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Interior design maximalist


Maximalism in interior design explained

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Hôtel Les Deux Gares in Paris, designed by Luke Edward Hall

(Image credit: Benoit Linero)

To understand maximalism in interior design, the word itself contains a salient clue: decorate to the max. Of late, maximalist interiors have burst onto our feeds with a vengeance, like a proclamation that less isn’t more, it’s lackluster.

What is it, exactly? You can’t miss a maximalist interior. They bloom with layers of texture, print, color, and meaningful objects. Modern interior design interprets this as a hyper-personal space raucous with pattern and personality, often appearing on the edge of chaos, which can make them borderline cheeky. Picture an eclectic country home stuffed with updated chintz, like patterned wallpaper and curtains (maximalists aren’t afraid of an animal print, particularly leopard spots, and explosions of florals from wall to wall) in harmony with a trove of art and objects.  

The shape of the conversation around maximalism is a bit of a statement — you can’t speak of maximalism without considering its preternaturally slick opposite, minimalism. In many ways, maximalism is a rejection of the latter.

And while maximalism doesn’t hold back, pulling it all together requires a heavy, deft hand. Here’s everything you need to know.

Design by House of Hackney

(Image credit: Mark Cocksedge)

WHAT IS MAXIMALISM?

Although maximalism doesn’t have a tidy definition, its core elements are abundant: pattern, color, and texture. 

“The key to maximalism is that there really are no rules – it celebrates a freedom of self-expression and the joy of an interior filled with colour, pattern, and life,” explains Frieda Gormley of House of Hackney, a British design house with a showroom in New York. Her modern bedrooms ideas above include running wild with pattern and print across the walls, floor and bed itself, and her studio’s Palmeral wallpaper, created in 2012, was a precursor to the modern maximalism we see today.

A maximalist space doesn’t hold back. It’s filled to the brim with precious bits and bobs. Textbook examples criss-cross different eras and are full of bold color and updated chintz (chiefly British, this decor often has an English accent). Juxtaposing anything from French-patterned wallpaper and animal prints to vintage furniture and art. Expect layers of decor and deeply personal objects that feel collected over time — interiors that tell a story. 

“A lot of people see it as clutter,” says the illustrious Swedish designer Martin Brudnizki, who works out of London and New York. “Personally I see it as a collection of emotions and memories.” 

In 2018, Brudnizki led the lavish revamp of Annabel’s in Mayfair, below, something of a cultural reset that burst at the seams with maximalist material (trims, fringes, tassels!), a cacophony of floral pattern, and a joyful pink loo with swoon-worthy gilded swan taps. “I find it comforting sitting in an interior made up of pattern as you are essentially camouflaged, hiding in a deep comfortable armchair as opposed to poised on a spindly chair in a bright white room with nowhere to go,” adds Brudnizki.

Annabel's in Mayfair, designed by Martin Brudnizki

(Image credit: James McDonald)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MAXIMALIST?

Hôtel Les Deux Gares in Paris designed by Luke Edward Hall

(Image credit: Benoit Linero)

“It’s very romantic, a bit nostalgic and very optimistic,” said Luke Edward Hall, among today’s maximalist stars, when he described his style to us back in 2018. “I think you should be able to live with beautiful things every day – I like an element of the handcrafted in everything I do.” 

In Hall’s latest project, the new Hôtel Les Deux Gares in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, you’ll find a masterful blend of maximalist styles featuring vintage French posters and toile de Jouy wallpaper to bright green wainscotting and leopard print sofas — bursting with British charm, these modern bedroom ideas and quirky interiors make you smile.  

In this way, maximalists can be somewhat sentimental; the layers found in their interiors are full of personality and story.

“I like to think less about maximalism and more about romanticism,” says Martin Brudnizki. “For me, it is more about conjuring a feeling of glamour mixed with comfort. The various different layers we can use in our interiors should reflect our personality. It doesn’t have to be a million different aspects clashing at once but it does have to transport you into your own world and importantly you need to commit to what you love most.” 

You know that quote, “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off,” Coco Chanel’s famous mantra? The maximalist would tell you to keep it on, or better yet, add another layer — the more accessories, the better.

WHERE DID MAXIMALISM COME FROM?

