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Better than Grandma’s In this room, realized by Cynthia Ferguson Design, striking colours and prints are used thoughtfully, so the result is chic and customized.

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Better than Grandma’s In this room, realized by Cynthia Ferguson Design, striking colours and prints are used thoughtfully, so the result is chic and customized.

DESIGN

Ushering in Curated Chaos

Minimalist lines and stark palettes are finally loosening their grip on the world of interiors, making way for a bolder, louder and more personalized approach to decorating. When it comes to modern maximalism, more is decidedly more.

WORDS BY Doug Wallace

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Lauren Miller & Cynthia Ferguson

Scandi style has dominated interior design for so long it seemed we were doomed to spend eternity in a bleached wood room with little more than a teak-framed three-seater and a Poul Henningsen PH Artichoke lamp to feather our nest. But a revolution is brewing and decor anarchy is staking its claim on stylish homes from coast to coast. Call it modern maximalism, call it curated chaos (we do!)—no matter what moniker you choose to slap on it, this is a distinct redirection from the stark and the austere toward more statement-worthy furnishings, vibrant and tactile materials, and more personalized, lived-in spaces. It seems the keyword in design circles today is simply “more.” Not Grandma’s chintz living room “more,” but a contemporary approach to a space filled with colour, texture and some curated quirk.

Happily, with this new intentional assortment of colour, pattern, objets and collections of “things” comes blanket permission to do anything. You can push the limits not quite over the top but certainly to the max. That said, “anything” doesn’t necessarily mean “everything”—you don’t have to redo your entire home to get in on this trend; even a few changes can inject a dash of bold personality. Easing your way into the look can include selecting and then building on a statement piece of furniture or reupholstering existing furniture in a daring pattern or texture. Adding a colourful lamp or side table can definitely make a splash, as can doing a feature wall in a dramatic wallpaper.

Don’t be afraid to add yourself into this tableau and become part of the picture. By tapping into your own life experiences, you can use personal storytelling to help determine what decor elements and motifs to include in your space—be that an elaborately framed heirloom photograph, dad’s silver bar accoutrements, your latest handmade quilt or a collection of glass figurines. We asked design experts and an environmental expert how to explore the trend.

▲ Above A sunny condo kitchen reno featuring a backsplash with pizzazz by Cynthia Ferguson Design.

Happily, with this new intentional assortment of colour, pattern, objets and collections of “things” comes blanket permission to do anything. You can push the limits not quite over the top but certainly to the max. That said, “anything” doesn’t necessarily mean “everything”—you don’t have to redo your entire home to get in on this trend; even a few changes can inject a dash of bold personality. Easing your way into the look can include selecting and then building on a statement piece of furniture or reupholstering existing furniture in a daring pattern or texture. Adding a colourful lamp or side table can definitely make a splash, as can doing a feature wall in a dramatic wallpaper.

Don’t be afraid to add yourself into this tableau and become part of the picture. By tapping into your own life experiences, you can use personal storytelling to help determine what decor elements and motifs to include in your space—be that an elaborately framed heirloom photograph, dad’s silver bar accoutrements, your latest handmade quilt or a collection of glass figurines. We asked design experts and an environmental expert how to explore the trend.

Dare To Colour-Drench We’ve all seen the red dining room walls and fluorescent orange powder rooms—the use of bold colours has been “in and out” as a design trend for decades. But what’s currently making it new is how it’s factored into your space.

While super-bright colours may have a shorter lifespan, says Toronto interior designer Suzanne Dimma, she is seeing them more in high-impact hits. “I’ve seen a beautiful metal light fixture in cobalt blue that really stood out; it had huge impact in the room. I’m also seeing standing lamps, small side tables and even whole kitchen islands done in a bright colour—yellow or cobalt are the two shades cropping up most often. There are also a few companies making concrete sinks in bold colours. That’s another way to bring colour into the powder room.”

Canadian companies such as Balux and mud. concrete can produce bespoke bathroom vanities and sinks that make a colourful statement—and manage to look surprisingly light for something made of cement. Cabinet pros like BARK Custom Woodworks and G&H Cabinetry and Woodworks could deftly use colour to make a kitchen island both a striking and functional focal point.

While colour can’t really dictate your emotions, it can influence or encourage certain responses in combination with contextual factors, like culture and the environment. Blue is often associated with stability, green with growth, orange with enthusiasm and purple with creativity or spirituality. Red can imply intensity and yellow suggests optimism, while black can signify both power and sophistication. However, it’s not that simple. “Colour meanings are partly learned, so culture and personal preference make a significant difference,” says Lindsay McCunn, a professor of environmental psychology at Vancouver Island University.

The brain tends to amplify bold colours because they’re higher in saturation, which you then interpret as more stimulating than pale colours. “Research in environmental psychology shows that highly saturated colours tend to increase physiological ‘arousal,’ they grab our attention and feel more activating,” McCunn says. “Some of this reaction is biological—our visual system is tuned to notice vivid contrasts—and some is learned... But whether that activation feels pleasant or overwhelming varies from person to person. Lighting, context and memories associated with a colour all shape how we respond.”

