5 Expert Tips For Approaching Maximalism Successfully

Many homeowners have heard about the merits of minimalism in the realm of interior design, which is an approach to home layout that prizes open spaces, simple color palates, and a less is more approach to decorating (via Elle Décor). This can give a home a light and airy feeling and allow for the space to feel like a container for great ideas and relaxation.

Maximalism is the exact opposite of this design strategy. Instead of working to create an open feeling for the space, a maximalist will look to dominate it with bright and inspiring colors, decorative elements, and other inclusions. Maximalism can be immensely inspiring, too, and lends itself to a vibrant and on-the-go lifestyle. Maximalism designs allow a homeowner to showcase all the great things in their life and bring in design elements from disparate styles and inspirations that they love. It relies on layered designs, an incredible array of furniture and decorative inclusions, and brilliant, saturated color additions that make a space really pop out and command attention (via Vogue).

Turning to a maximalist design in one room or across your entire home can act as a wonderful change of pace for those who have made use of more subdued style elements in the past. With these five tips, incorporating a maximalist ethos in your home is easier than you might expect.

The first step to creating a maximalist interior design in your home revolves around planning. A plan for how to group features together and incorporate a variety of different decorative schemes, color options, and statement pieces will give you a firm footing to start your journey. A maximalist decorating style will seek to incorporate a variety of different and uniquely vibrant features into a single space. Instead of focusing on singular decorating styles or item inclusions, maximalists will aim to incorporate a number of different elements into the same location. But this doesn't mean that you'll want to slap together color and decorative additions haphazardly or without thought. A maximalist will look to group together a number of similar features and showcase them as a unit. If you don't create a strategy for placing features throughout the room, then you may end up with a mishmash of stylistic elements that seem to compete with one another rather than work as a stylistic choice.

Homeowners who embrace maximalism are often those who like to collect decorative items or other things and show them off. By grouping these items together and using them as a collective decorative style, you can elevate the value of each piece that you choose to bring into the property (via Organized Mamas).

Keeping with the theme of grouping similar items together, one great option for maximalist decoration is the establishment of a single art wall (via The New York Times). Many homeowners have lots of pictures framed around their homes, and posters and decorative images are often found alongside these family photos and other achievement mementos. Instead of placing your photographs and posters throughout the home, condensing them into a single art wall will create a maximalist haven that really captures the attention of anyone walking into the room. It might seem bold and brash to place what can amount to a library of images on a single wall, but this is the maximalist ethos. 

When used correctly, an art wall can elevate the experience that a viewer gets from looking at any single picture included in your collection. The art wall functions as both a collage of images that are important to you and as a medium for showcasing each individual snapshot. This allows them to work as a statement piece on two separate levels of decorative flair. The collective power of all these images brought together in one space serves as an excellent backdrop for any room that you are working to infuse with maximalist energy.

Another essential in maximalist decorative style is the use of bold color choices. It's not enough to paint a room or to add furniture in one standard color or two complementary shades. Maximalists must take this to its extreme and incorporate a variety of different exciting and energy-enriched color choices. Colors are often associated with moods (via Art Therapy), so you might consider reimagining a bland room with color based primarily on the mood or moods that you hope to instill in the space. Bold colors perform well in these types of spaces because they ooze with energy and attitude. 

The psychology of color is well documented, and considering these associated features can help you pair a number of great color options together for the best possible impact. For instance, bright colors like red, yellow, and green can instill a sense of excitement and energy, happiness and creativity, and healing and freshness, respectively. Pairing one or more of these colors with the confidence-infused shade of orange, a hint of black formality, or the sweet and compassionate energy of pink can make for a wonderfully unique and enriching environment in any part of your home (via London Image Institute).

One thing that maximalism does well is allow you to showcase a variety of different elements that are important to you and your family. Maximalists often place book collections front and center in their living room or in hallways, bedrooms, or elsewhere. Book collections go a long way in showing the kinds of things that are interesting to you and they can inspire a continued love of reading when located in a highly visible area of the home (via Posh Pennies). The more you look at your books, the more you'll want to read.

But books aren't the only thing that you can showcase in a maximalist setting. Homeowners who love music, for instance, may have a substantial collection of CDs or records; as well, musicians may have collected a number of guitars or other musical instruments that can make for wonderful decorations and go-to inspiration for off-the-cuff playing.

When reimagining your home with a maximalist tilt, don't be afraid to incorporate a number of different collections in the fabric of your home's layout and design. This type of decorative flair is built for the hobbyist whose interests run the gamut.

Lastly, it's important to remember that a maximalist home design is going to be loud and brash. As a result, it can feel like the space is incomplete or imperfect. While minimalism works to build a calm and quiet environment, maximalists create calm through background energy. These rooms may feel a little bit busy or perhaps even allow for emptier spaces to stand out against the decorative excesses in other parts of a room.

It's crucial to remember that maximalists are not looking to create a perfect room that should always be put back together as a flawless image when leaving the space to move to another room or to call it a night and go to bed. Maximalism is all about living in the space and enjoying every minute of it (via Lick). Therefore, imperfection and revolving changes that dominate routine life are simply a part of the process here. Embracing the ever-changing nature of a life lived to its fullest is in keeping with the spirit of maximalist decoration.