If you're a fan of interior design, then you've no doubt heard of maximalist décor. This trend embodies a 'more is more' aesthetic and often features plenty of bold colours, mismatched patterns, and lots of texture to create a completely unique space.
What's great about maximalism is that it encourages you to be creative, embrace what you love, and build a space that brings you joy. Maximalist home décor makes use of key pieces that you already cherish, putting them on show throughout your home and elevating each one. And, as maximalism's only rule is that there are no rules, you can take your décor as far as you like, whether you're looking for quick and easy ways to refresh your living room or kitchen, or you're thinking of trying something entirely new.
In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about maximalist interior design, including our maximalist decorating ideas and tips to bring your vision to life. We'll cover:
o Experiment with colour
o Go bold with patterns
o Add interest with texture
o Mix and match your styles
o Curate your collections
o Create focal points
o Inject some greenery
what is maximalist décor?
While you might think maximalism is a fairly new trend, it can actually be traced back to Victorian times. The Victorians had a penchant for collecting unusual objects and would often display their possessions in curiosity cabinets or even have entire rooms dedicated to their eclectic collections. They saw the home as a means of showcasing individuality and interests — a mindset that still forms the basis of maximalism today.
Aesthetics such as maximalism have continuously re-entered the trend sphere over the centuries, and today's maximalist focus has emerged as a response to minimalism and pared-back Scandi design. After spending large periods of time at home over the past few years, we've started to see our homes as an extension of our personalities once again, leaning back into décor that brings joy and reflects our individuality. Branches of maximalism have also emerged from social media trends, including the popular 'cluttercore'.
how to incorporate maximalism in your home
Maximalism décor is all about embracing what you love and showcasing it in your home. Anything goes with this interior design style: there's no right or wrong way to incorporate maximalism into your home, which means anyone can get this look by following a few simple tips. Below you'll find our advice for achieving the maximalist aesthetic in your home.
experiment with colour
Colour is the cornerstone of the maximalist trend, so don't be afraid to experiment with your palette. Instead of choosing one or two complementary hues, the maximalist look is all about embracing colour in each and every room. Whether you choose to go for striking jewel tones or a softer pastel effect, choose as many colours as you like — if it makes you happy, include it!
No matter how many hues you incorporate in your space, the key to making the design look cohesive is by choosing colours that evoke the same kind of mood. This could be warm sunshine tones, cool blues, or bright, fun pastels. With your colour scheme in mind, you can start homing in on one specific hue and accenting it with your other tones. You can take a look at our guide to using accent colours to find out more about this.
If you'd like to dip your toe in the water before letting loose with the paintbrush, minimalist colours such as white, cream, and grey can help tone down the look. So, you might consider painting your walls in a more neutral tone, accessorising with bright and bold home décor pieces, such as accent pillows, artwork, tableware, vases, and more.
Our Elements collection is available in a range of pastel and natural tones that are perfect for mixing and matching. Combine Shell Peach with the deep tones of Fossil Grey, or mix and match lighter hues such as Fern Green, Blue, and Sorbet Pink.
However, if you're ready to dive in deep right away, you can paint your kitchen cabinets a bold hue or, instead of painting an accent wall, paint every wall in your accent colour.
go bold with patterns
Alongside colour, pattern clashing is key for the maximalist trend. Combine a bold floral wallpaper with printed cushions and patterned curtains or blinds to achieve the full maximalist aesthetic in any room. In the kitchen or bathroom, opt for a different bold patterned tile for the walls and floors, pulling the two together with a coordinating wallpaper or paint colour, or some painted cabinetry. Committed fans of maximalist décor may wish to leave no surface unadorned and might also wallpaper or paint their ceiling to tie the whole look together.
When it comes to combining patterns, scale and balance can stop the room looking overwhelming. Minute, very detailed prints work best for accents, while larger patterns fare better across bigger areas such as walls and curtains.
Our Modern Deco collection includes a mixture of bold blue, white, and gold finishes, including beautiful star and Art Deco-inspired patterns as well as textured pieces that can be mixed and matched. Similarly, our Impression collection features a combination of hourglass, diamond, spiral, and hexagonal textures that can be combined in any way you like.