Although it’s making a splash on our feeds today, maximalism as a reference dates back to the 19th century.

“Maximalism has been around for decades, starting with the Victorians, who famously loved collecting exquisite objects, and the grande dames of 20th century decorating — most notably Madeleine Castaing, whose penchant for eclectic furnishings and unexpected palettes helped to pave the way for modern maximalism,” explains Frieda Gormley of House of Hackney, who is one of the reasons maximalism is a key part of wallpaper trends today.

The Victorians were eclectic at heart, known for their busy interiors (heavy upholstery, rich colors, and decor galore) while Castaing, the iconic French decorator who enamored the 1940s design world, embraced eclecticism with a touch of tailoring, working with signature colors and plenty of patterns (in her own country house, a leopard print carpet stretched from wall-to-wall). 

“But the current incarnation really started as a reaction against the minimalist interiors trend of the 2000’s — a time when it was all magnolia walls and clean-lined furniture.” This makes the nascent rise in maximalism something of a clapback to the minimalism of the past decade or so; it’s a playful, ‘all in’ type of decor that puts every chip on the table. 

Living room designed by House of Hackney

(Image credit: Mark Cocksedge)

WHAT IS NEW MAXIMALISM?

The latest maximalist designs are varied if not one-of-a-kind. And yet, like industrial interior design, they do follow a certain rubric, it's just that their rubric is that they break all the rules.

“If we’re looking at an interior without rules and essentially a curation of furniture, colours, art that you love, then there are more opportunities now than historically, and more references to inspire you and include within your house,” Martin Brudnizki. “Our interiors now have the potential to be busier, which is a reflection of our access to culture.”

In this way, new maximalism has a little more room to maneuver, more agency to layer references and styles. 

“The ‘new maximalism’ we champion at House of Hackney revolves around maximum colour, painterly prints and rich textures—but it’s not about lots of ‘stuff,’ which it had often been in the past,” explains Frieda Gormley. “We want only to be surrounded by things that have a purpose, that have been created for both their beauty and their meaning. So we say never hold back with the personal objects, mementos, pictures and paintings that evoke a memory or a story, as those are the things that transform a house into a home. ”

Lampshade amd matching fabric designed by Susi Bellamy

(Image credit: James Balston)

WHAT DO PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT MAXIMALISM?

Sure, maximalism means abundant decor. But that doesn’t mean today’s maximalists advocate overconsumption; the decor is meant to hold value, to show signs of life and personality.

“The biggest misconception is that maximalism is about acquiring a lot of possessions or disposable things, when really the ‘new maximalism’ advocates investing in timeless furniture and accessories that you can treasure forever,” says Frieda Gormley of House of Hackney. It's no surprise that the bedroom wallpaper ideas she's turned to for the picture below includes a lot of pattern, but it's still an edited selection. “In our house, we strive to live in a mindful way, decorating with just a few well-made and carefully chosen pieces – with the maximalist touch coming through in bold prints and the layering of textures.”

(Image credit: Mark Cocksedge)

IS MINIMALISM GOING OUT OF STYLE?

Certainly, minimalism is going out of style today, or at least facing a reckoning. “I think people have begun to realise that there is no joy to be found in grey wall!” says Frieda Gormley of House of Hackney, clearly not a fan of beige living room ideas. “So whilst we do champion the minimalist idea of buying less and instead investing in good-quality designs, over the last few years we have seen more and more people move away from minimalism and instead embrace the magic of colour and pattern.”

Evocative and lively interiors are in, surely, but that’s just the point — there’s room for a healthy mix of periods and styles. 

“I think we need to be really careful when we talk about what has been and will be that we don’t reduce time into a history of neat categorizations and understand that at any one point there has always and will always be different styles and aesthetics at play,” says  Martin Brudnizki. “You hear a lot about trends in maximalism as a reaction to minimalism. However in my opinion, if there has been one objective that has remained constant over the last century it is a desire for glamour. ”

Interior by Martin Brudnizki of The Mayfair Club at Bellagio Hotel and Casino

(Image credit: James McDonald)

HOW TO MAKE A MAXIMALIST ROOM FEEL CURATED

The expertly layered decor in maximalist interiors belies just how tricky pulling off one of these rooms can be. Although they reject the disciplined approach of minimalism, curating a maximalist room still requires a steady hand. 

