When I think maximalism, I think the Versailles War Room.
Maximalism has been all over the shelter magazines and newsletters lately. But it was a question on Reddit (don’t sneer; there are some fabulous design subreddits) that inspired this post: What’s the difference between maximalism and a big, cluttered mess?
The short answer: It’s up to you.
I had a client who abhorred soft furnishings. No rugs (and he lived in Quebec, mind you, where the floors get chilblain-inducing cold in winter), no throw pillows on sofas or chairs. He wasn’t particularly keen on extraneous decor either, and for him that included pulls on kitchen cabinets or case goods. He’d have considered more than one large abstract painting on a wall and anything other than a few art books and an ashtray on his cocktail table as maximalism. He was a lovely, lovely man, but his home was one of my more difficult projects.
This maximalist room by Michelle Nussbaumer would not have pleased my Quebec client.
Maximalism seems to be commonly defined as going all in on colour and pattern and, well, things, layering on more and some more again. I’d change that definition to going all in on what you love, whether that’s colour or books or Navaho rugs or vintage lunchboxes or all of the above, until you reach a point where you don’t love the room; then you remove items one at a time until you’re in love again.
The difference between maximalism and clutter rests in this quote from Coco Chanel, who was a horrible human being but wise in the ways of design: “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” If a room seems to be tipping over from maximalism into overload, remove one thing and see if that makes you happier.
Would I remove anything from this room in Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s home? Maybe the red carpet, simply because carpet reminds me of the council house I grew up in, but otherwise no.
All that said, if you’re intrigued by maximalism but fear having your home look more unkempt than chic, these guidelines might help:
• Group like with like. Your collection of three dozen perfume bottles will make a much more thoughtful statement if you show them off together in an étagère or atop a sideboard rather than scatter them hither and yon throughout a space. Or you could arrange one dozen hither and two dozen yon. But scattering them solo throughout a room looks disorganised.
• Layer rather than line up. Let’s return to those perfume bottles. Lining them up atop a buffet like toy soldiers is much too rigid an approach for maximalism. Yes, there is a certain discipline to creating an inviting maximalist room, just as there is to the finest abstract art. But the discipline should be hidden. So instead of taking inspiration from toy soldiers, think of Barbie dolls at a cocktail party. Arrange your perfume bottles (or vases, or what have you) in groupings of varying heights, styles, etc.
• Keep with the variety theme. We spoke of varying heights and such like with your displays, and that goes with all the other elements in your maximalist room (and in most other spaces too, for that matter) too. When layering patterns, for instance, place pillows with small-scale florals atop seating with a large-scale plaid. Complement sleek, shiny surfaces with clay pottery or sheepskin rugs. If going for a free-flow gallery wall, include artworks of myriad dimensions.
In this bedroom, Harry Heissmann kept the palette tight but varied the scale of the patterns hugely: the large-scale prints on the screen and ceiling, the midscale patterns on walls, the small-scale animal-print rug. The pops of blue in the pillow, the lamps, and even the tabletop photo add more variety. Photo by Peter Rymwid.
• Consider commonalities. This might seem at odds with the “variety is the spice of life” tip above, but it’s not, really. In the Harry Heissman room above, the commonality is the black-and-white combo; in the Martyn Lawrence Bullard room, red is the common theme. Even the Michelle Nussbaumer room has a common thread of red, albeit more subtle. Seeking commonalities is also why you should group like with like. The key to maximalism is balancing all this.
• Draw the eye upward. People often neglect the top quarter of a room. To prevent your maximalist room from feeling bottom-heavy, be sure the visual interest runs up to the ceiling. You could even include the ceiling in your maximalist theme with patterned wallpaper. (Or mirrors, if that’s your thing. A neighbour on our estate had several mirrors on the ceiling of her bedroom; they were visible when she neglected to close her curtains, which was often during the day but fortunately rare at night.)
I love how stylist Glen Handley extended the gallery wall all the way to the top. And the variety of the artworks in both theme and size: wonderful. (I’m also in love with that side table.)
• Give the eye somewhere to rest. Perhaps it’s a small-scale wallpaper that reads like a solid amid a room’s myriad louder patterns. Maybe it’s an unadorned window. Perhaps it’s one large landscape painting centering a wall. This sort of visual resting spot is what leads prevents a maximalist space from feeling overwhelming.
One more thing: A maximalist room is no excuse for mess, contrary to what a certain teenager I know would like to have his parents think. (But nice try, C.)