Decorating on a budget is always a bit of a challenge. When you’re trying to embrace trends like the maximalist approach, it can be even more daunting. Fortunately, you don’t have to have a maximum budget to make the most of this design trend. With the right selections (and the right resources), you can get top-quality furniture pieces for a lot less than you might expect.
In this guide, we’ll provide you with some tips on how you can enjoy the look of this trend in your own home, no matter what your budget or personal style might be. To start, let’s talk about what maximalism is and in what ways it’s trending right now.
What is Maximalism?
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The maximalist design trend is all about excess. It’s not just size, but any and all ways that you can make design fun and play with different colors, textures, and elements to create a totally unique space. Maximalist design encourages the mixing of patterns and textures, along with a mixture of shapes and elements to create a layered look in and around the home.
With maximalism, even small spaces are embracing bold designs to add character and embrace the sense of individualism. The focus is trending away from boring, impersonal designs and stark décor that feels unattached and generic in favor of whimsy, individualized pieces that create a cohesive, totally comfortable look that reflects the people who live there.
Joy, charm, and personality all exude in this design theme where more is, well, more. Just remember that there’s a difference between maximalism and just throwing things together or cluttering a space with too many items. Here’s what you need to know.
Choose Pieces Carefully
The pieces that you choose for your space don’t need to be expensive. You don’t have to spend a fortune on new décor and furnishings just to embrace this aesthetic. In fact, if you’re a budget-minded person or frugal fashionista, it might be a great way to showcase that, too. Buy or upcycle thrifted pieces, or make quick changes to things you already have.
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Consider doing the work on things like painting a bold accent wall and hanging all your artwork so that you can spend more on the bigger furnishings in the room like a couch for the living room, a stunning vintage-inspired bed for your bedroom, and so forth. It isn’t about cramming everything you can into the space. It’s about making the pieces in the space count.
Another part of this can be to use what you have first and foremost. Consider which pieces you already own that you want to showcase as part of your maximalist design. A certain piece of furniture or décor might even inspire the whole design concept throughout your home. Don’t assume that everything you have needs replaced just because you want to redesign.
Create “Like” Styles
Even if you can’t afford the stunning piece that you see in that designer living room, you can often find similar pieces at lower price points, usually because they’re mass-produced and marketed to budget-conscious consumers. Designer furniture is great, but unless you’re creating a space with an unlimited budget, you’ll never be able to get everything that you need.
Look for inspiration and design ideas online. You can even choose a common thread and carry it throughout your home in various ways to create a unique look. This could be a color, a texture, or even a pattern that you love. Make intentional design choices that create connection.
Maximize Features
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If you maximize everything, you essentially won’t maximize anything. Intentional planning requires that you take the time to think about what matters most to you in the home. Sometimes, this requires a bit of exploration and discovery, but that can be a part of the design process. Choose what you want to maximize and make that your focus. Not only will this enhance the design, but it can help your budget.
For example, you might choose to maximize the comfortable, vintage look that you like in your living room space, but keep your bedroom simple and calming so that it can be a place of respite and peace. Perhaps you like the idea of maximalist furniture: bold colors, statement pieces, and vintage-inspired designs. Start with that and go from there.
Shop Around for the Best Prices (and Pieces)
Of course, the Golden Rule for budget shopping is to compare your options to ensure that you get the best deal. Fortunately, the Internet makes that a relatively simple task these days. You can find the best maximalist furniture pieces and compare their prices across the web. Then, you can choose which pieces you like best and know that you’re getting a good price.
You can make the process even easier by using Spoken, where you’ll find stunning maximalist furniture pieces from all over the web, collected and listed so that you can see every place an item is sold and what it’s going for. That way, you can maximize your budget without wandering the entire World Wide Web for the stylish new furniture your space needs.
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Spoken showcases furniture, décor, and more, including a variety of mid-century modern and vintage-inspired designs, which are also popular with maximalist spaces. Before you overpay for anything, let Spoken show you the absolute lowest prices that you will find.
The Final Call
Maximalism is all about excess and showing everyone who you are. It doesn’t have to be expensive—the tips above are just a starting point. Remember that when you’re shopping for furniture, you can find more options than you expect, from deep discount retailers to discount online designer brands and so much more.
Take advantage of Spoken to compare the new statement pieces you want to add to your maximalist design, and most importantly, remember to create a space that embodies your personality, because that’s what the concept is really all about.