Maximalism: The Story of You
A Maximalist design where we combined patterns and textures to add a bit of fun to the everyday chore of doing laundry!
Time Flies
How can we be nearing the end of February?! I’ve barely recovered from Christmas---and here’s a confession- I didn’t take down the last of my Christmas decorations until this month!
As an empty-nester, I felt like I could take my time (and boy, did I!). Though, if I’m being honest, I think I dread how bare my house feels once the overabundance of decor is stored for another year. For a week or so after de-Christmasing I find myself missing a garland wound up the staircase banister and coffee in my favorite holiday mug. Eventually, I grow used to the lack of glittery decor knowing how time flies —only 304 more shopping days until Christmas!
I admit, I wouldn’t subject my neighbors to my outdoor decorations year-round, but I wouldn’t mind leaving my Santa collection on full view!
I should clarify that when I say, ‘grow used to,’ I don’t mean ‘happy with!’ I have a love for the bright cheerfulness of holiday decorations because, and here’s another confession, I'm a Maximalist. My motto is “more is more”–though not in a hoarding way, but rather in the way a collector constructs and creates a curated collection of beautiful, precious objects (admittedly, my collection of Santas and snowmen border on hoarding!).
Maximalist wallpaper in my upstairs hallway. I love the exaggerated thistle motif, which reminds me of Ernie’s home, Scotland, and was produced by the Scottish textile design studio Timerous Beasties . The wallpaper is a perfect backdrop for our Highland cow art piece by Kelly Hood, that we bought several years ago in Dublin, Ireland. I sourced the tasseled antique pendant lights from Architectural Antiques.
A perfect example of more is more: A Parisian pied-à-terre curated by Hubert de Givenchy at Christie’s in Paris in 2021. The gilded empire-style furniture, the oversized tiger print velvet sofa, the quirky modern desk sculptures, and just to add a bit of whimsy, an example of our favorite LaLanne sheep from his Nouveaux moutons series (read all about them on the blog here). Each a big design element on its own, but all harmoniously working together.
Maximalism: Bold Design for Bold Living
Maximalism as a trend has become a “louder” (get it?) conversation in the design world. Much in the same way that the holiday season’s bright lights and boundless decorating possibilities capture the imagination, so too has Maximalism fascinated designers–me included! Whimsy and fun are Maximalism's mainstays, experimentation and daring a necessity, and to do it well is an exciting challenge for designers.
So, what do you say, are you up for the challenge?
Alexa Hampton’s “Olympia Folly” for the 2018 Kips Bay Show House. Photo by Nickolas Sargent
Maximalism, What It Is and What It’s Not
You’ve heard of Minimalism–it’s been the aspirational design (and even lifestyle!) for the past twenty years. But maybe you’re scratching your head over that term I’ve been throwing around: “Maximalism.”
The easiest way to describe it is as a school of design principles that are exactly the opposite of Minimalism; whereas Minimalism is about living simply, Maximalism is about living boldly. For me personally, it’s about living in joy-filled spaces.
Tired of white and gray bathrooms? Maximalism wins out using one amazing element—a unique marble (Italian Aphrodite marble) repeated throughout this bathroom renovation.
The mirrors over the bathtub and vanity magnify the pattern repetition. Photos: Paul Massey
Maximalism looks at simplistic furniture designs (think: IKEA, which might as well be a synonym for minimalism) and neutral white-toned spaces, and then starts snoring. It's tired of the assumptions that a room’s functionality should overshadow its beauty, or that intentional design only comes in a monochromatic color palette (and here, I’m talking about ‘greige’ again!). Maximalism has set an alarm clock on boring design, waking it up with light, color, patterns, and pops of personality.
Yves St. Laurent’s library in his home, the Villa Oasis, in Marrakesh, Morocco. A true feast for the eyes---no surface was left untouched! Photo by Miguel Flores-Vianna
We’re saying goodbye to decluttering, and Marie Kondo-inspired purges; after all, there is no need for it when Maximalism promotes the idea that a room’s aesthetics and items should come together to collectively “spark joy.” In fact, the only thing we should purge is compromise: influences, eras, schools of design, colors, and the individual’s dreams are all invited to play in a sandbox of design. Maximalism’s only limitation is your own courage!
