Maximalist

How to do maximalism the right way.

I'm sure many of us interior lovers have been watching Interior Design Masters, where this week half the contestants were challenged with creating a maximalist hotel room scheme. This got me thinking about how we could all use a splash of colour and life into these incredibly monotonous times.

Maximalism can be an intimating style to get your head around, especially if like most us you have grown up around the always popular, calming, and oh so comforting scandi inspired designs.

I've put together some looks and tips on how to ease yourself into the new maximalist boom without any hesitation. Be bold, be playful get creative.

Gallery walls - Use your artwork to create a wall full of character, this is such an easy way to add a touch of maximalism without too much commitment, perfect for rentals and perfect for people looking for an easy into the trend. Mix artwork with personal photos to create something truly unique.

Layered textures - Another non committal way to join the maximalist movement; use rugs, cushions and throws to add layers to flat spaces. Textures are always a great way to add colour and depth to a room, an easy way to add bold colours and bold textures. With replaceable textures like rugs, throws and cushion covers you can test colours and patterns in your space, play with scales and be daring with what you chose. There are ways to connect these items within a room to create a cohesive room, through colours and tones, themes and materials, have textures talk to each other and bounce off one another.

Bold colours and wallpapers - It goes without saying that bold colours and patterns are the heart of the maximalist trend. This is probably the most intimidating part for most people, but interiors should be fun! Your space should reflect who you are and it should be your space to experiment and develop your own style. Be bold, try new prints, try colour clashing. My main advice would be to start with the boldest colour/wallpaper and use the rest of the space to compliment that as the main event. Select complimentary colours or clashing colours but to start out chose three or four colours to start with to create a cohesive scheme. Colour tones are your friend here, you can use different colour tones to add depth and interest to the space, this will give you a more sophisticated finish.

Individual items - Now more than ever would be the time to be selective. Find treasured items and display them with pride. Individual items really add that extra jewel to a maximalist scheme, stack bookshelves with items, display things on coffee tables. There will always be something interesting to find in a maximalists living room. Things from candle sticks to plant holders and vases to coffee tables. This shouldn't be a copy and paste room, it should be full of treasures and character and what better way to achieve this than with individual gem stone items.

Breathe back life and individuality with one of finds and personal touches. I hope these few tips and beautiful images inspire you to try something new with your interiors!

Let me know your favourite current interior trends and if you have any extra advice for getting into maximalism, I'd love to hear them!

*Images are not my own, sources can be found on my Pinterest page along with much more loveliness linked below.