To add a finishing touch to your space, our mineral blue and mineral blush prestige vases are decorated with a reactive glaze which creates a captivating gradient effect that complements pale colour palettes as well as bold interiors.
add interest with texture
When decorating with maximalist interior design, try to focus on layering. Incorporating plenty of texture can add extra dimension to your space, whether that's by adding key home décor pieces, layering patterned bedding with knitted blankets, or laying a textured rug on top of a printed one. Stacking texture in this way can make the space feel cosy and inviting, and everywhere you look will be a treat for the eyes.
Combining contrasting textures will help bring out the very best in each. For example, combining traditional wooden furniture with sleek ceramic pieces and glass vases creates balance and interest. Some of our popular collections such as Porcelain, Natural Canvas, Studio Blue, and Kiln all feature textured detailing that adds an extra tactile element to your space.
mix and match your styles
Mixing and matching is a mainstay of maximalist interior design. Whether you choose to layer patterns or furniture of varying silhouettes, don't be afraid to choose pieces in different styles or from different periods. A traditional Chesterfield accent chair can be incredibly effective when re-upholstered with a bold, modern fabric. Similarly, the art deco style of our Arc Grey and Arc White collections combines beautifully with the delicate florals of Constance for a layered, multifaceted look that suits any occasion.
All Denby ceramics are designed to be timeless, with a range of bold or neutral colour palettes and versatile shapes that are perfect for mixing. You can shop by collection and by colour, so you can choose which pieces you like best.
The key to mixing and matching furniture is to find one overarching commonality, whether this is the material used, the colour palette of each piece, or a certain shape. Furniture from different periods harmonises extremely well when everything is of the same tone of wood or features a similar silhouette. For example, consider a set of barrel chairs matched with a modern, Scandi-style side table.
curate your collections
Maximalist décor is all about showcasing your personality in your surroundings, which makes this style perfect for showing off your most prized possessions and favourite homeware collections — especially in your living room and kitchen. Open shelving can be a great place to display everything you want on show, but don't forget about those often-overlooked areas such as the front of your fridge, where you can show off postcards, family photos, and artwork that you love.
There's no such thing as clutter when it comes to this interior style if it's designed well. Whether it's your favourite dinnerware set, glassware, ornaments, or a collection of books, grouping items into three or five will draw the eye and make the whole display look more cohesive and put together. You can take a look at our guide to styling kitchen shelves for even more tips on arranging your shelves beautifully.
The same also goes for artwork: gallery walls are a staple of the maximalist aesthetic and are perfect for displaying pieces that you love and that speak to you. Start with the biggest piece first then build your gallery wall out from there. There's no need to choose matching frames either. In fact, mismatched frames of different colours, textures, and styles can all add to the maximalist look.
create focal points
To stop your room looking too cluttered, you might want to choose a few elements to become the focal points of your space, decorating around them with accents and more pared back pieces. You can choose many focal points — maximalism is about excess after all. For instance, you might make a bold piece of furniture your focal point, such as a colourful sofa, sideboard, or an over-the-top light fixture, which you can then take inspiration from for the rest of your maximalist décor.
Maximalist interior design can take some trial and error to get the space looking exactly how you want it. If a space looks too overwhelming or cluttered, you can always spread some pieces around your home, using more minimalist décor to break things up a bit.
inject some greenery
Houseplants can add some extra life to your space and are perfect for filling in any empty areas, without drawing attention away from the other focal points in your room. Decorating with houseplants is also another opportunity to experiment with height and texture. Adding a mixture of tall plants, hanging plants, and small succulents can add some variety to the space.
Ferns, spider plants, snake plants, and philodendrons are all popular varieties with attractive leaf shapes and variegation that can add some extra interest to the overall look of your interiors. These plants also have the added benefit of being low maintenance, so even the less green fingered maximalists can enjoy the full effect.
In the kitchen, make the most of fresh herbs to decorate your windowsills or an open shelf. You can take a look at our guide on the best herbs to grow for tips and inspiration for your indoor herb garden.
The tips in this guide should help you embrace your creativity and build a maximalist space that brings you joy. For even more interior design tips, take a look at our styling and inspiration section and our other guides and how tos for even more ideas for styling your handcrafted Denby stoneware and homeware.
We stock a wide selection of expertly designed dinnerware, serveware, kitchenware, and home décor that isn't just practical, but also beautiful. Our variety of iconic glazes means you can curate an edit that suits your style best, so shop the range today.