“The secret is to work in a cohesive palette,” says Frieda Gormley. “By coordinating colours you’ll bring a sense of harmony to a room, which is so important.” At one of House Of Hackney’s latest projects, the Castle of Trematon in Cornwall, the interiors harmonize with the surroundings: wildly beautiful gardens and woodland. Coordinating with the outdoors, they folded botanical beauty into every square inch, coating rooms in the studio’s nature-inspired prints. 

“We always encourage wallpapering all four walls – and, if you’re feeling really bold, [take] the print onto the ceiling too, which is what we did with a few of the guest bedrooms,” says Gormley. Pushing their guest bedroom ideas to the max, the studio hung artwork right overtop of wallpaper, adding another daring layer to create an overall enchanting mood.

Another way to make a maximalist room feel curated is by introducing a statement piece, like a tightly curated cabinet. 

"The best way to make a maximalist room feel curated is to display a collection of decor in a glass-fronted cabinet,” recommends Jeffrey Wilkes, the founding principle of Kuala Lumpur-based interior design firm DESIGNWILKES. “My advice is to upholster the back of the cabinet in a color or textured silk and then arrange the decor in a skyline fashion. Make sure the cabinet is well-lit, yet soft. The best part is that you can always add different items to the cabinet. Think of it as the New York skyline and each object is another building, layer upon layer. The cabinet becomes a focus of the room and lends an air of importance."

Design by House of Hackney

(Image credit: Mark Cocksedge)

Keith Flanagan is a New York based journalist specialising in design, food and travel. He has been an editor at Time Out New York, and has written for such publications as Architectural Digest, Conde Nast Traveller, Food 52 and USA Today. He regularly contributes to Livingetc, reporting on design trends and offering insight from the biggest names in the US. His intelligent approach to interiors also sees him as an expert in explaining the different disciplines in design.

What is Maximalism? 25 Maximalist Decor Ideas to Showcase Personality – Vevano

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Vivid, bold, and showing off your passions!

By Mikael Short
April 27, 2022

Many interior design styles can be personalized to some degree, but none more so than the maximalist interior design style. Hold onto your hats!

What is Maximalist Interior Design?

Maximalist interior design is the biggest and boldest design style out there.

The over-the-top maximalist design incorporates layers upon layers of vibrant colors, patterns, textures, and meaningful items. Maximalism takes your personal preferences and favorite pieces of art, furniture, treasures, and decor and dials it up to ten by having it all on display, hopefully in a somewhat coordinated fashion. This makes each maximalist-styled home incredibly unique to the person designing it!

Some might call maximalism colorfully curated chaos. Though “more is more” is a core principle of maximalist design, it’s not just about adding more and more things, but embracing your personality and your favorite things and incorporating them into your interior design.

The trick to mastering maximalism is to find your happy medium with a little focus and planning, so it’s elaborate yet not too overwhelming for the senses.

A Brief History of Maximalist Design

The maximalist interior design style has roots spanning back several centuries, with the Victorian era experiencing a particular boom. Back then, maximalist decor (even if it wasn’t called that at the time) was all about showing off wealth by displaying treasures, luxurious textures, decor, and collections.

In fact, a couple other interior design styles share the maximalist principle of showing off your beloved items, such as English cottage and French country. These design types are all about layering accessories and decor that feel good to you.

Is maximalist interior design popular?

Over the last couple of years, maximalist designs have had a resurgence in popularity due to the vivid vibrancy inherent in the style—it makes for great inspiration on social media.

Maximalism is particularly popular with millennials and younger generations who enjoy making spaces their own, turning away from stark minimalistic styles that can be rigid and lack personality.

Characteristics of Maximalist Interior Design

Maximalist style is a fluid and individualistic style, reflecting the personality and enjoyment of the person behind the design. With maximalist designs being so personal and layered, there are numerous ways you can turn your home into a majestic, or even mellow, maximalistic tribute to what you love.

Joy is another pillar of maximalist design. Create layers of joy in your maximalist design to make it feel like your own. Bring your passions and interests into how you style your home, prioritizing comfort and familiarity more than anything else.

While the maximalist designs often feature a charming kaleidoscope of color, layers, and decor, it still should be intentional. Maximalist design is meant to make your home feel homey and comfortable, so too much clutter might be overpowering in a space that already has a lot of other elements going on.

