SIX DESIGNERS ON HOW THEY max it up
TRICIA GUILD OBE founder and creative director of Designers Guild: “Start with a mood board and add your ideas in the proportion that you would use them in the room. If it works on paper, it will work in your room. If using lots of pattern, keep your palette limited to three or four shades and make sure one is a neutral – white works well – then let your patterns add rhythm to your space.”
JOA STUDHOLME Farrow & Ball colour curator: “Our customers are moving away from the grey palette of the past 10 years. Colourful interiors feel comforting. Try painting the interior of a cupboard in exotic India Yellow or the edges of your doors in vibrant Vardo. Ceilings painted in dramatic colours in full gloss suddenly feel extremely appealing.”
NICKI BAMFORD-BOWES
interior designer and star of BBC Two and Netflix’s Interior Design Masters: “I like to think of maximalism interiors as the three Cs: Cosy. Comfortable. Cheerful. It’s a real way of living. Top tip: start with a darker base palette to help create warm vibes. I believe rich, dark shades are the perfect backdrop for pattern and colour to pop against.”
ABIGAIL AHERN Instagram influencer (@abigailahern): “You want to eliminate everything matching. Your interior will be more compelling and won’t just look like decorating-by-numbers. And the best thing about accessorising in a maximalist way is that you get to create a multisensory wonderland.”
LUCY ST GEORGE co-founder of homewares brand, Rockett St George: “More is more; less is a bore. I’d recommend opting for a block colour on the walls and then adding brighter colours and textures using lighting or accessories, like a new cushion or piece of art. I am a big fan of quirky items that make you smile.”
JENNY VAUGHAN AND SIMON YOUNG founders of Re-foundObjects: “If there is no cohesion, vintage items just become clutter. Link items by colour, story or type. Colour coding is a good starting point – for example, revitalise a bookshelf by arranging the spines in the same ombre of shades.”