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Left A bold bathroom with maximalist appeal by Cynthia Ferguson Design.

For you, blue may cool you down enough to make you want to consider it for the walls in your home office, to inspire productivity and lower stress. Similarly, a muted shade in the bedroom could lend serenity. It’s also important to consider how the colour you choose is going to affect you and those in your home personally. Maybe a full-on red sitting area will drive you out of it or a family member has an aversion to green. Keep in mind that one person’s whimsical lime green could be another’s nausea trigger.

Conventional colour methodology typically dictates that bold colours are best used monochromatically, but today’s visually arresting interiors are leaning into colour-blocking—when large, solid blocks of contrasting colours are placed side by side to create a bold, graphic look. The same goes for colour capping, in which the ceiling is painted a different colour from the walls, which can add high drama.

Below A bold bathroom with maximalist appeal by Cynthia Ferguson Design.

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For you, blue may cool you down enough to make you want to consider it for the walls in your home office, to inspire productivity and lower stress. Similarly, a muted shade in the bedroom could lend serenity. It’s also important to consider how the colour you choose is going to affect you and those in your home personally. Maybe a full-on red sitting area will drive you out of it or a family member has an aversion to green. Keep in mind that one person’s whimsical lime green could be another’s nausea trigger.

Conventional colour methodology typically dictates that bold colours are best used monochromatically, but today’s visually arresting interiors are leaning into colour-blocking—when large, solid blocks of contrasting colours are placed side by side to create a bold, graphic look. The same goes for colour capping, in which the ceiling is painted a different colour from the walls, which can add high drama.

People still gravitate toward the moody, earthy hues from Farrow & Ball, like the smoky greens and brown undertones, Dimma says. You’re not going to get tired of these colours the way you will of super-bright colours. She makes note of the unique paint treatments cropping up in new interiors, such as painting only half or a third of the wall instead of the whole thing. “One house had a version of those ’70s stripes you see on ski jackets, a rectangular swath about two feet wide going up a white wall and onto the ceiling. It was really cool.” She also says homeowners are adding colour to the trim of a room now—a subtle hue or a muddy tone—instead of going with white baseboards and casements, which have always been considered a neutral standard.

Speaking of trim, the rules for its treatment have flown out the window, according to Montreal interior designer France Morisset. “The classic scene was that the trim had to have a satin finish and the ceiling was matte. The reason being, the higher the sheen, the more washable the wall was. That’s all changed. What’s new is a room with everything painted the same colour, but also in the same matte sheen. Matte paint has become practically bionic, it’s so much more washable now. And the more matte the paint, the fewer defects you see.”

Touchy Feely Furnishings

Texture is another great way to add an extra dimension to an interior and give spaces more depth. Tactile fabrics like velvet, bouclé, corduroy, mohair and wool felt can feel welcome in any room. Nubby linens, faux fur, leather and shearling also present ways to amp up the sensory factor.

“I’m a big fan of textures, because they add so much warmth and character, and you get an instant, layered effect,” Dimma says. “Bouclé is still showing up everywhere but corduroy is my new alternative to that, and it’s also available in some beautiful colours. A Berber loop-pile carpet almost looks like a big, chunky sweater on the floor. People are still loving herringbone-patterened wood floors, too; you don’t really need a lot of rugs when you do that. I also like introducing texture to walls, whether it’s V-groove paneling or interior shingles—anything that breaks up the drywall.”

Morisset says she’s a sucker for velvet, “particularly velvet curtains. I’m totally into corduroy right now, too, specifically the wide version. I just did a sofa in wide corduroy in bottle green that looks amazing.”

Textures don’t have to begin and end with fabrics, either. Seagrass and cork can add texture to walls, as can slatted woods like oak, ash and walnut. Matte ceramic kitchen or bathroom backsplashes, textured-plaster ceilings, and brushed-metal table legs or faucets have also edged their way into the picture.

“All the hardware I use for kitchens and bathrooms now is not polished,” Morisset says.

The same is true for Dimma: “I think antique brass finishes have become a classic. They give you such a cool British look that I’m loving right now. I also like using aged bronze. Some clients don’t like patina, but in most cases it really looks great.”

▲ Above In the home of Andrea Gelinas, her son’s room, designed by the owner, blends fun and sophistication.

Touchy Feely Furnishings

Texture is another great way to add an extra dimension to an interior and give spaces more depth. Tactile fabrics like velvet, bouclé, corduroy, mohair and wool felt can feel welcome in any room. Nubby linens, faux fur, leather and shearling also present ways to amp up the sensory factor.

“I’m a big fan of textures, because they add so much warmth and character, and you get an instant, layered effect,” Dimma says. “Bouclé is still showing up everywhere but corduroy is my new alternative to that, and it’s also available in some beautiful colours. A Berber loop-pile carpet almost looks like a big, chunky sweater on the floor. People are still loving herringbone-patterened wood floors, too; you don’t really need a lot of rugs when you do that. I also like introducing texture to walls, whether it’s V-groove paneling or interior shingles—anything that breaks up the drywall.”

