Maximalism, some of you may have heard of it and others living it. Still, some of you may have yet to discover the fulfilling experience a maxi lifestyle offers. But before we jump into what maximalism is, we must first touch on the last significant maximalist period.
Maximalism first became prevalent in the Victorian era, where every new little invention or the latest exotic fruit was put out on display to show the world. Opulent furniture was covered in the most beautiful, lush fabrics, which were also hung over every wall, floor, or window they could cover. New and unusual plants were incorporated into every room of the home and conservatory, showing the world they had culture and wealth. Maximalism was at its peak.
If your taste is to have chosen things around you to feed your soul, then maximalism is more your style. Having your art, souvenirs, and curiosities in every nook and cranny of your home is a maximalist style.
Maximalism, while opposite to a minimalistic style, is not necessarily about clutter or excess. Instead, maximalism is all about exerting your own bold and unconventional style. Maximalism is achieved by using rich colour, plush diverse fabrics, eclectic personal design, layer upon layer of art, collectables, wallpapers and furnishings to scream your personal taste.
Usually, the maximalist home has been amassed over several years. Personal pieces are picked up in quant places and lovingly placed in small vacant spots in the home to add interest, variety and the wow factor.
Maximalism is not a fad. It’s a lifestyle.
While minimalism is about making things neat, tidy, and sparse, maximalism goes against the current trend by embracing abundance and organised clutter. Maxi interiors can be dark, moody, and bohemian with some glamour and comfort thrown in or hippy and green with cane and pillows thrown everywhere.
Why now is it popular?
With the entire world gripped by Covid-19, people have been quarantined in their homes to look at four white walls. With no travel or cultural nourishment, minimalism has shown that a sparse interior is only for some and not everyone.
They want their homes to be more nurturing, layered, and textured, full of objects they have collected and loved over time.
Maximalism can also be the environmental way as we move towards the future by embracing upcycled, revamped, and vintage furnishings, fabrics, and artworks.
Hunting down antique pieces of furniture or beautiful art in any style you wish can be amazing fun. Decorative art pieces from any era over the last two hundred years and beyond can be placed right next to each other on the buffet.
The incredible thing about maximalism is you are not constrained by any era or time. All things can be mixed and matched.
What better way to save the environment than to have a soulful home filled to the brim with nothing new (or very little), new items tend to last a fraction of the time as some of these older pieces and end up in a landfill.
Maximalism is not for a throwaway society but for a society that collects exquisite objects and furnishings that can be purposively arranged in the home and treasured forever.
In the words of the legendary maximalist Iris Apfel, “More is more, less is a bore.”
On a final note about maximalism, maximalism is about creating a home you enjoy being in and coming home to. It feels homely, warm, and custom to your own personal taste. So you don’t need a house filled to the brim, you need a home filled with you and your taste (and your family).
More Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximalism