Maximalist

Ok, ok I confess.

As a decorator inevitably when I’m talking to people about what I do, they ask me what my style is or my favorite style in which to work. I find myself hesitating and saying that I like many styles or elements of an aesthetic; Mid-Century Modern, white walls and bold rugs, or whatever the zeitgeist is at the time… a cop out, really. Although I love these styles and appreciate Mies Van der Rohe’s “less is more”, it is not my personal mantra. Mine is “more is more”.

Maximalism is beautiful, intentional chaos. Bold colors and layered patterns make me very happy. I love mixing time periods and textures. My mother taught me that books and plants make a room. Nancy Mitchell said it very cleverly in Apartment Therapy in 2014: ”You are a maximalist if you have a collection of collections”… yes, raises hand, that is me. Who needs a place for the eye to rest? Not me, not if they are moving around the room soaking in a feature wall of bold wallpaper, or ceiling to floor symmetrically placed large scale artwork, or the fully-stocked bar or bar cart with sparkling glass bottles and colorful vintage barware.  My eyes are happy absorbing the eclectic mix of furniture, pattern and color that tell stories of joy and living life.

There are many great maximalist designers, but my personal favorite right now is the fashion designer Christian Siriano. His Instagram is fabulous. When he posts new pictures of his summer house I squee. It is my favorite kind of joyful maximalism: bold colorful Ikat print drapes, and a pair of painted bamboo etageres on either side of the fireplace. I’ve lost count of the fabric patterns in the main room, and that is perfect. There are vintage and antique furniture pieces covered in bold stripes and florals and wonderful large colorful paintings.

And dogs! LOVE. Yup, I confess I am a maximalist.