Morisset says she’s a sucker for velvet, “particularly velvet curtains. I’m totally into corduroy right now, too, specifically the wide version. I just did a sofa in wide corduroy in bottle green that looks amazing.”

Textures don’t have to begin and end with fabrics, either. Seagrass and cork can add texture to walls, as can slatted woods like oak, ash and walnut. Matte ceramic kitchen or bathroom backsplashes, textured-plaster ceilings, and brushed-metal table legs or faucets have also edged their way into the picture.

“All the hardware I use for kitchens and bathrooms now is not polished,” Morisset says.

The same is true for Dimma: “I think antique brass finishes have become a classic. They give you such a cool British look that I’m loving right now. I also like using aged bronze. Some clients don’t like patina, but in most cases it really looks great.”

▶ Right Andrea Gelinas’s home, designed by the owner in collaboration with Shauna Walton Design.

▲ Above Andrea Gelinas’s home, designed by the owner in collaboration with Shauna Walton Design.

That Sweet “Sentiment Chic”

No homeowner is immune to wanting to surround themselves with a meaningful mix of pieces that tells a story. We all love our “stuff,” after all. Presenting your home as a personal archive generates a type of memory-forward design, a show-and-tell styling that has an identity-driven narrative. In today’s case, “the more the merrier” seems to be the credo of new maximalism, which invites your eyes to bounce from one thing to the next. And when items, eras and styles are juxtaposed and patterns mixed, a purposeful clashing is achieved. An Art Deco mirror over a modern mantelpiece, florals and plaids in the same seating area, a montage of folk art and contemporary photography—your “stuff” can often live comfortably in exciting contrariness. It’s an aesthetic that Morisset has cheekily nicknamed “shock deco.”

McCunn feels that from a cognitive perspective, busy interiors give the brain more to process at once, which can have both positive and not-so-positive effects. “Dense visual environments can increase cognitive effort and tax our attention over time.” She says that while some people find this stimulating and enjoyable, others “reach their threshold more quickly and can feel mentally fatigued or overwhelmed. So, preference can depend on the individual, their personality and their adaptation level.”

To avoid burnout, you can stick to one colour yet layer in different tones of it, pare down or edit a personal collection somewhat, or curate a black-and-white gallery wall.

Presenting your home as a personal archive generates a type of memory-forward design, a show-and-tell styling that has an identity-driven narrative.

▲ Above This Cynthia Ferguson-designed home leans into statement texture and striking details for a richly layered look.

Displaying collections of things you hold dear is a way of adding a bit of order or community to any chaos created as a result of the “jumble-sale effect” of maximalism. The scale of the space, and the size and number of your items will dictate how cluttered the room seems.

“My sister collects tea pots that line the top of her kitchen cupboards,” Dimma says. “I myself have a whole bunch of vintage coffee pots and canisters and pepper mills; I just love the shape of them. Our wooden pepper mills are in a tight grouping in the centre of a large coffee table in our den. We have a cousin who collects unusual music stands, then displays things on them that can be switched up—a vase or a dried branch or a small sculpture. Foundry items are still a big thing, like unusual cogs and metal bits.”

Morisset recently worked a client’s collection of porcelain knobs into built-in hallway cabinets. “And her husband had collected all these little porcelain bottles of gin from flying in business class with KLM. [They’re] little houses depicting different Dutch architectural styles. We put them in a glassed-in shelf in the kitchen.”

What it ultimately comes down to is adding in that dash of you (and those you live with) to make your interior feel like it’s telling a personal story. Whether you lean into a bold new paint job, a conversation-starting piece of furniture, or a wacky assemblage of things you’ve collected on your global travels, let your interiors do the talking. Because right now, there’s no need to hold back.

▲ Above This Cynthia Ferguson-designed home leans into statement texture and striking details for a richly layered look.

Displaying collections of things you hold dear is a way of adding a bit of order or community to any chaos created as a result of the “jumble-sale effect” of maximalism. The scale of the space, and the size and number of your items will dictate how cluttered the room seems.

“My sister collects tea pots that line the top of her kitchen cupboards,” Dimma says. “I myself have a whole bunch of vintage coffee pots and canisters and pepper mills; I just love the shape of them. Our wooden pepper mills are in a tight grouping in the centre of a large coffee table in our den. We have a cousin who collects unusual music stands, then displays things on them that can be switched up—a vase or a dried branch or a small sculpture. Foundry items are still a big thing, like unusual cogs and metal bits.”

Morisset recently worked a client’s collection of porcelain knobs into built-in hallway cabinets. “And her husband had collected all these little porcelain bottles of gin from flying in business class with KLM. [They’re] little houses depicting different Dutch architectural styles. We put them in a glassed-in shelf in the kitchen.”

What it ultimately comes down to is adding in that dash of you (and those you live with) to make your interior feel like it’s telling a personal story. Whether you lean into a bold new paint job, a conversation-starting piece of furniture, or a wacky assemblage of things you’ve collected on your global travels, let your interiors do the talking. Because right now, there’s no need to hold back.

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