Maximalist decor is the new darling of the interior design world. After years of minimalism encouraging us to practice restraint in decorating, experts and homeowners are now embracing lively walls, bustling tabletops, and a smorgasbord of patterns. The results are fun, vibrant interiors that look very real and with plenty of stories to tell.

If you love seeing maximalist homes but are unsure how you could pull it off without looking messy, we got you! Here are doable tips to start decorating in maximalist style. Try a few -- or all -- of these!

 

1. Decorate one feature at a time.

This is an easy way to dip your toes in maximalism. Choose one spot in your home that you can enliven with prints and ornaments. It can be a wall in your entryway, a corner in your living room, or your entire fireplace area. You can fill this spot with a vivacious wallpaper, a group of art prints, various plants, and more.

If you're still worried, try breaking up your patterns by surrounding them with plain or solid colors, like in the dining nook above by House of Chais.

 

2. Display your beloved items.

 

What better way to fill your space than with your favorite things? Whether you've collected travel souvenirs or have a cookware set you find so pretty, let them shine on display shelves! For best results, group them in a way that mixes up their heights and colors, then add other items that aren't part of the set. Maybe a wall art or two, or some potted plants.

Wall art pictured above: "Y'all Come Eat" Premium Canvas and Personalized "Kitchen - Seasoned With Love" Premium Canvas

 

3. Fill the space with light.

To avoid your maximalist room looking cramped and heavy, give it as much light as you can. Natural light is best, so open up those windows! If windows are scant in the room, don't worry -- you can simply place strategic lighting to illuminate dark corners and highlight your best visual assets.

 

4. Use adjacent colors.

 

Maximalist rooms love multiple colors! However, mixing and matching colors can be daunting. Play it safe at first by incorporating several shades that are close to each other, like green and blue, or pink and peach. Use these as your dominant colors, then gradually add elements with a contrasting hue. Keep going and adjusting until you're happy with how colorful your room is!

Blanket pictured above: Personalized "Family Name" Premium Fleece Teal Blanket

 

5. Pick prints of different sizes.

 

A key feature of maximalist rooms is the piling of various patterns. But how do you make it look cohesive? The trick, according to experts, is scale -- as in the different sizes and intensity of the patterns. For example, you can nestle a smaller pattern against a big one, like maybe choosing a dainty floral wallpaper when your rug has a bold botanical design. Or, if you have a couch with subtle stripes, you can complement it with more vividly printed throw pillows.

See more helpful tips on mixing patterns -- read our blog post here!

Pillows pictured above: Celtic Knots Design Irish Pillow

 

6. Diversify your gallery wall. 

 

If you're a decor enthusiast like us, you probably already have a gallery wall of family photos and wall quotes. Now's the best time to maximize it! Go beyond pictures -- incorporate various frame styles and sizes, and add dimensional objects like floating shelves, hanging plants, sconces, and more.

We love the gallery above by our customer John O. He's filled a built-in shelf with photos plus an eye-catching floral arrangement, then topped it off with our custom-printed Home sign.

Wall art pictured above: Personalized Family Name "Home" Premium Panoramic Canvas

 

7. Bring in plants.

Indoor plants are an amazing way to jazz up a room because they're a graceful visual element, meaning they won't look terrible no matter how many you have! If you can, go for big, luscious indoor trees like palms, banana plants, and fiddle leaf figs. But if large plants aren't an option, just bring in greeneries of varied heights and shapes. Group them together at several spots in your home for maximum effect.

 

When it comes to maximalist decorating, there's hardly any limit, so don't be afraid to play around with your decor. We hope these tips help you get started. If you're getting into it, we have more tips and examples on interior maximalism -- read our blog post here!

And if you're ready to shop for new decor items, browse GearDen.com! We have customizable wall art, blankets, and throw pillows that customers love.