Are you a Minimalist or Maximalist?

Maximalist design is trending, but what are you to do if you feel like your style is more minimalist. These days it’s all about personal style and you don’t have to keep up with trends that cease to pique your interest. We should embrace the styles, designs and colour trends that speak to our soul and gets us feeling inspired!
In this blog we’ll outline what it means to be a minimalist and maximalist to help you determine your own personal interior design style.
Minimalism
Minimalist design is characterised by simplicity. This includes clean lines, empty spaces, plain neutrals colour palettes and little to no pattern. This design thrives on utilitarian design; a concept that lends itself to the idea of form follows function. In other words, the interior of a home is designed to facilitate daily activities through efficient design and cost-effective construction. All furniture has a purpose, all accessories have a purpose.
Minimalism is all about reducing visual noise and keeping spaces light and airy by maximising on natural light and only displaying useful, practical items such as furniture and lighting fixtures. This design approach focusses on comfort more so than details as it is characterised by pale colour schemes and organic finishes. Minimalist décor embraces storage solutions so that everything can be organised and stored away out of sight.
There’s an overall elegant aesthetic and feel to minimalist interiors as features blend seamlessly into the room’s structural layout. The typical style of door furniture in these interiors includes the one piece designer door handles as they offer an ultra-modern aesthetic to minimalist interiors. This is due to the clean cut, straight lines of symmetry and the solid, one piece appearance. Alternatively, the designer twist door handles features a gently coiled rectangular lever on square rose, perfect for adding an element of sophistication and body to interiors. Both styles are presented in a modern and stylish duo chrome finish and appear elegant with the matching escutcheons and turns.
Maximalism
Maximalist design is the opposite of everything that characterises minimalism. It embraces eclecticism with a mix of colours, patterns and textures. It isn’t about clutter and excessive pattern (although there is a fine line) but more so about visual noise as rooms tend to appear much busier with variety.
A maximalist interior has a theme and sense of unity that creates a pleasing, welcoming space that envelopes you in happiness and content. This design approach is the ‘go to’ for outgoing creatives as it embraces bold colours, pattern and plenty of detail. Maximalism is all about comfort, convenience and practicality as the eyes wonder with visual interest to all areas of the room.
A key aspect to maximalist design is the decorative features and furnishings, which don’t necessarily have to match but work together to appear thoughtfully curated. It’s about filling your room with memories and things that make your heart feel warm, such as travel souvenirs and keepsakes.
Think You May Be Both?
Your interior style can incorporate elements of both minimalism and maximalism as most people do tend to fall somewhere in between. With busy work lives, children and pets, it’s difficult to stay concerned about maintaining a certain look. It’s a lot easier to live mindfully and surrender control of your home from time to time; it’s all a part of ordinary home life.
Embrace aspects from both design approaches and blend them to suit your personal style. Add finishing touches where you like and nestle in the comfort of your ambient living space.
FACT: Maximalist minimalism doesn’t have to be modern; it can be traditional with qualities of period style or it can be a blend of modern and traditional! Now that’s daring.
We hope to inspire your home improvement projects and offer a variety of high-quality products that excel in both aesthetic and performance. If you love all things interiors and style, check out our previous blogs and be sure to visit our Pinterest for more inspiration!