DESIGN
The Details That Make Home: Inside Mera by Marcon
By Natalie Gitt
A home isn’t finished when the walls go up—it’s finished when it feels lived in. For Maxime Zentner, Marcon’s Vice President of Product Development and Interior Design, that means designing from the inside out: building spaces that focus on warmth, longevity, and details that quietly support the way people actually live.
Overseeing the interior design vision and aesthetic product strategy for Marcon’s full portfolio, including Mera rental homes, Maxime works from the earliest concepts through to construction to make sure every detail earns its place. In this conversation, she shares how Mera’s calm, intuitive homes come together, why tabletop matters as much as furniture, and what made Fable the natural partner for West 42’s everyday rituals.
“I imagined the everyday rituals that anchor life at home: the first cup of coffee in the morning, an easy dinner at the end of a long day, or a cozy glass of wine with a friend.”
How would you describe Mera’s design philosophy, and how do you want that to show up in the everyday resident experience?
Mera’s design philosophy is rooted in warmth, simplicity, and longevity. We design homes that feel serene and calming, with natural textures and cohesive palettes that support the quieter moments of everyday life. I want residents to walk in and immediately feel at ease. Nothing is overly styled or performative—everything is intentionally selected to be livable, timeless, and welcoming. The goal is to create spaces that elevate daily routines without ever feeling precious or intimidating.
What are the core principles that guide your interior decisions across every unit?
For me, the guiding principles are functionality, durability, and comfort. Every material has to perform well over time, especially in a rental environment. Layouts must feel intuitive, flexible, and supportive of various lifestyles. And each unit should feel warm and cohesive, with details like lighting temperature, hardware, and textures all working together to create a balanced, comfortable home. I’m always thinking about how people will move through the space and how the design can make their day-to-day experience easier and more enjoyable.
“These pieces feel like an extension of the interior design, reinforcing our broader material story rather than competing with it.”
Why was it important to include a considered tabletop experience—not just furniture—in Mera’s furnished homes?
The small, daily rituals are what truly make a home feel personal. Including a curated tabletop experience allows us to extend the design intention into the moments residents experience most often—morning coffee, weeknight dinners, hosting a friend. These are the touchpoints that create a sense of grounding and familiarity. By elevating these everyday interactions, we reinforce Mera’s commitment to delivering homes that feel thoughtful and complete, not just furnished.
What made Fable the right fit for that daily-living layer, and how do the pieces work with West 42’s palette and material story?
Fable was the right partner because their design ethos aligns so closely with ours: timeless, beautifully made pieces that are functional, approachable, and quietly elevated. Their attention to detail and commitment to quality mirrors the standards we set for every Marcon home.
At West 42, the Desert Taupe Dinnerware Set, matte finishes, and Matte Black Flatware Set integrate seamlessly with our warm neutrals, natural textures, and hardware palette. These pieces feel like an extension of the interior design, reinforcing our broader material story rather than competing with it.
Each unit features Fable’s Dinnerware Set, Mugs, Flatware Set, Short Glasses, and Wine Glasses. What routines or moments did you imagine these Fable pieces supporting?
I imagined the everyday rituals that anchor life at home: the first cup of coffee in the morning, a quick lunch between meetings, an easy dinner at the end of a long day, or a cozy glass of wine with a friend. These pieces are intentionally simple and timeless, so they fit into a wide range of lifestyles and experiences. Their weight and texture make them feel substantial without being fussy, which is exactly the everyday balance we want Mera residents to experience.
In your view, what small design choices make the biggest difference to how people live and feel at home?
It’s always the details people interact with the most. The feel of a cabinet pull, the warmth of a finish, the consistency of lighting, the smoothness of a countertop, or the weight of a mug. These subtle choices shape how intuitive and comfortable a home feels. When they’re considered and well-crafted, they create a quiet sense of ease that residents may not consciously notice but absolutely experience. Those are the kinds of details I obsess over, because they meaningfully improve how people live in their space.
