Maximalism interiors ~ more is more

Every house has its own personality and every corner tells a story. If you are a maximalist, then your home is probably loud and vibrant. In other words, your eyes will find something to admire wherever you look in a maximalist’s living space.

A common belief about maximalism is that it is confused with hording, but this could not be further from the truth. It is rather the art of placing loud pieces together and making them pleasing to the eyes. These pieces are not staged randomly, they are carefully chosen and positioned in a way that highlights the house’s personality, as well as, the owners’ themselves. 

In this guide, you will learn what to look for and how to put them together in true maximalist fashion. The more you read, the better idea you’ll get on how to gradually build that maximalist mindset that will be in the back of your creative mind as you design your house.

Mindset

If you really want to live in a maximalist house, you have to have the right mindset first. One thing you should know about being a maximalist is that it’s about being loud, but not chaotic or disorderly. Your space will have numerous pieces in vibrant colors, but it will still look artistic and put together.

The more you expose yourself to maximalism, the more you expand your taste. You will gradually build your palette and you eye becomes trained to spot items that will go with your decor and please your eye. You will intuitively know what to pick and how to piece random pieces together to create something that is uniquely you. Say goodbye to thinking twice about buying loud pieces or doubting your fashionable taste. 

To truly adopt this mindset you need to be unapologetically loud and bold. Remember your house will reflect various elements of your personality, so be ready to shed the shyness and embrace your creative, artistic self.

When you are designing your house, you want to start with simple things first. Put together an idea board of colours that you want to see in your space. Do not spend time thinking if these colours match each other or not. By the time you are done, you will be able to match colours that look good next to each other. Now, think of fabrics and prints that you like. Remember, you cannot have too many prints, you can build prints upon prints.

Lastly, complete your board with pictures of items that you want in your house. They can be statement pieces or items that showcase your taste. You cannot go wrong with these pieces because they showcase your character and depth in your space.

Colours & Patterns

A pop of color will never go amiss, but in your case, it will be a glorious splash of colour. This means that your walls will be anything but neutral eggshell, off-white, and beige colors. The same goes for your furniture. Of course, you can add a hint of white, but you do not want it to be the primary color If you are going to incorporate neutral colors, then they should blend in the background. Their means here is to balance your colors, and be the backdrop to them, but they should not be the thing that is seen or noticed first.

Don’t be afraid of layering your colors and patterns. For instance, you can have a zebra wallpaper on one side wall and the wall facing it can be deep green or a rich pink. You could go for a striped wall that has a nice turquoise couch in front of it. You can’t go wrong with your layering, as long as it is pleasing to look at it. Do not shy away from having multiple patterns in the same room. In other words, the wall can have a certain pattern and the rug can have a completely different pattern made up of a rainbow of colors. And, this applies to any room in your house, including the bathroom. For instance, if you have a rich deep green-colored wall, then you can add a loud art towel. You can also add flowers that contrast the wall color.

Decor & Statement Pieces Tips

A maximalist home is not just loud colors and bold patterns, curated decor is everything, and will breathe life into your space. The best thing about maximalist decor is that you have an endless variety to choose from and you can never have too many pieces in the same room.

Wall Decor

If your wall feels a bit empty, it’s a good sign that you need to fill it. There are a lot of ways to fill a wall, so here are a few suggestions. Fill it with framed mirrors. Add vintage with modern and abstract mirrors. It is best if they come in different sizes and colors too. Mirrors also add depth to the room, so if you feel like your space is too small or crowded then adding mirrors will make you feel like the room is larger than its actual size.

Think about adding art pieces to your wall. Adding an art wall will give you a lot of room to play with different art designs, as well as, frame shapes and colors. This all adds a splash of color to the room. You don’t have to stick to one theme with your art pieces, but you can tell a story through them. Think of butterflies, bees, plants, flower petals, birds, etc. It does not have to be nature-oriented though, you can tell the history of jazz music through art walls, or express various aspects of your identity through the paintings.

Don’t hold back from adding abstract pieces to your wall. This means hanging colorful plates and tea cups on the wall. Some people like adding furniture to the wall. For instance, a wall that has chairs on it, others like to hang rugs, and so on, it is all guided by your personality and what pleases your eye.

Ceiling Decor

A busy room cannot have an empty ceiling, so do not forget to add something up there too. The easiest way to bring a ceiling to life is to add lighting - think of opulent chandeliers or unusual lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. If you are going to take this route, stay away from boring or everyday chandeliers. Pick a lighting system that is unique to you. You can also decorate your ceiling by having indoor ceiling plants. If you do not want anything hanging from the ceiling then you can have a painting on it. Make sure that the ceiling colors you choose don’t clash with the room’s main colors.

Statement Pieces

You cannot pick a wrong statement piece. It can be anything from tables to candle sticks. If you are unsure of what they look like, they’re simply the first object your eyes go to. You cannot mistake a statement piece for a normal-looking piece of furniture. Some examples could be an abstract floor lamp, an unusual side table, or a beautifully decorated vase. If your table is looking a little empty then add bendy candlesticks to it or an abstract flower vase. Statement pieces make wonderful decor and they can effortlessly bring the room together. Think of them as your final finishing touches.

Styling & Furniture

It is safe to assume that you are a person with many colorful tastes if you are a maximalist. Usually, people do not mix various styles in the same room, but you are a maximalist, so the rules do not apply to you, rejoice!

If you are a fan of Victorian furniture and like a bit of modern or abstract art, then mix them together. You can do so by having a modern couch between two Victorian chairs. Think about placing a statement piece table in the middle of modern couches.

This concept applies to fabrics as well. For instance, you can have a leather couch that contrasts a velvet rug or vice versa. You can do this with your pillows and sofas. If you have a linen sofa, then you might want to add furry pillows on it, and do not shy away from placing throw blankets on your sofas and chairs.

If maximalism speaks to your soul, then consider yourself lucky. You just opened a gateway of endless options to choose from. Forget the days when you committed to one style and monochromatic colors. Maximalism gives you plenty of room to breathe and be playful with your interior design. This means layering patterns, designs, fabrics, and statement pieces. You cannot be too loud or too much with maximalism because, at the end of the day, your house might be colorfully busy, but it is still organized and beautiful to look at it. Remember, more is more, but this is not an excuse to be chaotic. Make sure that you pick pieces that look like they belong together no matter how random they are. Things can get out of hand when you are designing a maximalist house, this is why it is vital to keep a list of everything that you would like to incorporate. This will help you visualize the end product and have an idea of what it will look like when you are done.

References

Chloe. (2022, March 30). A Guide to Maximalist Design. Mila Maven. https://milamaven.com/a-guide-to-maximalist-design/

https://www.facebook.com/thespruceofficial. (2019). What is Maximalist Decor? The Spruce. https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-maximalist-style-4685629

Nast, C. (2021, August 12). What Does It Mean to Be Maximalist? Interior Designers Explain. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/what-does-it-mean-to-be-maximalist-interior-designers-explain

Your Guide to Maximalist Interior Design. (n.d.). SA Decor & Design https://www.sadecor.co.za/interior-design-blog/designers-decorators-architects/your-guide-to-maximalist-interior-design/

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