For many years now, minimalism has been the benchmark for refinement in the world of interior design. We were told to do more with less, design around the space, and use colour as a highlight instead of a focal point. Slowly but surely, however, people have become tired of clean white lines and polished concrete floors, with highly decorated interior spaces de rigueur once again. While it's difficult to define exactly what maximalism is, at the end of the day, it's about being bold with your choices and filling space effectively with well-chosen items and colour combinations.

According to interior designer Brett Mickan, the return of personality is the main catalyst for maximalism in 2018: “I think there’s a real resurgence in individuality in interiors - people want to make it about who lives here... That bit of a clash of styles and colour and patterns gives a place that style and personality. A space needs to be somewhere you can switch off and I don’t think that’s always a stark, white, minimal space. It needs to be an escape. Clients have been getting braver and there’s more of a trend towards individuality and statement pieces. I want the space to look like they have gathered all of their favourite things and thrown them in a room and somehow made it work. By doing this eclectic collection of things, it doesn’t really fit in with any particular period.”

While maximalism might seem messy and unrefined on the surface, within this seeming disarray you often find deeper levels of order and control. This new style might look like an accident at first glance, but closer inspections highlight deeply layered and well thought-out multi-dimensional spaces. The inclusion of patterns and motifs is a great way to bring order to the chaos, with repetition another great tool for getting your point across. Just as white spaces and breathing room became rigid rules in modernist and minimalist interior design, the new paradigm is about combinations, patterns, and functional relationships between people and things.

More than being eclectic, maximalism is about life and the simple wonders that come from having lots of your favourite stuff together in the same space. Geometric lines have become an important part of this new trend, as have baskets and open storage solutions, playful colour combinations, and alternative lighting fixtures. Maximalism gives you a licence to mismatch styles and design eras, so why not go crazy and create the perfect modern vintage mash-up. Blending the old and the new always makes a statement, so feel free to combine your favourite modern furniture with decor from flea-markets and garage sales. Maximalism does come with a degree of responsibility, however, so don't forget to take a step back and analyse your choices or get some help from the experts before you get too carried away.

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