Maximalism is in, inspiring us to focus on unexpected mixes of colours, patterns, textures and eclectic décor. This unconventional trend brings fun to the forefront of home decorating, it allows us to express our own personality into our designs, and incorporate these ideas into our modern home, regardless of space, budget, or style.
START SMALL
Unsure where to start in the maximalist approach, begin in small doses first. Experiment with colours that clash with one another. Try adding in colourful cushions to a bed spread or sofa piece, mix it up by adding in a throw, or placing down a rug full of colours and shapes.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, start by adding some colour to the walls. Floor to ceiling designs, make for eye catching feature walls, including backsplashes and wallpaper. A bold coloured wall is the simplest way to add vibrancy and personality to a room.
Feature walls work well to define a living space, or help complement a room. If going bold on a whole room seems intimidating then a feature wall is the perfect way to experiment.
Tiles, metallic finishes or textured designs are all trending for splashbacks for 2019. The floor to ceiling concept along with the maximalist approach all work well to enhance your kitchen or bathroom space.
Wallpaper designs allow for so much more versatility, being as dramatic or as subtle as you like. The endless amount of designs available, ranging from huge floral pieces to geometric patterns all work well to capture anyone’s style.
These simple looks are able to inject the right amount of interest into a room, without overpowering the rest of the space.
SUSTAINABILITY
Green home designs have been slowly emerging over recent years, as more people are opting to go green.
Using recycled materials and upcycled objects is not just a trend, it’s a responsibility. Maximalism has had a huge influence on utilising sustainable material and turning it into something trendy and elegant. Paint, stain and clear finishes are an easy way to help repurpose or reuse a favourite piece of furniture or accessory.
NATURAL ELEMENTS
If this still seems overwhelming, steering away from vibrant colours and moving towards fresh natural materials, still sits within the maximalist look. Natural elements including brass, concrete and wood, helps bring an organic feel to any space.
Welcoming back brass accents into your home, creates a warm and subtle alternative to the expected steel accents. Brass is sure to add an everyday sense of elegance even to the simplest of spaces.
Concrete elements can add another texture into the home, not only does it spark visual interest but the material is easy to maintain, whether a bathtub or countertop, using concrete can make huge statements and focal points within a room.
Whether driftwood, reclaimed wood or a stunning shade of stained wood, the use of wood in certain living space is only going to amplify in 2019.
Introducing wood into a space not only adds dimension and comfort, but a soft calm feeling.
DARK & MOODY
With lots of colour variations happening in 2019, moody colour pallets are gaining traction throughout the home. People are more inclined to experiment with richer darker colourings such as navy and greens. This colour scheme in fact creates a warm and serene setting in a living space.
Homeowners today are opting to have an accent room, where all four walls are bold colour. Typically seen in smaller private rooms, bedrooms, and offices, where you want a more comforting relaxing vibe.
Experimenting further, then why not look into a ‘Tuxedo Kitchen.’ The all black kitchen can be edgy and chic, and surprisingly practical for parents, where black can hide a lot more scuff marks than white. If that’s a little too bold, then tapware, sinks, rangehoods and island countertop accents contrast well with natural or subtle tones.
OLD AS NEW
Old can easily become new by redecorating with a fresh new colour and finish. It is all about finding something you love and working it in with your current scheme. Embrace mixing in different time periods of materials to see what look can be achieved.
With many old design trends coming back in style, we will start to see glimpses of 70s chic décor, with its warm pallets, funky textures and abstract silhouettes.
Velvet, once seen as old fashioned, is now viewed as a luxurious fabric. Multi-dimensional fabric has already started gaining attention, and velvet can be seen in all areas of the home from the sitting room to the bedroom – this trend is definitely on the rise.
With the vintage trend on the comeback, this look holds a lot of vibrant colours and expressive art. So, bring out those old furniture pieces and add them into your living space to create a room you’ll love.
COMFORT SPACES
Everyone looks for comfort in the home. Although we all love open plan living, people are also wanting more intimately scaled spaces.
Windows as walls or room dividers can offer the illusion of open space living while still providing a sense of privacy. This concept is ideal in making smaller areas appear larger.
It is not just limited to dining or living areas, the dividers can be used to create visual interest and give more definition to bedrooms and bathrooms.
In response to providing comfort, we see a temporary pause on oversize items. Furniture shapes are changing, curved sofas and lounges with softer rounded arms are all making an appearance.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Indoor plants are continuing in their popularity and are a great accessory to complement an area. Plants in 2019 is all about bigger is better. We’re still seeing bold-leafed plants in our homes, in particular ‘patterned’ plants with leaves bearing stripes or splotches.
Grouping indoor plants is a wonderful way to create a focal point, creates a source of colour and helps add another layer into the household.
A Fiddle leaf fig tree is ideal in breaking up space and adding dimension to a room where nothing else seems to fit.
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