One way to achieve this is to have one or two leading features to help shape the rest of the space. These primary eye-catching elements could be vividly colored plush furniture, decked out bookcases, beautifully adorned wooden cabinetry, a statement light fixture, a gallery wall of art pieces, or even plantlife.

Then, add layers you love around them, from patterns, plants, natural materials, art, collections, souvenirs from travels, and whatever lights you up to see adorning your space.

This very individualistic style is easily paired with or added onto interior design styles that share similarities, like openness to color, patterns, and displaying decor while maintaining a cozy vibe.

Color Palette

Bold and vibrant colors are the way to achieve premier maximalist vibes. Cheerful colors are popular and common. It’s about having fun with colors, tones, and patterns in this style. Also play with florals, textures, and a variety of shapes to achieve a lovely layered maximalist look in your home.

How you add in color will also play a part in achieving a maximalist style. Since many colors and patterns are used in this interior design style, it may be helpful to find a common theme to tie everything together, either within one room or from room to room.

To find a harmonious balance, focus on 2-3 colors, finishes, or similar patterns to layer in throughout the space.

The space doesn’t even have to be overly colorful–but it can be if you want it to. One way to keep a maximalist style that’s not too overwhelming with color is to add dimension and intrigue through textures and natural materials, like wood, stone, metal, linen, leather, velvet, and others.

How to Design a Maximalist Home

Here are some pointers that can help you to personalize and maximize your maximalist-styled home.

1. Show & Tell Your Passions

The most important thing to remember when designing a maximalist space is to tailor it to your personality and your passions through your design choices. Embrace items you love or that you’ve collected. Highlight your favorite colors, fabrics, accessories, etc. After all, it’s yours to design and play with!

2. Find a Common Thread

3.

Choose Comfort First

Make your maximalist design homey by opting for comfortable furnishings. Plush couches, plenty of patterned pillows, or throw blankets add that cozy feel. Bring some hygge into the space by prioritizing comfort over just showiness. Choose fabrics and textures that feel good to relax into.

4. Maximize What Matters… Leave the Rest

While “more is more” is the theme for maximalism, some intentional planning is needed to cultivate and curate a harmonious maximalist design.

Keep in mind that this is a personal style that you can build one piece at a time; let it be a process to discover what most matters to you to feature in your home. Let this be an experiment to discover what works for you and what just gets in the way.

5. Fl-au Naturale

Floors with a natural look provide a nice baseline for any maximalist design. This includes hardwood, engineered stone that looks like marble or other stone, or tiles that give the appearance of wood or stone.

6. Patterned Tiles

To keep the maximalist look going underfoot, patterned tiles are another flooring choice that could add color and intrigue to the space. This flooring option would be particularly effective in maximalist bathrooms or half-baths.

7. Revel with Rugs

Rugs can add many things to a space: luxury, comfort, texture, pattern, color… Layer your floor up with texture and coziness with colorful or patterned rugs that you love.

Rugs can either be a statement themselves or help tie in other themes within your space with a more subtle design. Rugs fit right in to maximize your flooring by giving something soft underfoot and something pretty to ground the space.

8. No Naked Walls

Bare walls are very uncommon in maximalist designs. From paint, wallpaper, and using the wall as a display, there are ways to showcase your personality through your walls, whether it’s a supporting feature, neutral canvas, or a main statement. Don’t be afraid to use your walls in unique and fresh ways.

9. “Wow” Wallpaper

10. Add Paint or Molding

Paint your walls, ceilings, or even existing furniture to give it more vibrancy and a new look to fit your maximalist style. You can paint an accent wall or make the ceiling the statement. Deep jewel tones on walls are popular in maximalist style, like forest greens, navy blues, purples, maroons, and other rich tones to allow brighter colors to pop against the dark backdrop.

For another kind of maximalist contrast, a neutral-colored wall can also work if you use that wall as a gallery space, for cool shapes with molding, or showcasing hangable collections.

Lighting for Maximalist Designs

11. A Joyful Light

Pick a ceiling light fixture you love to highlight the space and draw the eye up, like a chandelier or pendant lighting.

