LLStyle Report: Maximalism | Design that Sparks Purposeful Joy

After a year of uncertainty, spent largely at home, it’s no wonder people are looking to cheer up their living spaces. No more bare walls and austere color palates—the feeling this season is to refresh our minimal spaces with something more vibrant. A splash of color. A dose of kitsch. An infusion of joy.

That’s the idea behind maximalism, a design philosophy that’s about creating a romantic flair through an array of bold choices. It could start with an audacious orange lamp, a striking floral or animal print, or a bright metallic sculpture. There’s no one era or style to emulate, it’s more about tapping into your personal style in a strategic and whimsical way.

The trick to maximalism is in the arrangement and the layers. It’s about gradual accumulation of showy pieces and discerning the best way to create the dramatic contrasts that still make sense together—the kind of juxtapositions that keep turning your head and making you smile.

A successful maximalist design always makes the most of patterns, and flooring is a great place to introduce that subtle visual interest that anchors your whole design. Consider pairing the textured style of Dream Home Granada Gray Brick Waterproof Laminate flooring with an oversized, fuzzy armchair and art deco coffee tables for an accented reading nook.

That angular look on the floor is a great way to offset the softer forms and textures you’ll add with upholstery, textiles, and plants. Take the Manhattan Chevron Engineered Hardwood for example. The distressed look highlights the curves in its natural graining, and the rich brown hues offer a powerful earth tone that makes sense with lots of greenery

Maximalism is a style that should appeal to plant-lovers. The bright colors and flowy forms are a fine contrasting texture to vintage metallic pieces. Picture a geometric design on the floor, and potted, creeping vines curling around the legs of a polished brass end table.

Or consider deeper tones for flooring, like hickory, that provide a rich setting for patterned wallpaper and bright pottery. The Heard County Hickory High Gloss Laminate would be a striking choice for a maximalist design. The shiny wood grain would be natural with mid-century modern pieces and plants with droopy fronds.

The possibilities for these displays of purposeful joy are no doubt endless, but beware the pitfalls of a “more-is-more” aesthetic. Maximalism doesn’t mean creating a mess, and it’s easy to go too far. Be intentional about each layer, and be confident enough to stop adding more elements before it becomes chaotic.

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