At Home Feature: We’ve Mastered Minimalism, So What’s Next?

‘Living with less’. This is the minimalistic definition of minimalism. Minimalism can be taken to extremes or barely discernible, be deliberate or incidental, but if you’re on the minimalist track you are solidly on trend.

Actually the minimalist lifestyle may have begun as a fad, but having caught on so quickly and completely, we have to wonder if it’s so much more than that. For the advocates of minimalism it seems that it is simply, life.

Minimalism professes to make your life happier and healthier, easier, less stressful, and I suppose it’s self evident that it would be a great money saver. Relationships and experiences replace stuff. Your living space can be smaller, more economical, and quicker and easier to maintain, freeing up time and money for what you’d really rather be doing.

As a matter of fact, if you’re thinking of selling your home, Minimalism is the consummate method of home staging to showcase your home’s best features.

— 9 FAQ’s for Home Sellers —

Minimalism has become so widespread, that home builders and architects have designed and constructed entire communities resting on the minimalist concept. Among other things, decorative elements are absent. Compact, care-free yards (often just a patio) are replacing acreage, wasted space for storage is omitted. There are fewer partitions between living areas and materials are fuss-free. Installed lighting is often reduced as large, plentiful windows for natural light are preferable.

We haven’t yet, and probably never will, let go of Minimalism but other lifestyles and new home trends are slowly are claiming the ‘cutting-edge’ title… including Maximalism.

So what is Maximalism? Not necessarily referring to possessions, Maximalism means more colors, patterns and textures, more lush and plush finishes, as opposed to the sleek, hard, reflective surfaces of minimalism.

Read on for additional trends making their mark this Fall.

New Home Trends: ‘Maximalism’ and More

By John Voket

So you’re all fired up to make some changes around the house this season? Good! In the following rundown, you’ll hear from a bunch of worthy experts pointing to some of the hottest design and decorating trends that everybody will be gabbing about.

Gabrielle Savoie at MyDomaine.com says you’ll have the coolest place on the block when you light up your guests with retro dome or mushroom lamps. Maybe match that with a hot new plinth table. Savoie says coupled with the recent hype over colored marble and other stone finishes, these low and heavy tables are expected to have a moment in 2019.

The folks at DecorAid.com say 2019 is ushering in a return to “maximalism”—a natural evolution from the more minimalist design trends over the past few seasons. They say maximalism provides even experimental decorators much more freedom to follow their instinct. The key to getting maximalism right, Decor Aid says, is to maintain a well-judged edit and visual consistency so your efforts don’t appear as heavy-handed or overstimulating. Instead, stick to no more than three contrasting colors, patterns and finishes for a more timeless take on maximalism that won’t feel dated.

At ElleDecor.com, Lucia Tonelli rounded up a slew of tips from her deck of design sources:

Warm Colors – Katharine Pooley of Katharine Pooley London says colors she is seeing for 2019 are blush, dusty pink and bronze—warm colors and feminine tones for the walls and dashes of soft pinks to break up expanses of taupe or neutrals will instantly update a tired room.

Florals – Erin Gates of Erin Gates Design touts the traditional beauty of floral patterns, either abstracted or straight-up chintz, according to Tonelli.

Graphics – Amy Sklar of Sklar Design is gravitating toward making a little more impact in kitchens with bolder color choices or graphic tiles with a lot more pop and punch.

Spa Vibes – Kesha Franklin of Halden Interiors reports with relief that the spa-inspired bathroom trend has officially returned. These days, she says it’s all about bold, dark, sultry bathroom designs that evoke an indulgent high-end experience, Tonelli reports.

If you’re going DIY with a project, do your research and learn how these and other top designers are advising their own clients to embrace these trends.

John Voket is a contributing editor to RISMedia. Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2019. All rights reserved.