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1. The “More is More” Look
Many people feel that minimalism can make a room seem too lifeless and monotonous. If clean lines, stark walls, and neutral colors aren’t for you, maybe a maximalist décor would be more up your alley. Contrary to most people’s assumptions, maximalism isn’t really the total opposite of minimalism. It doesn’t mean to go against Marie Kondo’s design aesthetic and fill your home with lots of stuff. Maximalism is an interior design style focused on combining lots of colors, patterns, and textures in a meaningful and organized way. The maximalist room abandons subtlety but avoids a chaotic look at the same time.
While there are some similarities with the eclectic style, maximalism is more precise in terms of mixing décor elements. It doesn’t just focus on clashing completely different design styles for an unexpected effect like you’d usually find in an eclectic room. Combining artworks, embellishments, and colors represents an art when it comes to maximalism. Messiness or randomness have no place in this style which transforms the space in the pursuit of comfort and personalization. A really simple definition of the maximalism trend is to just add more things you love in the room. Passion is an essential ingredient to pull off this décor style. We’ve selected the most inspirational ideas to get you started in the vibrant and unique world of maximalism décor.
2. Fabulous Wallpaper
A quick and effective method for embracing maximalism is to choose a fabulous wallpaper full of vibrant colors to bring the room to life. Anyone stepping into your living room will immediately notice an appealing wallpaper like this model here that relies on a colorful floral pattern that’s even more striking due to the contrast with the black walls. This is a baroque-style mural that adds great maximalist vibes to this luxurious home office.
The fundamental essence of maximalism décor seems to be captured with the help of this kind of impactful wallpaper. A dominant idea for this style is to avoid playing it safe. Let your creativity shine and, more importantly, don’t be afraid to show off your personality through your aesthetic sense. When trying a fabulous wallpaper, you might run into some confidence issues because it may seem like elements don’t fit together well or that you’re making a big statement. Maximalism embraces these worries suggesting that “too much” is not always too much.
3. The Importance of Color
If you ever felt a strange desire to play with rich and deep colors to your heart’s content, this is a great moment to do so. Color plays a fundamental role in maximalism décor and the most important rule about using color is to be as generous as possible with it. Take a basic color scheme like blue or green and build from there. Add plenty of jewel tones like sapphire or jade and make sure you complement the colors well. Try not to mix hot and cool tones too much. For example, blue works well with similar colors like purple and green.
It’s easy to go overboard with your color palette. This is why maximalism paint schemes need to be rich and vibrant yet still maintain a sense of cohesiveness. It suggests moving away from neutrals like beige or gray and embracing bold tones like orange, electric blue, and bright yellow. The maximalist room stands out from the rest as colors look daring and eye-catching. It’s recommended to add splashes of color to some unexpected furniture pieces or areas. Painted ceilings and statement walls have their place in maximalism décor.
4. Layered Textures
Similar to the hygge trend, maximalists value coziness and like the idea of enveloping the room with multiple layers of textures. While other interior design styles are more restrictive in terms of textural combinations, maximalism welcomes all kinds of bold mixtures. Hard textures like metal and wood can play nice with softer ones from fabrics like velvet and tweed. Bring together textures that don’t seem to match the color scheme as maximalism is all about including items you love. Any mismatch can act like a surprising element that contributes to the overall maximalist style.
5. Artwork
It’s hard to consider blank walls fitting for the maximalist décor style. Hanging art is a must when it comes to any maximalist interior. Over-the-top gallery walls aren’t only permitted, they’re pretty much ideal to pull off this aesthetic. Artworks provide a great way for you to express your personality and it’s important to create a complete picture of your style instead of just letting a few pieces tell the story.
Mixing various art styles and frame sizes can work spectacularly well. Don’t be afraid of filling an accent wall with all kinds of artworks that really speak to you. The only orderly rule that you need to follow is correct spacing between all the frames used so that your gallery wall looks uniform and creates a trendy maximalism design.
6. Cheerfulness is Key
As opposed to the Victorian Gothic décor style or industrial aesthetic, gloominess has no place in the maximalist space. If you love happy colors and patterns, this is pretty much the ideal design style for you. Turning up the cheerfulness can be done by adding some flowery patterns mixed with vibrant colors. Get creative with a colorful patterned rug and make the wall stand out by painting it with a flashy hot pink. This room shown here is just a nice example of maximalism, but you can use your favorite colors or patterns to make your living room sing with cheerful vibes.
7. Furniture
When it comes to furniture pieces, the maximalist décor is all about not conforming to the usual design rules. Instead of using furniture from just a specific time period, the maximalist environment will look authentic with a mix of styles. Antique pieces can be safely combined with more modern ones. Remember the importance of including things you love. You can unleash your creative potential and craft a really unique maximalist space.
8. Appreciating Symmetry
Symmetry represents your important anchor that you can count on to prevent the look of the maximalist room seem all over the place. It’s easy to fall into a chaotic design when you’re experimenting with some maximalist décor approaches. This is why you need to bring in symmetry to achieve order and balance. As long as you maintain some symmetry, you’ll be surprised to find out that you can add multiple layers and obtain an even richer maximalist aesthetic.
9. Books
Book lovers will fall in love with maximalist décor. This style is perfectly suited for those with large book collections compared to different approaches that don’t allow for lots of books to be displayed. You can show off your home library and expand its décor potential by adding colorful accessories for a one-of-a-kind display. Don’t leave out any books stored away because maximalism calls for organizing all your favorite reads in the most innovative ways to draw the eye. Keep some stacked on the table and build your bookshelves tall and proud.
10. Telling Stories
Maximalist interiors make use of some of the most expressive designs out there. While combining colors, patterns, and textures to fit your particular design vision is highly recommended, maximalism is at is best when you also manage to tell a story through the décor. Take this picturesque living room for example. It seems to radiate maximalism thanks to the deep and rich color palette.
The space here makes use of a floral theme that’s mostly captured by the stunning rose garden mural. All that natural beauty is mirrored through the rest of the décor such as furniture pieces and colorful accents. There’s an impressive amount of depth here which adds a sense of excitement and crafts an authentic maximalist style.
11. Maximalist Kitchen
While most people focus on living rooms or bedrooms when experimenting with maximalism, other areas of the house can benefit from a personal touch that’s characteristic of this design style. Check out this gorgeous kitchen that rocks the maximalist trend through playful splashes of color and competing patterns. To tame the overall boldness, the designer of the kitchen opted for a primarily white color scheme.
12. Highlighting Trinkets
A central aspect of maximalism décor is to put your preferences and personal values on display. You can integrate just a slight touch of maximalism by highlighting small trinkets. You don’t always have to go for large, dramatic furniture pieces. It’s important to show off your treasured items, even the little tchotchkes. Odds and ends can often remain neglected in some dusty cabinet somewhere and maximalism encourages you to change that and place all meaningful trinkets in full view.
13. Banishing Clutter
While maximalists seem at odds with Marie Kondo’s organizing principles, it turns out that nobody likes clutter. It’s a bit risky in that regard when you’re trying to decorate the maximalist home. To avoid a cluttered look, you can count on effective storage solutions. Filling shelves with items in an organized manner will have an interesting effect as it enriches the environment while keeping clutter at bay. The floating shelves on this bright yellow wall provide a nice example of powerful storage for maximalist décor.
14. Boho-Style Maximalism
Maximalism and boho style work great together, as evidenced by this superb living room. Both styles share some themes so you can embrace maximalism without compromising on some specific characteristics typical of the boho aesthetic. In fact, that’s precisely the aim of maximalism which encourages you to stay true to your personality and love all the decorations you include.
