A few years ago, I made the conscious decision to embrace colour in both my wardrobe and in my home. Following a visit to the David Hockney retrospective at Tate Britain, I realised my daily wardrobe of chic-but-muted neutrals and simple Scandi interiors were failing to spark joy in my increasingly muted world. It seems I was not alone in my mindset shift, with Living Etc citing maximalism as a key interiors trend of the Roaring 20s.
Embracing colour is not an aesthetic decision alone: when journalist and podcast host Elizabeth Day realised she had not worn bright hues since her 20s, Day made a pact with herself to invest in a primary palette, with life-enhancing results: “I started to feel lighter. I began to notice colour in the world around me, as well as on my person. I got so many compliments about what I was wearing that I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner.”
This craving for colour and move towards maximalism has gradually gained momentum in the world of interiors in the past decade, with tastemakers including Luke Edward-Hall, Kelly Wearstler and House of Hackney driving a demand for more is more. It’s not a trend for the faint-hearted, as Living Etc articulates: “to understand maximalism in interior design, the word itself contains a salient clue: decorate to the max.”
But the pay-off is worth it; I can personally attest for the kaleidoscopic delight my emerald sofa and pop art rug have bought into my home, far from tiring of seeing them, I love them more and more each day.
For those stepping a tentative toe into the world of maximalism, a piece of art is a great place to begin. One such artist bringing the movement to the masses is Swiss-born Verena Wyss, whose playful paintings layer colourful acrylicson India ink canvas, creating abstract and beautiful, rainbow-bright art.
“My art arises from a deep inner curiosity to constantly create new and previously unknown worlds of images,” says Wyss, who describes her work as both passionate and expressive. Her painterly art revolves around the central theme of space, looking neither on perspective nor representativeness, but at the relationship between layers of paint and the interplay of transparency and opacity.
How to translate the maximalist mood into your own home? A piece of art, such as Verena Wyss’s diminutive ‘Moving’ 30cm x 30cm canvas, is a good starting point. Featuring soft colours of white, green, yellow, pink, and red, this abstract painting is reminiscent of water, sea, waves, vacation, sunset, and landscapes. Imagine this hung above a statement chair in jewel-toned velvet hue (emerald green or pink quartz would fit the brief), then throw in a contrasting print cushion for good measure (just about any print will do: stripes, leopard print or a chintzy floral). Finish with a brightly coloured textured rug and here you have curated maximalist corner in your home.
To bring the mood into your bedroom, hanging a print above the bed is a good place to start. Wyss’s Red Flowers would fit the brief perfectly here: perfectly proportioned to hang above a headboard at 60x106cm. Created in February 2020, the canvas drawers upon a longing for spring, for warmth, for flowers.
“They are imaginary flowers that were created on the canvas in my typical painting style … fast, impulsive with a red mixture of colours from magenta to vermilion to light blue – on a rather gray background. It was the longing that everything would soon come to life again,” Wyss explains.
As maximalism hinges on generous use of colour, don’t shy away from mixing patterns in your bedding – experiment with pillowcases, cushions, covers and throws in contrasting designs such as animal prints, geometric patterns and illustrated motifs. Eschew the age-old rule that bedding has tobe co-ordinated for maximum payoff. A curated bookshelf works beautifully in a maximalist bedroom too – look for books with colourful covers and decorative spines to bring your bedroom reading into the interiors aesthetic.
Finally consider an ornate lampshade on your bedside table and colourful bunch of dried flowers in an antique vase for that cosy more-is-more mood.
Here’s to a brighter, more colourful 2023.
Browse Verena Wyss’ collection at verenawyss.com
