A NEW TREND: CLEAN MAXIMALIST HOME DECOR
Written by: Grace Umeadi
Published on: March 2, 2025
Sometime around 2024, Benny Blanco, record producer, song-writer and Selena Gomez’s darling lover, took the internet by storm with his ‘curated chaos_opposites attract home.’ For many years, while many do acknowledge that a home with so much personality and statement, is a great way to style one’s home, it’s no news that many have shied away from that home decor look for a really long time because it’s so…’more.’
But in 2024, Benny Blanco managed to wow the audience, impressing them with his maximalist home decor, and while people have a grudge or two to place on the stereotypical way maximalist homes have looked so ‘clustered, Benny did set a sort of trend by making sure his home could carry so much boldness, personality, acquired materials for the sake of visual aesthetics, and yet, still look so clean…so unclustered.
A maximalist style simply embraces the concept of ‘more is more,’ and ‘more’ sometimes can really be overwhelming, which in that case, is why many might opt for a clear, simple space that the minimalist home decor offers, but what if that narrative can be changed? What if you can have so much material, personality and style in a space, and yet, still so clean and not so overwhelming?
As Benny Blanco’s Clean Maximalist style continues to inspire, many of us are left wondering: how can we achieve this perfect balance of personality, yet a clutter-free atmosphere? We spoke to top home decor experts to get their clean maximalist insights and provide actionable tips for incorporating this trend into your own space.
Traditional Maximalist vs Minimalist vs Clean Maximalist Home Decor Style
Traditional maximalism has been in style since as far back as even our ancestors can remember, and it’s all about the richness and vibrancy of colors, it’s all about embracing statement pieces, extravagance…drama, celebrating abundance and emphasizing deeply on personal creativity.
It basically celebrates excess as long as your style is brought in; picture several flowers and vines with their vases dotted around the space, picture bold eclectic mix of colors, textures and patterns, sofas and couches of several designs, colors and sizes, artworks dotted on the walls, as much picture frames as you can see, decorative objects like vintage furnitures, vases and the likes, souvenirs from several countries scattered around the place.
It’s all so beautiful…so wonderful because it promotes your style and personality, but there’s one problem…this could feel all clustered up…too much, and one could start thinking if the space as a whole promotes harmony.
It’s no surprise that a lot of homes now opt for the clear white or beige walls, sofas exactly the same in style and color, probably a single centre table, the tv, and one or two frames on the wall. This is no different in the bedroom, except for the well…King-sized bed with a clean color palette sheet.
No one really wants their home to look clustered as it could probably hint at a sense of ‘childishness’ in some ways. We all want our spaces ‘modern with clear areas’, and this mostly comes with sacrificing personality and unique styles in the home, but at least, it won't look overwhelming and ‘too-much’ right?
However, Orna the Lead Designer and Home Organization Specialist at http://www.gracethisspace.com/ thinks this sort of minimalist ‘clear’ style doesn’t have to keep being the trend in every home.
She made it clear that the cozy and nostalgic vibes that maximalism brings is the reason Minimalism might not work for some people. In her words, ‘Maximalism seems to be a call back to cozy vibes and has been a reaction to the sparseness of Minimalism.’
And yes, this is quite true. Many of us are starting to miss the liveliness that Maximalism brings that minimalism might not be able to fulfill, but then really, we do fear the possibility of a clustered space.
But what if all these years…decades, we’ve been taking the wrong approach with maximalism? Really, do more and more dramatic expressions in a space really translate to all ‘jumbled up’ and ‘clustered?’
Orna believes that a home should feel curated, intentional and deeply personal. Many of her clients are drawn to the richness and personality of maximalism but find it difficult to not fall into the trap of feeling overwhelming or cluttered; therefore,Clean maximalism comes in as a refined evolution of the style that balances bold design with a sense of order and calm!
Is Clean Maximalist Really The ‘New Calm’?
Orna emphasized on the approach of storytelling, rather than just filling up spaces. It’s like finding a purpose for designing that space, and in finding a purpose for that space, you really can get to explore layers, bold choices and personality, while still embracing a sense of ease.
Instead of just piling up every souvenir and material in a space for the sake of ‘unwinding,’ and being ‘maximalist,’ there really is a way one could curate all these themes and materials, no matter how ‘contrasting’ it might seem, and make it not appear overwhelming.
“One of the key ways I bring this concept to life for my clients is by playing with negative space. Bold wallpaper can be held to a single feature wall, paired with a streamlined sofa that creates a moment of impact without being visually overloading. The same goes for decorative pieces”
From Overwhelming to ‘Perfect’ Whelming Jonathan Palley, the CEO at https://clevertinyhomes.com/ and an expert in home interior decoration believes that the key to clean maximalism is ensuring that a space remains practical.
Let’s face it, a lot of us avoid maximalism as a whole because we don't think it’s functional enough. Imagine your space with so much of your personality and style, but there’s so much maintenance to be done..so much maintenance as a result of the decorative items and space constraints which doesn’t seem practical enough. The clashing of several visuals in the space could even be enough to make everything seem so overwhelming, hence dispromoting focus and calmness.
But this is sort of a myth when it comes to maximalist home decor styles. Well, it would be a myth if you understand the trick to it.
“The key to clean maximalism is ensuring that a space remains practical. Identify walking paths, light switches, and other physical spaces you want to keep clear of obstacles or distractions, and you'll be free to go maximalist in more out-of-the-way spaces”
Palley believes that one can ‘put variety’ in their space, as long as the ‘functional’ clear areas are first identified. And in a space, say, a living room, you could make sure to leave about two to three clear spaces and then, ‘emphasize’ in the rest of the space.
