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Is 2022 the Year of Maximalist Interiors

When it comes to interiors, minimalism has had its moment. In 2022, it’s going to be all about the maximalists. To understand maximalism is easy – more is more. Maximalist interiors have burst onto the scene in recent months, but how do you evoke this interior style without it looking like a yard sale? The key is striking the right balance between textures, colors, and prints, and making these elements feel personal rather than forced. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do just that. 

What is Maximalism?

Maximalism doesn’t have a strict definition, but it focuses on three core elements: pattern, color, and texture. There aren’t any rules, since this decor style centers around self-expression and adding joy and fun to interiors. Consider richly colored, patterned wallpaper across every wall, plush carpets or intricately designed floor tiles, and boldly painted furniture. With maximalism, you’re free to choose the pieces that really put a smile on your clients’ faces, rather than paring them down.  However, interiors expert Frieda Gormley, of the maximalist-focused brand House of Hackney, would argue against the notion that it’s merely about packing homes with lots of items. Instead, she believes that the adage of pioneering textile designer, William Morris, should be your focus: “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. This is to say, choosing items that add joy and richness to a home should be the goal.  Maximalist homes are filled with little treasures, curios, and mementos, coupled with lots of vibrant colors and patterns. Think pairing floral wallpapers with animal print cushions or vintage furniture with abstract art. It’s all about layering pieces and textures for a room that tells a story.

Choose a Focus

While this design trend is all about creating depth with different layers, your eye needs something to focus on amongst the grandeur of a room. Something needs to take control so that everything else works around it, or the room can quickly just look messy and cluttered. Pick one or two statement pieces or areas of the room as your centerpieces, such as a packed bookcase filled with colorful book spines, a wall of plants or a gallery wall studded with art pieces. From there, you can build around it with soft furnishings and furniture that serves as a complement to your main focus.

Don’t Neglect the Fifth Wall

The ‘fifth wall’, aka the ceiling, is an area that you can make the most of, but that often gets neglected in the standard home. In a maximalist space, it’s a valuable canvas to add style and oomph. You can paint it to add depth to the space, or perhaps you want to extend the patterned wallpaper from the walls to the ceiling as well to coordinate all surfaces. If the wallpaper runs in a single direction and won’t work on the ceiling, an alternative option is to use a coordinating paper to add another pattern and texture to your room.

Don’t Fear Repetition

Repetition doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it can be a great trick to keep in mind when it comes to patterns in a room. From wallpaper to artwork and illustrations, repeating different features can create a look that is fun and vibrant, but not cluttered. Perhaps you have icons or geometric shapes that feature in your carpet or flooring tiles that can then be repeated on your walls, on cushions or curtains and throws.

Curate Your Colors

Color lovers will revel in the opportunity to play with different combinations when styling a maximalist space. However, while the temptation might be there to fill the space with a rainbow of different hues, pare it back. You don’t need to incorporate every color for it to work, as it can look too chaotic. Pick two or three colors that coordinate with one another and keep them all at the same saturation point. From there, you can add pops of other colors with your accessories. Delving into color theory can help you to find colors that work well, whether you choose complementary shades, a monochromatic palette or triadic color schemes.

Include Lots of Texture

Texture plays a big part in maximalism and it’s a great opportunity to play with different materials in a space. Texture can even become the focus in itself, creating a massive statement on its own. One of the focuses of maximalism is creating a stimulating environment that impacts all the senses, and texture is a crucial element of that. Try pairing leather chairs with soft throws, wooden or metal tables over plush rugs, or maybe adding decorative glass pieces and sculptural ceramic items to thick wooden shelves. The key is to mix different materials for textural highlights that add interest to the room and make it more inviting.

Patterned floor tiles are the perfect way to add a maximalist touch to any room. Image: Harvey Maria

In Summary

Maximalism is all about creating a story of interest and visual appeal through different layers, textures, focal points, and colors. There’s the opportunity to add your clients’ own trinkets and curiosities and showcase the memories they’ve amassed over their lifetimes. But maximalism isn’t just about putting all of their belongings on display. To really do this design style justice, each room needs to be considered and curated for the best results.

