What is Maximalism? 5 tips to transform your home in 2024

There are many different kinds of interior design styles to choose from, however, maximalist interiors are always some of the most imaginative. Maximalist spaces are elaborate and expressive, embracing bright and vivid colours, jewel tones, and bold patterns like animal print that breathe life into a home. It’s about freedom, confidence and unrestrained creativity and when done well, it can be positively transformative.

Maximalism is about celebrating interior design at its most expressive. “More-is-more” is often the phrase you’ll find associated with its definition and for many maximalist homes, that sentiment is very true. As the antithesis of minimalism, this design concept embraces the cultural complexities of life and brings various ideas and styles together to create something unique. This approach combines styles, patterns, textures, and colours to tell a story to everyone who walks into the room.

This kind of style is not simply chaotic, but rather artistic in its execution. This means that the selection of contrasting items is not just clutter but one that is carefully curated during the design process. It's a challenge an experienced interior designer would relish and you should too if you are keen to embrace it.

In maximalist interior design, contrasting colours are chosen to complement each other in the space. However, this style does not place any limitations on the number of combinations or textures you can use. The lack of limitation is what allows creativity to flourish throughout a maximalist space.

As mentioned above, maximalism is a highly artistic and cultural approach to interior design. This approach has no creative boundaries, allowing you to express yourself in as many colours and combinations as you want. Here are a few tips on how to pick maximalist decor for your home.

1. Pick bold statement pieces

The core concept of maximalism is to be bold and confident in your choices. This is why maximalist design removes all limitations to set your creativity free. The best way to start designing your space in this style is with a bold statement piece.

This can be a Victorian era chandelier or a large indoor pot plant in the centre of the room. You can then build off this statement piece with contrasting finishes around the room. These contrasting finishes will help create an even stronger focal point to draw the eye.

Your statement piece will effectively set the tone and theme of the rest of the room.

Related article: What are feature lights and how to use them best

2. Create contrasting walls

A simple way to introduce maximalism to your space is through contrasting walls. This can be done by painting one wall a different colour from the others in the room, thereby creating an accent wall. This can be a difference in the shade of the same colour or an entirely different colour altogether. As we said before, there are no limitations when it comes to maximalism.

In addition to multiple colours, you can play with patterns on the wall as well. This can help you create a bit of visual interest that can create a bit of depth as well. This can be done using patterned wallpaper, wall decals, stencils and even paint if you have an artistic talent you’d like to showcase.

3. Go wild with wallpapers

Speaking about wallpaper, it is a great way, patterned or not, to bring contrast and culture to your space. These wallpapers don’t need to stay exclusively on the walls either with some applying them to the ceiling for a bold, emphatic look. You can choose different kinds of wallpapers and even use different textures to add more depth to your interior design.

There is almost an endless range of wallpaper designs to choose from which makes it another way to create a unique look and style for your home.

Related article: 8 exquisite wallpaper designs for inspired spaces

4. Showcase your collections

Maximalism embraces ours homes as the collective hub of our lives. This is why it encourages you to display your items and collections as part of the home’s decor. If you have a bookshelf or a cupboard filled with art, now is the time to bring it all out and create a gallery wall.

Your art, photos, prints and qualifications can all find a place around your home. These don’t need to be limited to a certain room at a certain time but can rather be part of any space, be it the living room, bedroom, hallway or any other space you want to make much more personal.

This is one of the best traits of maximalist interiors as it can help make the space feel more comfortable and homely. It creates an incredibly welcoming atmosphere for friends and family alike as something they’ll find very familiar with respect to you.

5. Consider a maximalist approach with minimalist colours

You may think that you need to use lots of bold colours in your space if you’re going with a maximalist style, but there are other ways to approach it too. You can still be maximalist with just one or two complementary colours. In this case, you can select elaborate finishes and furniture pieces to emphasise the maximalist design style in the space.

A great example of this is to use two complementary colours like beige and brown throughout a room. While this may seem conservative, you can incorporate patterns for each wall and include a statement piece in the centre of the room such as a pendant lighting fixture or a designer coffee table. This combines a few approaches already mentioned together and is a great way to use the maximalist design style while remaining selective with the colours that you want in your space.

Related article: 17 coffee table decor ideas to enhance your home in 2024

Maximalist decor is a lively design concept that incorporates different cultures, colours, motifs and styles to create a truly unique space. This kind of decor is not limited to a specific theme or room but can add an elaborate twist to any space in your home. If you love these ideas and the thought of a home full of character and energy, then this is certainly an interior design style well worth considering.

Related article: The most popular interior design styles shaping Kiwi homes

(This article was updated on 19th December 2023)