12. Layer Lightly

Because a lot is already going on in a maximalist style room, layer lighting with only a couple light fixtures. If a ceiling light is a feature, then a single lamp on a less well lit part of the room might be welcome.

If there’s no general lighting, then pairs of sconces would be a nice way to light up your walls. Candles can also add coziness and light.

13. Pick a Light Theme

One way to add a common thread in your maximalist design is to match up your light fixtures in some way. Pick lighting with similar finishes or similar shapes to add a subtle sense of consistency to your home design.

Showcase Collections & Treasures

14. Booked Bookcases

Bookcases are a popular way to maximize maximalist designs. Stock them full of books and stack contents to add variety to the look. You can also layer the shelves with your favorite belongings that reveal your personality or your adventures.

16. One-of-A-Kind

Maximalist style is meant to showcase your one-of-a-kind treasures. Whether it’s your furniture, decor, or an accessory—show it off! Make it a focal point for the eye by displaying it solo.

17. Gallery Wall

Fill up a wall with art, paintings, or even just unique frames. Different sizes will give the wall quirky appeal, or you can streamline the design with artwork and frames of the same size.

Also, consider spacing each frame consistently with the others to balance the visual of a variety of artwork. Add an art wall above a couch or other prominent feature, or add the gallery to stairwell walls.

Have fun with plants to add more life and vibrancy to the space. If green is a chosen color for you (or you’ve hopped onto the plant parent train), let your green thumb thrive!

Paint the pots or hang them on the wall to add layers and contribute to the color palette you’ve chosen. The more the better with plants in maximalist styles.

19. Other Accessories You Love!

Records, unique glass bottles, license plates, figurines or plushies, sculptures, souvenirs, or other collectibles are often featured in maximalist designs… Have fun with displaying your collections in creative ways!

More Tips for Maximalist Decor

20.

Add Some Shine

Glass, gold, and metals can add shine and opulence to your maximalist space, whether as frames, lighting, mirrors, or other accessories. If you opt for metals, stick to one metal or metals with a similar finish for a more cohesive look.

21. Try Some Texture

Create dimension and comfort by incorporating your favorite textures, materials, textiles, and fabrics, like velvet, linen, cotton, silk, leather, etc. This is a great way to add intriguing layers without overwhelming other eye-catching features.

22. Patterned Pillows

For an added dose of comfort and color, add colorful or patterned pillows to your sofa or living chair. Remember, coziness is a priority in maximalistic designs!

23. Wonderful Window Treatments

Curtains and window treatments can be a great way to layer in soft or subtle textures, or to add in bold and bright colors around your windows. Whatever floats your fancy and makes you want to pull the curtains open in the morning to shine natural light on your interior space.

24. Colorful Portals

Paint your doors a vibrant color that you’ve chosen in your palette to take the maximalist effect to your exterior or other entryways in your home.

25. Clear, Working Surfaces

Keep in mind you don’t have to fill every available surface in maximalist spaces. In fact, it can create space and make the room feel less cluttered if you keep working surfaces, like coffee tables or desks, relatively clear of accessories or keep it to a minimum. A dose of practicality helps keep the space liveable and functional.

Maximalism vs. Minimalism

Opposite the “less is more,” form-over-function minimalist design, maximalist design goes to the other extreme where “more is more” is the way.

Where maximalism is about making your home a happy space that displays your personality and passions, minimalism strives to hide away accessories and clutter for a bright, clean, open, and functional space with clean lines and neutral colors like white, gray, and black. Meant to be a soothing space, minimalist designs use negative space to allow the sparse yet functional furniture to be the focal points of the design.

Maximalism is the total opposite and negative space can be non-existent, where the colors are bold and vivid, a multitude of shapes and patterns layer the space, and everything is decor.

In maximalist designs, you’re more likely to see a space filled with beloved artwork, collections, trinkets, and accessories. While everything may not have a function, it all contributes to a homey and comfortable environment.

Maximalist vs. Boho vs. Eclectic

Maximalist

Eclectic

Bohemian

Maximalist shares a couple similarities with both bohemian and eclectic interior design styles, particularly how personalizable they are.

Both bohemian and maximalist designs break style rules and opt for personal taste above others, but maximalist styles do so to a greater extreme. The relaxed bohemian style is more inspired by art and the value that creativity trumps money, where maximalist is more showy and extreme.