Bar Zakheim, CEO of https://betterplacedesignbuild.com/about/ seems to be in support of this idea as he stated that “a room or space should be clear enough to move through. What we want isn't just to keep putting stuff in places and not stop…no, what we should want is to make sure that all those stuffs are structured in a professional looking way, that’s basically what Clean Maximalism is focused on”.
But Zakheim and Palley, didn't just make an argument on clearing out paths and structuring properly, they also broached the subject of colors, prints and textures. Zakheim mentions that what we need to do is to ‘Identify a few key colors or textures to play with’ therefore, making that the basic identifiable themes in our spaces and Palley makes a point on how texture is essential to clean maximalism.
For instance, if you love a soft, smooth and plush atmosphere so much, then you really make the velvet texture one of the key themes in that ‘particular’ space and let’s say it’s a rough, weathered and natural atmosphere you’re going for, then how about making reclaimed wood dominant in your space.
Emphasizing on just two to three themes while being ‘maximalist’ as ever, is a great trick in going from overwhelming to perfect whelming.
Less is More, Minimalist Style? How About Less is More, Clean Maximalist Style!
But what if Maximalism isn’t about putting a lot of items and decorations in one space, all in the sake of, ‘feeling cozy and homely.’ Well, at least to promote functional or Clean Maximalism, what it really doesn’t necessarily have is to possess so many things in one space.
Hayley McAteer, Owner and Interior Decorator at https://cushee.com.au thinks that maximalism can focus on making bold personality statements in a space, but still mimicking minimalism by not putting so much stuff…or decorations.
“Clean maximalism is about balancing bold design elements with a refined, neutral backdrop. For example, start with a simple foundation. Think crisp white walls and a neutral sofa. Then layer in statement pieces like a large geometric rug, an abstract painting in vivid hues, and metallic accents to create visual impact without overwhelming the space - so you get all the drama and personality without the clutter.”
Hayley McAtter is all about emphasizing your personality in one space, like applying coziness and unconventionality in that space without so much stuff going on. You could even do a better job than minimalist styles by hardly putting ‘stuffs.’ McAtter says you can, ‘keep it simple by choosing a few standout pieces and a consistent color scheme, then let empty space do its magic, so everything feels intentional, rather than overwhelming.’
You really can still ‘do you,’...you really can still match up green, pink themes…add that large vase, that big wall artwork and every other thing that defines you…you really can still do all that while still keeping the space simple.
Sebastian Jania, Stager designer at https://ontariopropertybuyers.com/ also believes in the less is more logic, Clean Maximalist style. Sabastian believes that one can embrace the idea of less is more as minimalist decors celebrate, but this time, in a daring way.
If each item is carefully picked, if you pick those personal, quirky, even probably ‘strange’ pieces that mean the most to you, then really, there’s a high chance that your place wouldn’t be overflowing with extraneous objects.
“The goal of clean maximalism is to create a room that is bold and expressive while also being aesthetically pleasing, clutter-free, and useful. Its emphasis on well chosen collections, texture, and color creates the ideal balance between design and function. Each piece is thoughtfully picked and has a purpose in a clean maximalist space rather than being overflowing with extraneous objects.”
And yes, to answer your probably pending question, embracing maximalism again, clean maximalist style still does make use of some minimalist home decor principles. This just sums up to a balance being created.
Sebastian said and I quote; “I work on a clean maximalist project as a house professional for a young couple who desired a room that was both aesthetically pleasing and useful. Our color scheme was primarily neutral, with accent elements like carpets and artwork adding splashes of color.
To give the room dimension, we also used textures like velvet and real wood. The meticulous selection of furnishings and décor, emphasizing quality over quantity, was essential to this project's clean minimalist aesthetic.
The utilization of eye-catching lighting fixtures is another crucial component of clean maximalism. These can be anything from striking chandeliers to distinctive table lamps, and they all give a room charm and individuality. We combined the two in our project to provide a unified and eye-catching aesthetic.”
And just in case you even do have a lot of stuffs that you can’t or don’t want to get rid off, but yet, you still want to get personal, but in a less clustering way, Sebastian Jania recommends designs like hidden ottoman storages and themeful built-in-shelves in several places of your house, or should we say…home? Really, Maximalism can work without the untidiness.
Be Polished but Still Make a Bold Statement
If you’re still reading this, then really, we’ve managed to convince you that the ‘new maximalist’, also known as Clean Maximalist home decor, is the style to go and Grace Chisom, Stager at https://www.albertapropertybuyers.com/ and top expert in the clean maximalist field, also agrees with us. “Recently, I worked with a client who wanted to make their living room more minimalistic. We began by clearing the area and getting rid of things that weren't needed. After that, we added a beautiful emerald green velvet sofa, a coffee table with elaborate details, and a neutral-colored carpeting. Simple, neutral-colored walls were maintained, and throw pillows with various textures and patterns were added to the sofa. The finished living area was a sophisticated yet comfortable fusion of luxury and simplicity.”
Who says maximalist home decor styles lack ‘refinement, and ‘modernity?’ Who says it needs to take a lot of ‘maintenance’ before it appears organized?
Grace Chisom and the rest of the five experts believe that a consistent color scheme must be maintained even if various patterns and designs would be incorporated in a space.
A simple way to keep this color scheme in check is by implementing the ‘60-30-10’ rule. The rule states that 60 percent of the color scheme should be awarded to a dominant color, 30 percent to a secondary color, and then 10 to accent hues, also known as highlight colors.
So really, if your top three favorite colors are, let's say; pink, green and light brown, then you can design your clean maximalist space around these three colors.
Finally, a key component of clean maximalism is adding personal touches like photographs, artwork, and other sentimental objects. These things give the room personality and a homey vibe.
