4 alarming signs you’ve overdone it with maximalism |
Most of us are familiar with the aesthetic of minimalism, where people try to live in a streamlined, beautifully functional space with as little clutter as possible. If you throw all that out the window and run in the opposite direction, you end up with maximalism.
Maximalism is a home decorating style that uses more patterns, colors and textures to create a vibrant, layered space with real wow factor. This may be a maximalism lover’s dream, but for some, it can become a source of unexpected stress.
As someone who always strives to keep the extent of his possessions under control, I was curious to know what happens when you exceed tolerable limits, when Decorating with maximalism. I asked professional organizers about the four warning signs that someone may have overdone maximalism at home and what to do about it.
4 alarming signs that you have taken maximalism too far
1. Your rooms are overstimulating
A carefully curated maximalist living room with neutral walls and large pieces of furniture for visual balance
(Photo credit: Patricia Burke / James Yarosh Associates)
If you find that your maximalist spaces are becoming less creative, original and enjoyable and more like a burden on your shoulders, you may have inadvertently created an environment that is a little too stimulating for your senses.
Janine Sarna-Jones, certified professional organizer and CEO of Organize Me Inc., says, “Some people love the maximalist aesthetic because it offers the opportunity to showcase their collections or a mix of the items they love. For others, however, it can simply be an assault of visual overload.”
Tina Alimi, owner and founder of Zen Space Organizers, has experienced the feeling of sensory overload in the past. “Due to my personal experience with ADHD, I had to figure out why I was so exhausted before my day had even started. I realized that I had a thousand thoughts in the morning before my feet even touched the ground, and that my eyes were consciously and unconsciously scanning everything in my environment and registering everything as a thought.
“Before I could even form a single organic thought, my brain was already overwhelmed, confused, and exhausted. A hyperactive mind needs a safe haven, a blank canvas, so to speak.”
If you feel the same way, Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly Professional Organizing, has a great solution to clear some of the clutter in your life while still maintaining your love of maximalist decorating ideas. “If you like the maximalist style, consider bringing fewer items into your home and focusing on adding variety with fun patterns on a pillow or wallpaper wall instead of 10 different vases.”
Anthropologie currently offers a wide range of visually interesting wallpapers in all sorts of patterns, color combinations, and styles. Their vintage ikat wallpaper, Mind the Gap, combines gold and black in a way that effortlessly creates something eye-catching.
However, if you’re looking for something greener to bring the outdoors in, Morris & Co.’s Pimpernel wallpaper is just the thing, combining a maximalist’s love of overtly vibrant prints with the subtleties of an intricate leaf design.
Nathalie Lete Rabbit Background
A beautiful maximalist nature-themed wallpaper that features an abundance of bold florals and hidden rabbits, adding a touch of colour and cuteness to any room. Remember that glue is required to install this non-woven wallpaper.
2. Your home feels too cluttered
Layer beautiful colors and textures without putting too many items in your space, as perfectly shown here, to avoid the feeling of clutter.
(Photo credit: Kati Curtis Design, Photography Thomas Loof)
Maximalists tend to own more than the average homeowner, so if they feel like their home attracts clutter, it’s probably because of their love of aesthetics or their tendency to “hoard.”
Tamara Meyer, founder of Nashville Neat Freaks, says, “If you find yourself stuck in a mountain of collectibles while searching for your favorite pieces, it’s definitely a sign that you may have gone too far. Your amazing collection will also slowly become hidden due to its sheer size. After all, too much of a good thing can be too much.”
Feeling like you’re constantly drowning in clutter is a difficult life to live in. If you’re having trouble deciding what to declutter because you love everything you have, we recommend starting by organizing your belongings into piles of duplicates and similar items.
You may unknowingly own five sets of coasters even though you have two tables. These duplicate items are often an easier starting point for people to declutter, and being aware of what you already have can prevent clutter before it happens.
Book “Decluttering at the pace of life”
Decluttering expert Dana White identifies the emotional challenges that make decluttering difficult and offers actionable solutions to break through and make progress.
3. You feel like you are running out of time
(Image credit: Unsplash/Benjamin Voros)
I once heard a saying that stuck with me: “Every object in your life not only takes up space, but also time to physically care for it.”
Sarna-Jones agrees, especially in the context of maximalism, adding, “If the time commitment to curating and maintaining your maximalist collections seems like too much, it may be time to change your mind.”
Stop and ask yourself why you wanted to collect what you own in the first place and what use it provides you in your home today. Does the stuff really make you happy and if so, in what way? How often do you take care of everything in a particular room? If you accidentally dropped and broke an item in that room, how upset would you be if it were gone?
Such tips are one of several ways to make letting go easier, but different things work for everyone. A change in mindset can also help. Instead of thinking that you’re losing your maximalist taste and your home, see it as a way to pass on the joy your things have brought you by donating them to good causes.
Sturdy boxes, 47 cm x 31.5 cm x 25 cm, 44 liters, packaging, shipping and moving boxes (10)
Ideal for helping you declutter your home. If you’re not sure about parting with some possessions, try the move-out method, where you leave items in a box for a while and see if you miss them in your life. If not, give them away, donate them, sell them or throw them away. H&G’s head of cleared items, Punteha van Terheyden, does this by giving away secured items for a maximum of one month.
4. You are embarrassed when guests come to visit
Even if you enjoy collecting things and proudly displaying them in your home, you may know deep down that the amount of stuff in your space is getting out of control. This can cause a person to become even more closed off from others as they try to process feelings of shame about the state of their home.
“You can start to feel uncomfortable opening your home to family and friends because you’re afraid of judgment,” says Sarna-Jones.
Linda Samuels, certified professional organizer and founder of Oh, So Organized!, adds, “Plus, crowded spaces can make it difficult to move around, clean surfaces, or find what you need.”
Of course, you shouldn’t let other people’s judgments dictate your life, but if you have doubts about your freedom, you should think about where they come from on a personal level.
Alimi says, “While a ‘maximalism’ aesthetic can be fun, colorful, and expressive, especially for an artist and musician like myself, I realized that my home base didn’t have to be my ‘playground.’ Having everything on display all the time meant I had to be ‘on’ all the time, and that was exhausting.”
You don’t have to flood every room of your home with patterns to find joy or enjoy the fun of maximalism. And on the other hand, you don’t have to strip your home of its character and exaggerate the rules of minimalism in interior design to the extreme and live with nothing.
Try to find a balance between loving what you have and feeling overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, take notes, and give yourself plenty of time to think about what is most important to you. All the best on your upcoming journey.
The magic of tidying up that changes your life
An award-winning book by Marie Kondon that teaches readers everything they need to know about downsizing their lives for the better, following the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing to keep the things that bring joy.
Minimalista: Your step-by-step guide to a more beautiful home, a more beautiful wardrobe and a more beautiful life
Because of its step-by-step format, this book is the perfect addition for someone who wants to permanently change their perspective on material possessions.
The Joy of Less, A Guide to a Minimalist Life
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of your belongings, this book is a great read to figure out how to simplify your life. Divided into four parts, it details the benefits of downsizing, introduces the author’s Streamline Method, gives tips for each room, and how to get the people you live with on board.
Next, learn why some people think minimalism is the better way to live and how you can embrace and enjoy neutral maximalism.
