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From Minimalism to Maximalism: A 21st Century Conjuncture In Interior Design

Written by Posted On Monday, 05 August 2019 02:17

Styles and trends in interior design constantly shift and move through the ages. A successful trend that takes off is likely to last between 20-30 years before the next movement comes along and steals the show. But what happens when two contrasting themes come together at the end of their dominance? 

Minimalist Design 

One of the most significant design movements of the 20th century came to the surface in the 1950s. Minimalist design penetrated more fields than arguably any other design trend. Everything from fashion, cars, film and interior design to web and visual design has immersed itself into exploring the parameters of ‘less is more’- as dubbed by architect Ludwig Miles Van der Rohe. Or, ‘doing more with less’- designer Buckminster Fuller.

Post World War 1 was an important time for the movement. Movement across continents and momentum picking up in the second industrial revolution meant that the availability of modern materials such as glass, concrete and steel flourished. Building became standardised which allowed for more effective and coherent minimalist buildings to emerge. The trend continued throughout the 20th century and more and more minimalist buildings erect- many of which still stand today.

In 1908 architects, Adolf Loos pertained that the development of culture is concurrent with the removal of ornaments from objects of everyday use. The Art Nouveau movement at the time contributed to Loofs assertation that “the most sophisticated among us prefer domestic accessories that feature plain, honest materials”. Circa 50 years later, this popularly became known as minimalist aesthetics. 

 

Image: 1950s minimalist interior design 

It’s made its mark on the interior design scene and hasn’t failed us to date, minimalist design is essentially a foolproof strategy in creating a warm, beautiful and functional room that never goes out of style.

The main mantra of minimalist home style is simplicity. Tone down, declutter, organise and keep it simple. Everything needs a space and a reason. Interior design is all about line, shape and form. Minimalism marked the shift towards sharp, clean, modern lines, concise colour palettes and pard down silhouettes. This doesn’t mean that minimalism can’t be warm, inviting and creatively stylish. The principles of minimalism, simply give you a foundation upon which to build your own style. It’s the blue jeans-white T of the design world.

Image: 21st-century minimalism It's ultimately all about the beauty of refined and the well-judged. 

Maximalism Design 

If minimalism is of the ‘less is more’ school of thought, I welcome you to the more is more design philosophy of maximalism. For many, maximalism is the epitome of passion, power, fun and joy that can be revealed through and within a room.

Following the period of long-serving minimalism, the return to glamour, opulence and luxury made a come back in the latter half of the 20th century and quite clearly, many designers couldn't be more delighted to see it return.

Image: Maximalist interiors 

The world can be a grim, dull and murky place to be sometimes. Maximalist interiors can often provide an escape from real life outdoors. A fantasy, if you will, in which to lose yourself. An avid advocate of all things maximalist, artist and designer Luke Edward Hall explains that he just wants to be surrounded by lovely things and maximalist philosophy allows this- despite what the individual sees as ‘lovely’.

Of course, being surrounded by lovely things in abundance can be incredibly inspiring and work wonders for creativity. Designers like Roman and Williams have eschewed the minimalist design that consumes contemporary office design. This whole architectural movement that promotes white-box office spaces in order to stay focused and creative has been refuted by maximalists. 

A 21st Century Conjuncture

Today, of course, we’ve become more democratic about taste and it’s reasonable to appreciate both Minimalism and Maximalism within the same space. Contemporary Parisian interior design attributes its effortlessly chic and elegant style to the combination of both isms. You can expect to see very little clutter and disorganisation in French interiors. The minimalist foundation where everything has a space and a reason is stark. Built on top of this foundation is maximalist elements that often take the form of statement pieces, antiques, awkward juxtapositions and ‘anti-decor’. It’s elegant, effortless, functional and charming. 

Image: Parisian interior design featuring a minimalist theme whilst embracing maximalist decor.

The 21st century has brought with it a new age of technology. We spend so much time in front of our screens that we should want our homes to be more ‘real’, lived-in and personalised. Whilst we haven’t all moved completely away from the minimalist style and most can often appreciate the serenity it brings; homes should be more layered, textured and full of objects that we collect and love. 

Indisputably recognised for its sleek, minimalist, recently the Swedish retailer, Ikea has even swapped minimalism for maximalism. The Swedish furniture retailer introduced a figurative, fun and sometimes absurd collection. Its FÖREMÅL line is expected to show another side of the Swedish design heritage. Ikea’s creative director Nike Karlsson says “Life at home is about more than functions and solutions. We need art that stir up emotions.’

Image: A selection of maximalist [pieces from Ikea’s FÖREMÅL line 

Scandinavian design is well known to be minimalistic, but the last few years, there has been a slow return to a more colourful, vibrant design inspired by Swedish Josef Frank and the ‘Swedish Grace’ movement.

Image source: Not All Scandinavian Design Is Minimalist

The interior design industry now poses as a stage for both camps of isms. In many cases, they can be found together in the same room and work wonderfully well. 

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Mary Kovalchuk

Mary is a writer based in London. Her work has been featured in Pinstripe Magazine, HubPages and Sivava Spirit. She also runs a blog, An Eye Behind, that focuses on the secret life of London.

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