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When the build for this double-fronted Victorian terrace in Kensington commenced, the homeowner brought interior decorator Marilyn Raju on to inject a bold and quirky aesthetic to the place.
‘He was second guessing whether some of his choices for the interiors were too minimalist,’ explains Marilyn.
She selected pieces that referenced the architectural style and amped up the existing palette by introducing burgundy-chocolate tones and playing with textures and patterns in blacks, whites, beiges and caramels.
‘I love adding unexpected colour when there are layers of tonality,’ says Marilyn. ‘[We] introduced little pops of brighter colours like pink, blue, green and yellow, which perfectly complemented the base colours we had selected.’
Together with curved furniture pieces and eye-catching art, she’s helped to transform her client’s home into ‘a place of refuge and beauty — a place to entertain and unwind in’.
Below, she shares her top five tips for amping up your maximalist style at home:
Determine the mood. This should be done for every project/space/room. However, it’s extra important when curating a space that’s more maximalist style, as it’s easy to get lost and confused along the way. Is your room going to be ‘contemporary and arty’ or ‘granny-chic’? List out what you want in terms of functionality and aesthetics — and get detailed! Find inspirational images and create a moodboard to keep you on track.
Create balance and harmony in your colour palette. A well-designed room on the maximalist end of the scale is full of interesting furniture, art and décor and keeps your eyes moving. However, we need to ensure there are quieter/softer moments amongst the boldness and layering. For example, rooms with lots of furniture in different colours often work well with a neutral wall colour. Conversely, if you want more of a saturated wall colour, keep colours in your furniture art and decor limited by playing with the tones and shades within a similar palette, and then adding small punches of one or two other hues for interest.
Play with pattern and texture in unexpected ways. Pattern and texture are simple ways to add dynamic elements into your space. Adding multiple patterns in tonal colours to a room can look sophisticated and bold, without being too extra. Customising furniture pieces or reupholstering an existing chair or sofa you love is a great way to inject pattern and texture into a room. If you’re renovating, look at different patterns and textures for your wall finishes (paint finishes, wall paper, polished plaster, etc) and floor finishes.
Build up layers over time. It may be tempting to go on a shopping trip and buy everything at once, but I don’t recommend you do this, as you’ll most likely end up buying things you regret, or things that don’t work in the space. I think the key to well curated maximalist interiors is that the items have been procured over a long period of time. Don’t source all your pieces from only a few stores, search high and low, far and wide — variety is key. By taking your time to build up the layers and finding pieces you truly love, you can better assess what is missing, or what needs adjustments. An organic process to decorating and styling often results in a more interesting and dynamic result than one pulled together very quickly.
Add, subtract and move. It may take time to collect and edit pieces before your maximalist style feels and looks good. Edit and move around things as you bring in new items. Also remember that it’s about how the space makes you and the people who live in your home feel. Maximalist interiors are about experimentation and doing things in a unique and different way. Trust yourself, experiment within reason, have fun and see what magic you can create!
