Maximalist interior design embraces colour, pattern and personality to create layered, expressive spaces that feel curated rather than cluttered. By balancing bold choices with intentional design, you can build a home that tells your story and evolves over time.
Interior design is often about editing; tweaking furniture arrangements, making thoughtful adjustments to layouts and experimenting with décor until the home feels just so, curated yet lived in. Often, this is sold to us by the big-name designers and lifestyle gurus as a process of stripping things back, simplifying our homes, of deleting items. In maximalist interior design – whose motto is invariably ‘more is more’ – the opposite is true.
In fact, if Marie Kondo were to walk into a maximalist country home, every inch layered with art and textiles, as I did recently, she might tell the owner to keep all of it because it ‘sparks joy’. And I’d have to agree.
More and more, I’m seeing friends and family shake off the ‘greige’ minimalism that rose to meteoric popularity in the 2010s in favour of busier, narrative-filled interiors that mix and match references, colours, patterns and texture. The tide is turning.
But that doesn’t mean the editing goes out of the window – rather, the defining characteristic of maximalist interiors are their ability to appear intentional and curated despite the chaos. To better understand how, allow me to share a potted history of the interior style, explain its nuts and bolts, and impart a few tips to nail the look.
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If minimalism is all about sparse ornamentation, neutral colour palettes and minimising visual distractions, then maximalism is its arch nemesis.
Typified by an unmistakable ‘collected’ aesthetic, maximalist interiors revel in visual detail and unusual pairings. They’re also the ultimate expression of mixing and matching as the designer will blend inspirations, materials, textures, shapes, colour, pattern – you name it – to create an unlikely, albeit cohesive, scheme. Its beauty seeps through its ability to capture narrative and movement through rampant decoration, which seeks to tell rich stories about its inhabitants.
Done well, and the interior should be utterly immersive, inviting the eye to travel across the space, not aimlessly, but with purpose. Likewise, each piece of furniture ought to make a statement, without drowning each other out. The result? A space primed for cultivating conversation, questions bubbling under the surface.
It’s true, maximalism can be tricky to pin down; after all, what’s the difference between a carefully curated jewellery box of a room and one that is just oversaturated with clutter?
While, often, it can boil down to a ‘I know it when I see it’ sort of deal, to me, it lies in the intentionality behind the décor. Maximalism, although busy, isn’t messy or disorganised, nor is it chained to a specific look. (Yes, maximalist interiors can be abstract, clean, modern, eclectic, historical, farmhouse and more).
Even in an example like this playful Yorkshire kitchen, you can see that every piece incorporated is the result of a decision, and has a role to play in the broader design. That said, here are some common features of maximalist homes:
Many of the trappings of maximalist interior design are rooted in the opulent displays of wealth seen across 17th-18th century Europe. Taking a leaf from the books of Baroque, Gothic and Rococo, the style borrows the abundance of ornamentation from French palaces, grand stately homes and even from some of our oldest colleges (think: Greenwich’s Old Royal Naval Hall).
Indeed, as the industrial revolution made goods more accessible and affordable many Victorian homeowners could finally live out their fascination with collecting and celebrate fine craftsmanship. But it wasn’t until the early 70s that maximalism as we know it arrived on the scene.
Often attributed to former Vogue Editor Diana Vreeland’s New York apartment, which she fondly called a “garden in hell”, maximalism came as a welcome departure from cleaner, more elegant styles like mid-century modern, as people railed against the austerity of the post-war era. The aesthetic was later popularised in the UK by Claire Bingham’s unconventional design work and, fast forward to the 21st century, it’s back in the zeitgeist again.
In my mind, maximalism’s draw lies in its opposition to its minimal counterpart. In something of a pendulum swing, we always waver between the two.
After years of dominance, pared-back neutral interiors aren’t as compelling to the masses as they once were. Despite 2026’s Pantone Colour of the Year being a plain, ‘billowy’ white, more homeowners have grown fatigued of seeing blanched, sterile interiors on their social media feeds.
I’d even go so far as to say that we’re seeing a collective rebuttal of restrained, quiet interiors – people are looking for new, expressive ways to tell a story with their homes, and maximalism is the perfect vehicle to do so.
A professionally designed maximalist interior doesn’t just step into being from an overdecorated room, slung with trinkets and treasures; it requires real attention to detail. Here are just a few starting points to set you on the right path.
Every room starts with a foundation to keep things grounded, and maximalist interiors are no exception. So, start with a dominant base layer – a trio of prevalent colours or a couple of core materials will do. For example, this eclectic living room is full of contrasting textures, yet the warm, brassy tones draw out warmth and keep the space cohesive.
Yes, pattern clashing is a staple of maximalist interior design, but there’s method to the madness. Many like to follow the 3-2-1 approach; that is…
The idea, here, is that you’ll keep the clutter at bay and have the makings of a well-balanced overall scheme. Case and point: this West London home, unified by splashes of red and echoing stripes and anchored by the patterned sofa.
As well as echoing key elements, playing with scale does you a massive favour. It prevents the overriding one-note feeling from taking hold in the room and provides natural pathways along which the eye can move.
Here, you should aim to build tension and contrast, perhaps with a blend of mismatched seating, each at different levels, to create an organic, social vibe. Hang a painting behind this casual zone to anchor it in place, providing another space for your gaze to rest. This playful scheme from designer Michelle Fahmy does it perfectly.
The key to pulling off maximalist design is by conceptualising your decorative touches in layers rather than individual objects. This means tying your functional elements together through shared patterns, texture and colour family, which you can then offset with another design-coded grouping. I’m obsessed with how this warm yet subdued kitchen executes the layering; the geometric shapes crop throughout, but layered alongside terracotta tones and organic materials, everything harmonises wonderfully.
Lastly, think about ways you turn the functional into the artistic. For instance, this dopamine-drenched living space uses a dainty coffee table to store books, candles and trinkets; employs nesting side tables to regain the inches; and turns the firewood basket into a feature in of itself. The same principle applies to kitchens and bathrooms; any piece of Tupperware or storage box can be transformed to fit with your broader décor layers.
As with any interior style, there are certain aesthetic traps people fall into. Don’t let them hamper your maximalist design, by following these last words of wisdom. Remember: there’s a fine line between curated chaos and, well, just chaos.
Fortunately, these principles are easily learnt and quickly applied, but if in doubt, return to the drawing board and reshuffle some of the key features.
"Less is a bore", said architect Robert Venturi in the face of minimalism. Whether you agree is another question, but the fact remains: maximalist interior design is never boring. With momentum, quirky charm and plenty to feast your eyes on, these interiors are personality made manifest.
Now, if you’re ready to take the plunge, I’d recommend following a considered, personal approach. You don’t need to go at a snail’s pace, but don’t rush it either. Allow your interiors to gradually build up detail and decoration; see how things feel in certain positions and reshuffle them if something doesn’t feel quite right. Ultimately, you’re designing for you, not a mood board or some invisible audience.
Ready to start the search? Let me point you towards our collection of unique accessories and home décor pieces – your personal museum of curiosities awaits
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