While visiting with my dad yesterday, we talked about how he’s decided to downsize his home for a cozier place. When the question about the latest design trends came up, I was so excited to share that maximalism is back in style!

He met my excitement with a look of confusion because he’s never heard of maximalism before — and I’m sure he’s not the only one.

I’m here to share what it is, why maximalism’s comeback is so exciting, and ways you can implement the maximalism look with French country decorating ideas.

What Is Maximalism?

Maximalism philosophy is more is more. It’s the exact opposite of the popular minimalism aesthetic that we’re so used to seeing these days.

The maximalism style is perfect for the collector. It’s all about layering and mixing different colors, textures, and other design elements in a way that feels cohesive and curated.

If you’re new to maximalist decor, the concept of “more is more” may overwhelm you at first — but I promise you it’s not just about creating piles of clutter. The point is to beautifully display meaningful pieces that you’ve collected throughout your life or that bring you joy and comfort.

What I love about the maximalism design is that every look is so wildly individual and unique. It’s such a great way to display the character of the household.

Here are the basics of maximalism decor:

• Don’t shy from color or patterns
• It’s not about perfection but personalization
• Make your space feel cozy and comfortable
• Mix and match textures, colors, prints, and artwork
• Books are a must-have
• Vintage decor is strongly encouraged
• It’s your time for your most treasured decor pieces to shine

Now let’s get into some of my tips for how to style French country decor with maximalist design tips.

Create Collections NOT Clusters

Start grouping your belongings in collections rather than clusters.

We like what we like, and in doing so, we naturally accumulate the same sorts of things.

Rather than displaying your items in clusters — that is, decor items with a similar theme together in a small space — group the same objects together as a display or collection.

For instance, if you have an artwork collection, you can create a gallery wall instead of dispersing them throughout the house.

The same design concept can be applied to your collection of vases, plates, platters, or books. By displaying these items together, it creates a “collector” aesthetic that’s the foundation of maximalism.

Style Your Books

In your modern French country-style home, there may be certain rooms that lend themselves better to the maximalist style than others.

For me, the home office is one of them.

I’ve assembled every possible book we’ve collected over the years and styled them onto the bookshelves of my home office. Having a lot of books makes it easier to categorize them by genre or color.

Feel free to be intuitive here and style what makes sense to show off your charming book collection.

Display Your Kitchenware

Another room that lends itself perfectly to maximalism is the kitchen.

If you’re like me, you probably have all your serving ware, creamware, vases, and breadboards stored inside a cabinet.

The maximalism era is where your carefully curated collection of loved kitchenware comes out to shine. Rather than hiding these beautiful pieces, show them off!

I have a farmhouse french country kitchen cabinet with chicken-wire doors that’s perfect for displaying my most loved dinnerware. Swapping your solid cabinet doors with glass windows (perfect for French country interiors, too) or installing open shelving are easy upgrades for showcasing your treasures.

Mix And Layer Fabrics

My favorite way to express maximalism is through the fabrics I use. I love to include a solid, stripe, checkered pattern, floral, or something embroidered.

I know you think it might seem busy to bring these patterns together, but if you carefully choose the color schemes to match the furniture and the wall color, this can look effortless and chic.

Here’s what I mean…

In my home office/ media room, I started by establishing my grounding color. That was easy for me because I knew I wanted the surrounding walls to be primary blue-painted, floor to ceiling bookshelves.

If you don’t have a built-in feature and don’t know where to get a grounding color, the next best thing is selecting an area rug and choosing the colors from there.

It’s easy to mix and layer fabrics when you first define your color palette. I kept it pretty monochromatic in this room, meaning all the fabric patterns have blue in them, which ties the mixed fabric elements together.

You Don’t Have To Transform Your Entire Home

If you don’t want to practice maximalism in every room of your house, try it out in one space.

The room you decide on is open to your personal preference.

I think the dining room is a great place to experiment with different styles.

You know I love playing with different design concepts on my buffet table and dining table as the seasons change. In the past, I used to have just one set of silverware that I’d use year-round, but since then I’ve branched out by bringing in other colors, styles, and patterns to compliment the seasonal tablescapes.

Choose any room that works for the type of collections you’ve grown over the years. It can be artwork, figurines, kitchenware, plants, and books. While other design trends tend to limit the number of things you put on display, maximalism welcomes all your treasured items.

The Takeaway: Applying Maximalism To Your Home

Home design is about personal expression, and the maximalist aesthetic is such a fun and vibrant way to show off the history of your family with the keepsakes from every chapter of your life.

Dig out your nearly forgotten treasure boxes and stowed-away memorabilia. It’s their moment to shine.

Let me know in the comments section if you’re excited that maximalism is back and how/ if you’ll be implementing this trend in your home. I’d love to hear your thoughts on maximalism’s return.

If you loved any of these decor pieces shown in this blog post, most of them could be found at Village Antiques in Houston, TX. We’re open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am – 5:00pm, and we’d love it if you stopped on by! Or feel free to give us a call at 713-468-3931 if you have any questions.

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Until the next time we meet, keep making your home amazing with your design gifts!