This gorgeous guestroom swathed in pink chintz is at the Commodore Perry Estate in Austin, Texas, and the work of Maximalist superstar, Ken Fulk (Source)
Could it be I was channeling Ken Fulk in my own dormered guest room?
What’s black and white and red all over? My favorite hunting dog toile bedroom! Photo: Diane Adams
I really can’t overemphasize courage and personality as the foundations of Maximalism design principles. Maximalism is an extension of you, after all!
“There’s room for saying things in bright shiny colors”
Think of it as charismatic design, where the curation of patterns, mixing of styles, and item collections tells any guest invited into your living room who their host is and what sort of conversation to expect over a cup of coffee. Maximalism wants you to express your interior self through your interior spaces.
Detractors may critique it as chaotic and messy, but I would argue life is chaotic and messy, which is precisely what makes it beautiful!
Designer Miles Redd’s skillful use of bold patterns on both the walls and the lounge chairs creates a design that is both over-the-top and timeless. Source. Photo: Thomas Loof
Maximalist Myth-busting
Speaking of detractors (or, for my millennial readers, “the haters”), scathing criticisms about Maximalism have run rampant at the same time it has grown more popular over the past few years; for a movement that takes everything full throttle, I guess it is expected—if you’re making strong design choices, expect strong critiques!
However, alongside those criticisms are some wild myths, so I’m going to do some myth-busting. After all, you wouldn’t want to form an opinion about Maximalism without knowing all the facts!
Reading nook by designer Kati Curtis (Source)
Myth #1: Maximalism is a fleeting fad
The design pendulum swings back and forth between what’s en mode and démodé, and it seems Maximalism is the style du jour. However, that isn’t to imply it’s a passing trend, or one exclusive to 2023!
Humans have always sought to decorate our living spaces, but Maximalist decorating as we know it is a more recent trend popularized by the French king Louis XIV–otherwise known as the Sun King and builder of the Maximalist fever dream, Versailles. Of course, in his time, they called the style Baroque! Louis’ taste for opulence was a political ploy to impress both foreign powers and his own subjects, that ploy still has its effects today, impressing the millions of tourists who visit Versailles each year.
The aptly named Gold Room was part of Marie Antoinette’s private chambers. More is more is more – opulent yes, but tacky, no!
Maximalism became egalitarian throughout the 1800s, with the industrial revolution and the rise of consumerism. The average, middle-class Victorian family now had more spending power and access to quality goods from all around the world. Oftentimes, the real reason for inviting friends over for tea was to show off a collection of exotic accouterments, French wallpaper, or silk-covered furniture from China. You can still see the Victorians’ influence today; look no further than the Interior Designer, Alidad’s London apartment which is an homage to the Maximalist aesthetic.
Alidad’s gorgeous dining room in London. Source. Photo: Simon Brown
Jumping ahead, Maximalism had its time in the sun in the 1960s, with the late and great Dorothy Draper’s redesign of the The Greenbrier.
Dorothy Draper famously reimagined the historic Greenbrier Hotel, reviving it with her flashy colors and playful patterns. Shown here is a guest room in the Windsor Club. Photo by Michael Arnaud (Source)
To jump ahead again, this time to the 1980s, we have trailblazing Maximalist designers like Henri Samuel. Samuel did not have a distinct “style” --rather his spaces truly embraced the maxim of designing for his clients’ distinct personalities.
Henri Samuel’s grand salon for the Palm Beach Home of Charles and Jayne Wrightman (Source)
He was also aware of where Maximalism had been (historically, that is) and had an eye towards where it was going. Using historical influences as a departure point, Samuel incorporated antique pieces alongside colorful, contemporary fabrics to create spaces that implied a sense of evolving opulence. His work emphasized Maximalism’s ability to invoke grandeur as well as to create a layered, multi-faceted personality for a space. Maximalism, Samuel’s designs seem to say, is about telling the owner’s personality and personal history.
Myth #2: Isn’t Maximalism all about stuff?
