Maximalism, step by step: 4 stages of designing a maximalist interior

Minimalism vs Maximalism in Interior Design

Maximalism is a design trend that contrasts with minimalism. The main differences between maximalism and minimalism are as follows:

• Minimalists keep only absolutely necessary items in their interiors. In contrast, maximalists decorate spaces with more than just basic elements. They tend to use family values, souvenirs from travels and a large number of decorative items in their decor.
• Maximalist interiors are usually much more colorful than minimalist ones.
• Minimalist design is typically modest, subdued and restrained. On the contrary, maximalist design is usually bold, majestic, eclectic and carefree.

How to Achieve a Maximalist Style in Your Home:

If you want to try decorating your home in a maximalist style, follow these steps:

1. Plan Your Color Scheme

Maximalists usually reject simple white walls in favor of a more saturated color palette. They are bold with color usage. To make maximalist style your own, you can start by planning a color scheme.

If you're unsure how to approach choosing colors, you can use a proven designer method: apply the 60-30-10 rule. For this, choose a rather muted color for about 60% of surfaces in the room you're decorating. Then use a brighter secondary color for decorating around 30% of surfaces. The remaining 10% of room surfaces can be adorned with a brighter, bolder and attention-grabbing accent color.

Of course, you don't have to follow this rule exactly, but using it as a guide will help make your space cohesive and well-planned.

2. Choose Floors and Rugs

The floor may already be installed – but even if it is, you can change its color or finish. Regardless of whether changes to the floor are possible, it's easy to adapt a space with unique rugs. Rugs allow you to add bright patterns, colors and textures to your room.

If you're planning to decorate with rugs, it's wise to choose them first – before purchasing other furniture items.

3. Consider the Walls

Maximalists use wall space differently. Some paint walls and trim in bright colors. Others hang wallpaper. It's also typical for maximalists to decorate walls with mirrors, paintings or shelves with decorative items.

If you're painting the walls, it's better to choose paint color last. With a wide selection of available paint colors, it will be easier to coordinate the paint color with furniture than vice versa.

4. Select Comfortable Furniture You Love

Minimalist furniture is usually chosen for clean, simple lines. One common mistake in decoration is worrying about the appearance of furniture but not paying attention to comfort or its lack. For maximalists, luxurious furniture is the main priority, and the more comfortable it is, the better.

These are the steps to follow when decorating an interior in a maximalist style. If you want to live in a richly textured, colorful environment offering plenty of interesting visual nuances, maximalism is the style to consider.