The art of stylish exaggeration

Maximalism is also about the art of layering, recovering and playing with colour and textures. We're discussing a trend that designs spaces full of life and helps them become playful and enveloping. It is an expression for the need for warmth and confidence in both the present and the future.

In recent years, interior design has experienced a long period dominated by minimalism, neutral colour palettes and essential spaces. Today, however, the trend is changing: colour is back, together with a bolder and more layered aesthetic. Maximalism, with its celebration of abundance, patterns and colour contrasts, is regaining ground in homes and design environments.

Maximalism is not just an aesthetic or a trend in interior design, but a philosophy that values individuality and expressive freedom, leaving ample opportunity to draw on very different and even very distant sources of inspiration. Unlike minimalism, which aims for reduction - ‘less is more’, as it is often stigmatised - and simplicity, maximalism embraces visual richness: bright colours, combinations of textures, decorative objects and furnishings that tell stories.

The communicative and expressive objective is the telling of a personal story, constructed through superimpositions, juxtapositions and - why not - an ability to play down the seriousness of the situation and have fun.

As often - perhaps always - happens, the reasons for a trend taking centre stage are not only to be found in the concrete aspects of design. They are rather reflected in the deepest psychological needs, linked to the here and now, to the context, to the era we are living and sharing.

In this respect, maximalism - after years of environments dominated by white, beige and grey - is representative of a search for more enveloping, warm and vibrant spaces, associating the communicativeness of colour with the search for security and, in a broader sense, confidence in the present and the future. Colours in fact influence our mood and our well-being: bold shades such as emerald green, deep blue or terracotta red evoke emotions, energy and character.

Another distinctive feature of maximalism in interior design is the creative use of patterns and materials. Floral prints, geometric patterns and tactilely communicative textures coexist in harmony, giving life to unique and fully recognisable spaces. However, there is a way to avoid falling into the temptation of unmotivated excess: the secret is to combine different elements without creating visual disorder, using a coherent palette or a dominant element that shapes the environment following a common thread.

Maximalism also means using furniture with soft and generous shapes, inspired by the 60s and 70s. Curvy sofas, padded armchairs, soft rugs and materials such as velvet and bouclé are back in fashion to create cosy and comfortable spaces. These elements, with their enveloping appearance, contribute to making interiors more dynamic and welcoming, balancing chromatic intensity and expressive fullness with a feeling of warmth and well-being.

However, maximalist interiors also make reference to eras such as the Baroque, Art Deco and eclectic 20th century design, reinterpreting them in a contemporary key. With the growing interest in vintage and the recovery of period furnishings, this trend seems destined to last for the time being. Check back with us in a few years …