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The Takeover of Maximalism

I am literally jumping with joy to see the rise of Maximalism in interiors in New Zealand. The dominance of the simple Scandi interiors, with their white walls and beige boringness can take a back seat while fun and colour take the lead!

So, in a nutshell, how does one define maximalism?
Google describes it as a “slight disturbance” (Love that!) in Interior Design. “It makes four ordinary walls gush with the personality of its owners.” Couldn’t have said that better myself!

Maximalism means ‘more of everything’. More of your favourite colours, more of your favourite fabrics and more of your favourite accessories.

Now, to make it a little more confusing, there are also sub-clusters within the maximalist genre; Dark Maximalist, Modern Maximalist and Boho Maximalist to name a few. But I’ll delve more indepth into these over the coming few blogs.

So how does one start designing a maximalist interior? Start with a colour you love. Don’t overthink it. There’s no right or wrong colours in Maximalism, as long as there’s colour, it works. Don’t be shy with it. If you love a particular colour paint on all four walls, don’t play it safe with a feature wall, that’s not how maximalism works. Then use that colour as the base for patterns in the room. Choose patterned cushions, or rugs, or throws that have some of that wall colour in it.

This will give you an awesome starting point for the room. Then, rather than your previous thinking of “lets tone it down a little …”, think “what other colours could work with this?”. Start pulling out the other colours from the patterns … adding in pops of loads of different colours into the room. It’s all about being eclectic and fun and not taking yourself too seriously. 

If you love the wall colours of these three Maximalist examples, like I do, then take a look at these Resene colours; Ruck N Maul, Coral Candy and Avalanche.

All images sourced from Pinterest

Stylists tip: To keep your decor from looking too random, find a few common colours or patterns to repeat throughout the room.

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