Maximalism, Noun: The opposite of minimalism: a tendency toward excess.
Alternatively, maximalism is “‘the art of more-is-more; layered patterning, highly saturated colors, ample accessories and art (likely hung “salon-style”), and a real sense of playfulness and bold gestures,’ Keren Richter, interior designer at White Arrow, tells Vogue.”
I’ve always been a maximalist in every aspect I could be. My dad says that when I did art as a child, you could never see the paper below, or hardly ever even the first layer of art on the paper. When I first started dressing myself, all my outfits had necklaces, bracelets, hats, scarves and about any other accessory I could find. I like to think that since then, my maximalist tendencies have gotten a bit more refined. You can be the judge of that.
So you want to be a maximalist, huh? Well, despite popular belief, it is not just about putting anything anywhere. Maximalism is the tie between overwhelming decoration that makes no sense and ultimate color and design coordination. It does not exist without color, spacing, and design principles.
Expand your ideas of where things can go.
The first step of maximalism is to expand your idea of where decor can go. Traditionally, it’s decorations on the walls, rugs on the floors, and things on tables. Within maximalism, you can expand to ceilings, doors, cabinets and entire walls. Further, you can think more and do more with rugs, floors, walls, and tabletops. I find the fine line between maximalism and hoarding is a clean space with purposefully busy walls and decor, instead of a dirty space with possibly unintentional walls and decor.
Almost any decor can go on your ceiling, walls, doors or cabinets. Expanding where you put things beyond just walls helps your space to be decorated to-the-max! Add in some fun rugs, lighting, and your own pizzazz to really wow!
I implement this idea by having collages on my kitchen cabinets, tapestries on my ceiling, and signs on my door.
Also, expand your ideas of what can go where. Have a fan on your wall, a tapestry on your ceiling, lighting aimed at the wall. Getting creative with this is what will make this uniquely you.
Lighting.
Lighting is another way to really amp up your space and make it have those vibes you’re searching for. Maximalism tends to go along with ambient lighting instead of traditional overhead lighting, but you can do whatever you like! I do prefer ambient lighting and I use floor lamps, table lamps, sunset lamps, Christmas lights, and ambient wall lights from Ikea.
Make it everything.
To really put your maximalism to the max, make it everything in your home that you can. Make the dishes, silverware, laundry basket, trash cans, and even toilet brushes fun! If you search for it, there are many examples of these items that either look like other items, or at least have a bit more color than normal. These little touches throughout your home not only will spark joy for you each time you use them, but they will really tie your day-to-day maximalist look together.
This is important because, this is a space you’ll be living in, after all. If your place still looks put together aesthetically with dishes in the sink, trash cans out, and a laundry basket in the living room, it’ll feel much more cohesive than if these items break up how you wish your space looked.
How to pair things.
It may seem like maximalism is just putting anything anywhere, but this is not true. You want to make sure your decor all goes together. The easiest way to do this is to have a general color, aesthetic or pattern that you build off. If you choose that each piece has tones of orange in it, everything will go together a lot more than if you just buy anything you like. You can also choose a pattern, like plaid, floral, or houndstooth to do the same thing.
Where to find items.
There are many places to find unique and fun items you’ll love. My favorites are Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Ikea, thrift stores, estate sales, and the curb during August.
It’s also a good idea to check with your parents, friends and other family to see if they have furniture they don’t want or need anymore. You’d be surprised with how much stuff people store to deal with later, so you may actually be helping them!
Inspo!
Maximalism is a fun type of design to surround yourself with, and it’s definitely trendy right now. I find it helps to have things that are busy around me so that I don’t feel like only my mind is busy, but some people feel the total opposite. If maximalism works for you and is a fun way to express yourself within your space, it can be a game-changer in terms of mood, energy and outlook.