And eclectic interior designs more often blend two opposite styles, or old and new, to create something entirely different. Eclectic doesn’t seek to break design rules like boho and maximalist styles, but to bend and meld them with others, still in a balanced and coordinated fashion.

Whereas in maximalist designs, anything goes. It’s not a shy or reserved style, and it doesn’t seek to strike a balance, though it still can be done in an intentional way so the space still works together.

Conclusion

The range of possibilities is really endless with this bold interior design style and you can customize it to your personality to whatever extreme feels most comfortable for you.

The key is to play with your maximalist design, embrace bold colors and layering patterns, highlight your favorite things in layers, and find a common theme to highlight throughout your overall design. You can always build this style one piece at a time. Above all, your maximalist space should spark joy and prioritize your comfort throughout.

If you’d like help to curate a more harmonious maximalist style home, our expert designers are here to help!

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Maximalism in the interior: how to organize chaos

Minimalism is the leading interior trend of the 21st century, keeping up with the latest eco-trends, it has many fans, but there are also those who are “cramped” in bright minimalistic spaces and bored with a set of minimalistic expressive means. More and more adherents of detailed interiors appear among designers, and some openly rebel and choose maximalism.

What is maximalism and who needs it

Do not confuse minimalism with asceticism, and maximalism with excessive luxury and bad taste. Minimalist designs can be expensive, while maximalist ones can be discreet and accessible.

Maximalism in the interior is not an anarchy of colors and not the realm of dust collectors. This is a special form of ordered chaos, where every thing is exactly in its place. Accents in such an interior do not interrupt each other, and all objects are united by their emotional connection with the owner.

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Maximalism can be stylish, but this is not an interior style, you will not find such a term in the classification of interior trends. This is a certain approach to the organization of living space, reflecting a special type of thinking, and often combining elements from different styles.

A maximalist approach is characteristic of many interior styles. Historically established rococo, art nouveau, art deco, colonial style, followed by younger boho, memphis, pop art - they all gravitate towards maximalistic performance.

Maximalism feels good on the basis of eclecticism, fusion and kitsch - here it has a place to turn around. These mixed styles ostensibly break all interior rules, but in fact they have their own, and they help detailed interiors come together and not look overloaded.

Maximalist projects never look like neutral interiors from the covers of furniture catalogs. They feel individuality and history, they do not tolerate furniture, each piece of furniture in such a space can be original, and the interior looks like the furniture was assembled by several generations.

Maximalism is suitable for those who have family heirlooms, gravitate towards collecting, creativity, multiculturalism, who want to see more expression and dynamics in their living space. Luxurious grandmother's porcelain, family photos, a collection of vinyl records, figurines brought from other continents, decorative pillow covers with embroidery of our own production - how to place all these treasures in a minimalist space?

What to do if you are a maximalist

Bare walls with a single poster, built-in furniture, smooth facades without handles, minimal decor. All this is not about you? Tell your story with the inexhaustible expressive means of maximalism. Let's see how to do it correctly.

Turn decor into art. Decorate the walls so abundantly that the deliberateness of this process becomes apparent. An interesting technique: to choose only one wall for the "art gallery", abandoning the classic even distribution of paintings and photos around the apartment. Such a space will not look like a haven for an insane collector - there is clearly an artistic intent here.

Do not be afraid of absurdity and irony. European and American maximalist designers love to joke in interiors, experimenting with form, print, color, and often introducing frankly alien absurd or ironic objects into living spaces. Such an element as an antique bust in sunglasses will immediately make it clear: you are playing by your own interior rules. Yes, it looks weird. Yes, that's how it's meant to be. The main thing is not to cross the line beyond which the interior experiment ends and interior madness begins.

Choose your color and layering. If you're into drama, opt for dark and/or rich colors in your finishes - the exact opposite of minimalist white walls. If you're afraid of a space-devouring effect, it's best to resort to a proven recipe: a neutral light finish ("canvas") plus bright accents ("paints").

A fashionable technique of maximalism is layering in textiles. Several blankets and pillows on one sofa, a combination of different textures and prints. A popular micro-trend: two or three overlapping carpets in one room.

