Minimalism vs. Maximalism 

As we continue to spend more and more time at home, 2022 sees a huge increase in interest for Maximalism in interior design. The busy colours, patterns, prints, and fun accessories boasted by a maximalist interior style, provides us with the dynamic inspiration we have been craving. Does this mean we are out with the opposing minimalist interior trend in favour of this bold new outlook? Only time will tell.

What is maximalism?

Where we have become familiar with the clean, uncluttered and sometimes clinical style of minimalist design, we are yet to put our finger on a set of specific rules that organise what we consider to be maximalist design.

In general maximalism is an interior style that involves a business and boldness in pattern and colour choice. Paired with fun and often meaningful furniture and accessories, maximalist design plays with scale and layering within the interior space.

Although there is a multitude of ways to create a maximalist interior, here a few examples of stylistic choices that are considered regularly when choosing a maximalist style:

• Bold colours and patterns
• Combinations of patterns such as stripes and florals in the same space
• Pairing of unexpected colour palettes such as a pastel hue with a primary colour. Usually one choice of colour isn’t enough for maximalism.
• Layering of furniture, accessories, and textures
• Busy collection of accessories
• Exploring scale. Choosing a big statement piece of furniture plays with proportions.
• Colour blocking

Want to know how to create a maximalist interior in your home? Check out these inspiration pictures on our maximalism mood board.

We spoke to one of our interior designers at Three Rooms Design to find out more:

What do you think about the rise in the maximalism interior design trend?

Maximalism is a great way to inject personality and creativity into a space in a less than subtle way. It’s bold, fun, dynamic and can be designed to be quite bespoke and personal, there isn’t a specific set of rules or an overall look which allows you to be uniquely creative. It’s an exciting trend to have grown in traction that’s for certain!

If you could give three design tips when trying to create a maximalist space what would they be?

Patterns, colour, textures! Any way that you can add these three things to a space simultaneously is a shoe in when it comes to creating a maximalist style in your home space.

Wallpaper and bold upholstery is often a simple way to achieve this, alongside colour blocking and layering. Nothing is ‘too much’ when it comes to maximalism, if you want florals and zigzags in the same space, go for it!

I would say, try to tie in all the different bold choices by keeping a key colour running as a theme throughout each element. For example, if you have a pastel hue in your wallpaper, include it in the painted walls, the upholstered furniture or other soft furnishings. It can be subtle, but it keeps the interior space looking intentional, even when it can be busy in style.

Do you think this is the end for minimalist design?

I think this is a slight shift away from minimalism, but who is to say that minimalism won’t return to be at the height of popularity at some point in the future? I think we’re experimenting more with our interior design at home because we’re spending so much time there and there is a growing need to be inspired by our home space. Minimalism is a beautiful and clean design style that I think will remain a staple interior, but for now maximalism allows people to have fun with their homes, especially when we’re continuing to live and work from home.

If you are interested in finding out more about this new trend, or you want some advice on how to create a maximalist space in your home, contact our design team at Three Rooms Design for a consultation. We have a full list of our services on the design services page , we look forward to hearing from you!