“Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.”
Oscar Wilde
Lush, sensual and rich, Maximalist design is the antidote to years of minimalism. For some time now, the design world has counseled sparsely furnished and decorated interiors, with blindingly white walls as the backdrop.
But all that has changed. Since 2016, interior design circles have been whispering about Maximalism. And in 2018 it’s the most important trend, rising head and shoulders above all the others.
Nothing succeeds like excess. 2018 is the year of Maximalism and the freedom to enshrine in your home those collectible décor pieces you’ve hesitated to reach out for in recent years.
Fear not! This is your moment.
Curated excess
On encountering Maximalist interiors for the first time, some are taken aback by the profusion of colors, textures, styles and patterns. But that’s the whole point.
Maximalism seeks order in apparent chaos, through the employment of unifying elements like a key color or pattern. Furniture need not all be in the same style when the balance is struck with color and form.
Interior designer, Kelly Wearstler is considered this trend’s reigning queen. Renowned for her creation of “rooms within rooms”, she pairs biomorphic furniture forms with unifying color themes and optimal use of space.
Wearstler’s keen eye for detail defies the argument that Maximalism is about clutter. Not at all. It’s about creating a singular environment which is bound together with forethought and sensitivity to the space itself.
Key features of Maximalism
The foundation of Maximalism lies in individual affection for specific colors, shapes and textures. With Maximalism, you create the environment that lives in your mind’s eye.
It’s about bringing to life your dream interior and making your concept of what it should look like come to vibrant, excessive life.
Bring your affection forward by expressing it in tile, wood, velvet, or lush wallpapers with geometric or floral patterns. The key here is not to match everything, but to unite it with the use of color, form and repeating themes.
Choose the foundation for your look in a wall color or a tufted velvet couch in a jewel tone (or even Pantone color of the year, Ultra Violet), then connect everything to that one piece, using other furniture pieces in contrasting colors (but in velvet) or patterns – animal prints are most welcome in a Maximalist room.
Whether your passion is art glass or coffee table books, share it in the room, using stacks of books as side tables bearing brass platters and topped with a majestic art glass piece. Only your imagination limits you when you’re creating your dream interior.
It’s your dream and your interior. Creating your fantasy, without giving the impression of needless clutter, is a highly individual affair.
The very heart of Maximalist design is who you are.
Michelangelo Designs
We’ve created the first and only Italian Design Center in the USA. We invite Trade professionals to contact us to schedule an appointment and to experience the cure for the common at Michelangelo Designs.