Who can resist the breathlessly gossipy world of trend hunting? There’s the sparkling excitement of watching a color, a feeling, or a point of view gather stamina and then finally be deigned queen—at least for a moment. Then: The communal sigh of relief when an aesthetic gone awry is given a thoughtful burial. White bouclé: You were loved by many.
Without fail, you can’t go a season or two without encountering the debate between whether we’re in a maximalist or a minimalist moment. The question it asks is much bigger than, how do we decorate? It’s: how should we live? How do we make meaning in our spaces? Is it an hour for refinement, clarity, and space (also austerity and asceticism) or indulgence, comfort, and expression (along with abundance and ostentatiousness)? Friends, we’re making the call and it’s both. Minimal Maximalism isn’t exactly having it both ways. It’s not gilding in the powder room and a plinth of a sofa in the parlor, but more like cherry-picking the plumb aspects of each. Maximalism thrives in its richness and emotion. It’s noticeable, memorable and often rife with meaning. Minimalism appeals to the human need for simplicity and peace. Our appreciation of form over ornamentation. Our deep craving to chillllll outttt. On any given Tuesday, there’s utility in both.