maximalist decor

EXPERT THOUGHTS ON BOLD STYLE AND INTERIORS THAT TELL A STORY

‘The key to daring interiors is that there really are no rules – they celebrate a freedom of self expression and the joy of an interior filled with colour, pattern, and life,’ says Frieda Gormley, co-founder of the design studio House of Hackney. She is known for running wild with pattern and print across the walls, floor and textiles of the spaces she creates, and is widely credited for kick-starting the modern maximalist mood with her iconic Palmeral wallpaper, designed in 2012.

The thing about daring spaces is that they don’t hold back. They’re filled to the brim with precious bits and bobs. Textbook examples criss-cross different eras and are full of bold colour and updated chintz. Juxtaposing anything from French-patterned wallpaper and animal prints to vintage furniture and art, expect layers of decor and personal objects that feel collected over time.

‘A lot of people see this approach as clutter,’ says the illustrious designer Martin Brudnizki, behind such daring spaces as The Britely hotel in LA and Soho Beach House in Miami. ‘Personally I see it as a collection of emotions and memories.’

In 2018, Martin led the lavish revamp of Annabel’s in Mayfair, something of a cultural reset that burst at the seams with maximalist material, a cacophony of floral pattern, and a joyful pink loo with swoon-worthy gilded swan taps. ‘I find it comforting sitting in an interior made up of pattern, as you are essentially camouflaged, hiding in a deep armchair as opposed to poised on a spindly chair in a bright white room with nowhere to go,’ Martin adds.

And there are more reasons to be daring. ‘It’s very romantic, a bit nostalgic and very optimistic,’ said the designer Luke Edward Hall, known for his bold palette choices and witty way with objet. ‘I think you should be able to live with beautiful things every day – I like an element of the handcrafted in everything I do.’

Luke designed the Hôtel Les Deux Gares in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, where you’ll find a masterful blend of maximalist styles with vintage French posters and toile de Jouy wallpaper to bright green wainscotting and leopard-print sofas.

‘For me, it is more about conjuring a feeling of glamour mixed with comfort,’ says Martin Brudnizki. ‘The various different layers we can use in our interiors should reflect our personality.’

So, you know Coco Chanel’s famous mantra: ‘Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.’ For anyone embracing daring decor, we would ask you to keep it on, or better yet, add another layer – the more accessories, the better.

“It is more about conjuring a feeling of glamour mixed with comfort”