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Design a Maximalist Home with These 15 Decorating Tips

Maximalism as a growing home design trend is a way for people to personalize their homes with an emphasis on the things they love. In contrast to minimalism, maximalist interior design takes a “more is more” approach. Check out these 15 maximalist ideas perfect for decorating your home.

Plan with Intention

Planning out your maximalist interior design choices before you start decorating your space will help your home design stay intentional and cohesive. Try weaving a common thread through your home decor with themes, color palettes, and more. Being patient in collecting pieces and building your personal style is key—you’ll want to show off your prized possessions in a coordinated fashion so your choices don’t feel arbitrary. Remember to keep the purpose of each area in mind and create functional spaces by keeping your work surfaces clear.

Make the Most of Small Spaces

Maximalism isn’t limited to big spaces—living in a smaller apartment or house shouldn’t deter you from achieving your eclectic maximalist interior design goals! While using neutral colors in small spaces does make them feel more open, implementing the bright colors and patterns of maximalism doesn’t have to feel cramped. The key is balancing elements so they don’t feel cluttered. For instance, practical elements like a small bathroom rug, clothing rack, or even a shower curtain could easily change the way things look without overwhelming the space!

Design Around Your Statement Pieces

Having one or two statement pieces in the room is a great maximalist home decor technique that helps you fill your space without making it look cluttered. Statement pieces are used as the focal point of your design and could take many forms—like vintage furniture, a unique light fixture, or stunning work of art. You can then build the rest of the room’s design around those statement pieces with complementary furnishings, as well as smaller items like trinkets, books, or souvenirs.

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Choose Bold Colors

One of the crucial elements in maximalist decor is combining generous doses of color. Create a mood-boosting color palette and use it to add color throughout your home—whether that’s in individual decor items or painting your walls, trim, ceilings, furniture, doors, and more! Dark, contrasting colors are ideal for a moody maximalist vibe, while bright, pastel colors create a more cheerful look. You can also use the same color in different shades for a sophisticated feel. Or try bold jewel-tone colors—like sapphire, garnet, emerald, and marigold—to make furniture and decor pieces pop while adding drama to your room.

Add Interest with Wallpaper

Hanging eclectic wallpaper is a great maximalist decor idea. Opt for fun prints like bohemian-themed wallpaper, bold floral wallpaper, organic patterns, animal prints, and more! Use wallpaper to create an accent wall or to add interest to the ceiling—or show your favorite artists some love by making your own poster wall. If you’re someone who likes to switch things up periodically or if you don’t own your home, choose renter-friendly peel-and-stick wallpaper that’s easy to remove.

Mix & Match Patterns

Up your maximalist decor game by mixing patterns and images. Play around with motifs like animal prints, geometric shapes, and florals to add dimension to your room. Be mindful of pattern size to keep things balanced—pair large-scale patterns with smaller-scale patterns so they complement each other, rather than compete with each other. You can also intersperse solid colors for more contrast. For instance, you might mix a chintz print and a deep colored fabric on double curtains, or layer a floral table runner on top of a plain table cloth.

Incorporate Different Textures & Materials

Layering different textures is another great element to include in your maximalist design for variety and comfort. Experiment with mixing hard materials like wood, stone, and metal with soft materials like linen, velvet, silk, and more to enhance specific themes in your room. For example, pairing velvet and silk creates a luxurious vibe, while cotton and wood offer a natural or cottage feel. Try layering a fluffy, linen rug against a rope rug on a wooden herringbone floor, or a weave-patterned blanket on a plush sofa.

Upcycle Vintage Furniture

For an affordable maximalist idea, browse your local thrift shop for used or vintage furniture and upcycle it as vintage maximalist decor! Mixing modern and vintage furniture can change the entire look of your room. You can also redo older furniture in a modern style for an eclectic feel. Upholster an old couch in a bright neon mink fabric or geometric print. Paint an old console or TV cabinet in a fluorescent aqua or pastel salmon shade. Alternatively, if you’re going for a maximalist cottagecore vibe, style your vintage furniture with muted or pastel colors.

Remember that Comfort Is Key

Maximalist home decor can be functional and aesthetic at the same time. Fill your couch, bed, and sitting areas with pillows and cushions, comfy blankets, and throws to make them feel homey—the more, the merrier! Experiment with a combination of differently-shaped, textured, and colored pillows for a fun and cozy interior design. Or add a faux fur or shag rug in your maximalist bedroom or hallway to enhance a soft look.

Display Your Beloved Possessions

Showing off your personality and passions is a big part of maximalism. The easiest way to do that is by displaying your hobbies, favorite collections, and pieces you’ve obtained throughout your life—such as mementos, travel souvenirs, and other knick-knacks! Arrange your mug or teacup collection on a floating shelf, create a music corner to display your record collection, or hang your embroidery projects.

Create a Gallery Wall

Grouping decor pieces in multiples is a key design tip in maximalism—displaying like items together will help ensure your collections look cohesive and organized. Arrange your favorite art pieces, mirrors, paintings, and photos to create a maximalist gallery wall. Play around with artworks of different sizes and formats—like mixing illustrations and acrylic paintings. Or create a Victorian theme by hanging empty, ornate picture frames.

Build a Home Library

Creating a home library is a great way to put your books on display! For a maximalist library, paint your bookshelf a bold color or cover it with wallpaper to create a statement piece. Sort them by color, height, genre, and more—and feature books with beautiful covers where they can always be seen. Fill any remaining empty spaces with your favorite collectibles, art, and decor items. And for a budget-friendly maximalist home library, save money by building your own floor-to-ceiling bookshelf.

Install Ornamental Light Fixtures

If you’re looking for a statement piece to complete your maximalist living room, choose a funky light fixture! This simple decor idea draws the eyes upward, creating an illusion of a larger space. Pick a chandelier for a lux look, a floor-to-ceiling wall-mounted light fixture to add some drama, or novelty lights in fun shapes. Additionally, experiment with layered lighting and adjust the brightness of task, ambient, and accent lights in your space to create a comfortable environment and highlight your favorite items.

Have Fun with Tiles

Experiment with all kinds of floor and wall tiling to create a Bohemian maximalist decor look! Go bold and mix materials like marble, ceramic, and wood—or lay tiles in different patterns like subway, herringbone, and basket weave. Install floral-patterned or geometric-shaped cement tiles as your kitchen backsplash, opt for mosaic tiles in the bathroom, or mix different flooring materials like marble and wood together.

Add Houseplants

Liven up a dark maximalist living room, bedroom, and more by adding plants. Hang plants from the ceiling, use plant stands, mount plants on wood or bark, or make a plant wall—the options are endless! Select houseplants like areca palms, Boston ferns, or pothos variegates to add life to your space and improve your home’s air quality. Or create a themed urban jungle interior by adding large, flowery plants like a goldfish plant, peace lily, or birds of paradise.

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