Minimalism, from interior design to fashion and lifestyle, has managed to achieve cult-like status in the past decade, reasonably so. It is about simplicity, harmony, order and comfort, but for those who find order in ‘disorder’, the ones who find beauty in more and who want to splash their living space with colour, a new dawn is here.
If you have been feeling left out reading about decorating ideas that involve chalk-coloured living rooms with a sparse arrangement of plain candles and a jauntily-placed coffee table book, the word you are looking for is maximalism.
While maximalist designs have existed for centuries, mostly manifesting through wealthy people and collectors as a way to showcase their riches, this style is once again in the trend with lots of designers rushing to make good of the spurt.
The biggest misconception about maximalist design is that it is about clattering your space with more ‘stuff’, because it is loud, chaotic and very colourful.
However, this chaos is, contrary to appearances, tamed and thoughtful. It is a contrasting combination of colours, materials and textures, and blending modern elements with traditional elements. All this is accompanied by a large number of accessories and decorations.
While minimalism as a style in interior design is about simple and clear rules, maximalist design is more open and therefore more difficult to define within specialised structures. It speaks to a person’s character, and a simple rule to go by is to incorporate what you love, rather than a million different aspects clashing at once.
There is no wrong way to create a maximalist design in your home. However, there are some basic tips that you can follow to ease your work and give you an idea of where to begin:
Be generous with colour
The foundation for maximalist design is colour – lots of colour, and building a basic colour palette is where to begin. When looking for inspiration, you will notice dark colours like navy blue and black are popular wall colours. The secret to balance things out if you go for dark walls is to fill the room with bold and bright accents.
Create a wall of art
Gallery walls are a prominent design feature of maximalism. The secret here is to forget about coordinating the colour, frames and subjects of your art, instead using art that you love, which leaves a lot of room for imagining. The only guideline you need to follow is to space your artwork properly. You can use art of different sizes on your wall, but the spacing should be uniform.
Decorate with what you love
More is more, and maximalists want homes surrounded by the things they love. Therefore, go for more of everything; that means more of your favourite colours, fabrics and accessories. To keep your décor from looking too random, you can find a few common colours or patterns to repeat through the room.
Bring out the books
While other styles limit the number of books you can display, the maximalist style is a book lover’s dream. You are as limited as your imagination as you can stack your books in wonderful tall bookshelves or simply stack them on side tables.
Create a space with maximum cheer
Maximalism is a perfect decorating style for you if you love happy colours and patterns. To create a cheerful maximalist room, warm palettes with flowery patterns on your walls is a good way to go. You can also incorporate other decorating styles such as bohemian (think print fabrics), as these styles blend beautifully together.
Maximalism is all about comfort
Minimalism and downsizing brings a backlash in style that may leave you longing for comfort and glamour. Maximalism is the best of both worlds, combining our most comfortable décor with our favourite colours and accessories.
Add vintage accents
Your favourite vintage furniture and accessories can fit easily into your maximalist space. While mid-century decorating can be very minimalist, its vibrant colours and expressive art can also exude maximal style. Victorian and Art Deco styles were all about excess too, so you will have no trouble merging these with maximalism to create a room of your dreams.
Do not strive for perfection
Maximalism is about everything but perfection. As a matter of fact, it works best when it is imperfect. While your decor should have some unifying colours or patterns, there is absolutely no need to stress over matching furniture or colours — and that is the best part. Just how relaxing is it, to decorate without the pressure of perfection.
Pick a theme
While picking a theme may sound limiting to a maximalist who wants anything and everything, it can make your work that much easier. The pool is as wide as you dare to explore. You can choose an African theme for instance and have wallpapers and fabrics with African patterns. You can also have animal curvatures adorning your doors or fireplace.
If you pick an ocean theme, you can have chandeliers in shapes of an octopus, and different kinds of shells on your worktops, as well as bright blue colours and patterns to reflect the ocean.
The bottom-line is; do what you want and use what you love. So if you are looking for a way to remodel your home, model a new one or perhaps even you are a minimalist in the market for something new, different and bold, maximalist décor is the trend to have a go at, and one that will suit your desires as they are without need for any compromise.
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