Leave the work to the designer. The more expressive means, the more difficult it is to work with them. So that the interior does not look like a set of random objects or a crazy looking glass, trust the skills of professionals. The designer will be able to combine the diversity of the subject world in the project due to the general concept, colors, contrasts, combination of textures and well-built composition.

Make sure that maximalism does not turn into chaos. The interior in the picture and the interior in which people live are often as different from each other as a photo of a deserted beach and the same beach in reality, overgrown with sun loungers, umbrellas and tourists.

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Any interior is overgrown with household details. In minimalistic spaces, it is customary to hide them behind cabinet fronts. In the case of maximalism, the main thing is not to let the emerging mess get mixed up with the artistic composition. Thoughtful maximalist interiors with their deliberate creative disorder actually love order.

#Style #Decor

Maximalism style in interior design > 40 photo ideas - what is maximalism? How to arrange it?

Maximalism can be called an interior style only conditionally. In fact, it can manifest itself in many styles, it can be a combination of them, but what characterizes precisely maximalist interiors: the presence of more elements than would be enough to create a complete interior solution.

In other words, maximalism in the interior is a "brute force" of color, furniture, decor or knick-knacks, but artistic, specially created, with taste and imagination.

Contents:



Styles similar to maximalism

Interior styles such as eclecticism and fusion are closest to maximalism, but there are some differences between them.

Eclecticism is, as a rule, a combination of several close to each other styles in the interior.
Fusion - a combination of more styles into an ensemble, but without the desire to "fill" the space as much as possible.

For example, a combination of a minimum of furniture (minimalism), pop art (bright prints on the walls), modern (a table with twisted forged legs) and a high-tech lamp that looks like a spaceship - this will be a real fusion, but not will be maximalism.

However, an interior dominated by just two styles, such as oriental and classical, but with many elements and decorations, can be a great example of maximalism.







Do you need maximalism?

Before deciding on maximalism in the interior, think about whether you get tired of it.

Of course, if you have good taste or you resort to the help of professional designers, your maximalist interior will be expressive, memorable, and certainly not boring.

However, even to the smallest detail, a thoughtful maximalist interior will still be bright and "full". Wouldn't it soon sound loud and overwhelmed to you?

If you are sure that it is not, if you lack exactly this brightness and you want to surround yourself with color, shape and pretty things to the maximum, then maximalism is for you!






Where to start?

It is not necessary to make the whole interior maximalist. You can make 1-2 rooms of the house like this, or even one corner, if it’s scary to decide to give the whole room a “violence of colors and shapes”.

Try to start by choosing a sofa with the brightest upholstery or cover the sofa with a multi-colored bedspread, throw more colorful pillows on top, lay an expressive multi-colored carpet next to the sofa, put an extravagant design coffee table on it, on which you will place a catchy unusual souvenir. "Corner of maximalism" is ready!

Do you like it? Do you want even more interiors decorated in a similar style? In this case, here are some helpful tips to help you.






Maximalism in the bedroom

  • large chandelier and massive bedside lamps,
  • tables, chests of drawers, chests, showcases with trinkets, banquettes, chairs, even flower pots.

    • Feel free to occupy almost the entire free space!

    Bed linen, bedspreads or the most colorful or sophisticated, pillows - the more the better. By the way, a large number of pillows not only in the bedroom, but wherever possible, including even the floor, is one of the most characteristic features of maximalism.








    Wall decoration

    Pay special attention to the decoration of the walls: they can be decorated with patterned wallpaper, they can be painted in unimaginable colors.

    They can also be dull solid or reproducing the texture of brick, wood or stone, but then they should be richly decorated with paintings, photographs, shelves with souvenirs, mirrors and even bas-reliefs. The main thing is that the eye does not slide over the empty "boring" space.






    Furniture and decor

    Furniture for a maximalist interior needs bright, colorful, with many decorative elements, but certainly comfortable. Soft, large, richly decorated sofas, armchairs, pouffes - physical comfort in this interior is very important.

    Vases and pots of flowers, paintings and photo frames, figurines and souvenirs, picturesquely laid out books and various gizmos, carpets or bright flooring - a must, and it is advisable to use as many of the above at the same time!

    Do not forget about expressive lighting: not only massive chandeliers, designer table lamps and floor lamps are welcome, but also local lighting.

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