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Launching Atelier Interior Website on the Internet

We proudly announce the launching of Atelier Interior website. You can now navigate through the categories of our wide collection of projects and know about the smallest of their details. For more information please visit our Project section.
Also through the website, we keep you up-to-date with the latest and upcoming news and events.

In case you have any kind of inquiry or notes about the website, please don’t hesitate to contact us through the following email address: info@atelier-interior.com

Modern Interior Design Guide: What Is Modern Design?

Modern design is a style of interior design that emerged in the early twentieth century and continues to inspire contemporary interior designers.

Modern design is an interior design style characterized by a monochromatic color palette, clean lines, minimalism, natural materials, and natural light. It refers specifically to a historical aesthetic movement that took place during the early to mid-twentieth century. Though it is often confused—or used interchangeably—with the term “contemporary design,” modern design is its own distinct style.

A Brief History of Modern Design

Modern design is rooted in modernism, the turn-of-the-century movement characterized by an emphasis on abstract thinking, functionality, and stark, simple forms.

1. German and Scandinavian roots: You can trace the origins of modern design to German Bauhaus design and Scandinavian design. Also known as Staatliches Bauhaus, Bauhaus was a German school of design and subsequent art movement in the early twentieth century that married fine art and functionality in the visual arts, decorative arts, and architecture. The modern design aesthetics of the Bauhaus school include minimalistic functionality and experiments with shape.

2. Modern art influence: Modern home design grew out of the modern art movement, which rejected the maximalist tendencies of Victorian design in favor of a form-follows-function philosophy. New technologies, industrialization, and access to building materials like steel and concrete also informed modern art and architecture from the 1920s to the early 1950s. Clean lines, floor-to-ceiling windows, open living spaces, and flat roofs became the dominant style of this era.

3. Lasting legacy: By the end of World War II, young architects had begun to criticize the stark nature of minimalism. By the 1960s, minimalist sensibilities began to give way to a rebirth of ornamentation and postmodernism. Still, modernism’s legacy continues to live on in iconic buildings and as an inspiration for contemporary architecture.

5 Defining Elements of Modern Design

If you’re looking to incorporate a modern look into your home, consider the following modern design ideas.

1. Clean lines: Modern homes are constructed with clean, straight lines and minimal ornamentation.

2. Minimal home decor: Modern spaces are free from clutter and unnecessary flourishes. Modern decor prioritizes functionality over fashion.

3. Neutral colors: Modern style steers clear of bright colors in favor of a monochromatic, neutral color palette. Think white, beige, gray, black, and pastel tones.

4. Open floor plan: Use furniture instead of walls to differentiate between the spaces of an open plan home. For example, a kitchen island can separate a kitchen from the dining room, and a sectional sofa can bring definition to an open living room.

5. Low and long furniture: Long furniture pieces situated low to the ground can give your home a modern look if they’re also made from natural materials like unpainted wood or metal. Leather and fabric upholstery, wood veneers (such as those used to create the classically mid-century modern Eames chair), glass, chrome, steel, and concrete are also popular finishes for modern furniture.

Modern vs. Contemporary Interior Design: What’s the Difference?

Modern design refers to the aesthetic style of a specific historical moment, whereas contemporary design refers to the ever-evolving styles of the current moment. Contemporary style does not encapsulate a specific philosophy of design but is instead a blanket term given to describe the interior design trends of today, which are not necessarily rooted in any particular design style.

Ready to Give Your Space a Chic Update?

Master everything from color theory to pattern mixing with the MasterClass Annual Membership and exclusive lessons from award-winning interior designers like Kelly Wearstler and Corey Damen Jenkins. From shopping for statement furniture to designing a lighting scheme to choosing the newest member of your plant family, the skills you’ll pick up are sure to make your house, apartment, or condo feel even more like home.

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