It’s easy to get lost in the sauce–or rather, lost in the bric-a-brac. But don’t miss the forest for the trees: while Maximalism often uses a lot of “stuff” to accomplish its design goals, what it’s truly all about is color used in pattern, scale, and materials. Wallpaper with fetching prints, chairs with loud upholstery, and rugs with plush and vibrant threads. Textures and tones mixed with beautiful objects–either subjectively beautiful or as pieces that hold memories or curiosities–should drive a single room towards a certain feeling, thought, or mood.
How a Maximalist stores their china! A lovely cabinet display for an elegant, porcelain dinner service. A lot of thought and planning went into this design! From artist Aldous Bertram’s book Dragons and Pagodas (Vendome).
Thinking of a Maximalist redesign of your dining room and aren’t ready to design a china display cabinet? Curate objets d’art that bring comfort: bring in cozy velveteen furniture, and use earthy hues, all of which welcome you in after a long day, as if to say: “take a load off, there’s plenty of food to go around!” Designed by Nina Garbiras. Photo: Gieves Anderson (Source)
Myth #3: The mess will cause me stress!
Markham Roberts’ verdant green front parlor featured in Frederic magazine.
Of course, with all this talk of collections and purposeful clutter–Gen Z has dubbed it Cluttercore! At this point, you may be thinking this sounds terribly stressful and even an eye sore!
This is a reasonable thought and, of course, not the feeling you want your space to be creating. I think that walking into a well-designed room should evoke sentiments and emotions like a good painting or photograph captures a mood.
Admittedly, Maximalism can walk a thin line between a room best described as “a mess” and a room as intricately designed as a tapestry. It’s a tricky balance to strike: how can an assortment of tones, textures, beautiful objects, and zany statement pieces be kept from wandering too close to a hodgepodge? How can you keep your visual feast from turning into a visual riot?
I believe the answer is to begin the way any good design should: assess what you find beautiful (i.e. what doesn’t cause you stress) and intentionally incorporate those things into your space. A great starting point in Maximalist design is to look at the items you collect (stay tuned for a future blog post!). In this way, as the room is developed into a fully realized living space, the objects, materials, and colors are thoughtfully curated until a thematic thread ties the individual pieces into a larger idea.
Themes in Maximalists space are often color reliant. The colors could be within the same family, or simply the same pigment, like the “Garden of Hell” living room above, designed by Billy Baldwin for Diana Vreeland’s New York City apartment.
With that idea of curation and various elements collaborating to convey a larger feeling, Maximalism allows you to modify a space by adjusting, rearranging, adding, and subtracting. In a future blog post, I’ll share some design tools on how to go about this curation process, but for now, here’s the bottom line: if a room is causing you stress, it might not be Maximalism; it might just be a mess!
A beautifully curated living room in writer Alexandra Tolstoy’s home. I have to point out, that, of course, there’s a sheep in the mix! (Source)
Myth #4: Maximalism is already on the way out!
During the pandemic, folks stuck in their homes turned to Maximalism to break up the work-from-home monotony and to spark a little life and fun into their surroundings. Only two years later, and already design forecasters are predicting Maximalism will be dethroned this year. (Spoiler alert: even in this “forecasting” article designers can’t agree: proclaiming we should “Bid Adieu To Minimalism” right after predicting “More isn’t More – Maximalism is Out”, so which is it? Minimalism or Maximalism?!)
You don’t need me to tell you the Internet is a fickle place, full of some people telling you a trend is on the way in, while the others say it's on the way out. If you look hard enough, you’ll find design enthusiasts who support whatever aesthetics you personally prefer.
“To each his own, thine self be true”
It’s an “anything goes” design culture it seems, which, I would argue, is the very essence of Maximalism (or at least the Maximalist spirit)!
Calling all aspiring Maximalists!
Perhaps your interest has been piqued and your curiosity primed to learn more about Maximalism; if so, you’re in luck! Coming in the next months from the Traveling Designer are more posts about how to incorporate Maximalism into your home as well as an in-depth look at how to curate your own objet d’art to best represent you.
Or, perhaps you’re feeling brave and want to jump feet-first into a new design! If so, I look forward to talking with you about how to maximize your home to showcase all things you!
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