on work, relaxation, learning, and connection. This is the ultimate co-working space because not only is it very female-friendly, but it’s beautifully designed as you will see below. I really love this concept…

I also wish we had something like this locally. Sure, we have Hafven in Hannover, but it’s 85% male - from the design, architecture, decor, even the people who are using the space are men. The only people who work there who are female are in the kitchen. The rest of the space is for men, by men. I certainly don’t mind, they have the right to do as they please with their business, but before they opened I was SO excited because I really thought it would be a place where women could work too. Sadly, all of the women I meet who have gone there never return. They feel uncomfortable and also don’t like the atmosphere. It’s just not a place where women want to be and I imagine it’s because we usually get more energy (creatively speaking) from inspiring environments and from other women who are dealing with the same struggles and challenges, who are also entrepreneurs, and who really “get” what it’s like to be a female trying to work independently for a living.

We need a place like Maison in Hannover. If anyone wants to work with me on developing this, please let me know. :) I’m 100% up for the challenge! I can design it and pull together a concept that will be 100% design-focused, beautiful, and women-friendly.

But aside from that, Maison is special because it goes beyond just offering a co-working space. That’s a bit past-trend by now, to have simply a co-working space. People want more than desks and chairs and some outlets and a cafeteria. For instance, Maison offer members exclusive benefits in wellness, travel, fashion, food and beverage, beauty, and more. In addition to a gorgeous space to work, socialize, or relax – Maison curates programs that offer insights into the worlds of art, fashion, entertainment, parenting, wellness, business, and current events.

Founder, Ashley Wu, opened Maison because she couldn’t find what she was looking for in her local co-working spaces, "I found myself looking for a place to regain my balance and reconnect with the part of myself that isn’t a mother, wife, or caregiver. A private place to write, work, read, or just meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in awhile. I looked around my neighborhood and found there wasn’t a space that addressed the specific needs and desires of myself and others like me, so I created one." I love this can-do attitude. You want it, you do it yourself!

At Maison, you can also order meals and snacks. They offer a light menu from brands like Daily Dose, Magic Mix, Pilot Kombucha, and The Real Coconut. They also offer Intelligentsia coffee and teas from In Pursuit of Tea.

Isn’t this a gorgeous space and concept? What do you think, would you work in a space like this?

I’m off to Copenhagen to shoot a story for my magazine, which will be out again in September. I can’t wait to show you highlights from the road on my Instagram, so please go follow me there at @decor8.

Love,

Holly

(Photos with permission from Maison)