Maximalism for beginners: how to create your dream living space

It used to be all about the bedroom – the one place where we could be brave with colour and pattern choices. Perhaps because it’s an ‘invitation only’ room. But as a trawl through Instagram will confirm, the living room has become the new hero space to express your styling skills and personality, with more than 7.9 million posts currently tagged #livingroom. So how do you make yours the design star of your home?

Need help with a colour scheme that reflects your style? Start with an item you love – it could be a print, a painting, a vase, a cushion or even the packaging from a posh packet of biscuits.

Let’s say you choose a print, like the Gustav Klimt one above. Start by pulling out the colours that you are really drawn to, sticking to no more than five – any more and you’ll risk over-confusing the space. Use these as a basis for a moodboard, collecting images of furniture, paint, fabric, wallpaper and accessories.

Look at your moodboard and decide what will be your hero or dominant colour – this can then be used for your sofa, a feature wall or pair of curtains, with the remaining colours used as complementary shades or accents.

Don’t shy away from mixing different prints. In a maximalist-style living room, confident pattern combining is a must. Again, if you love an item and it fits with your colour moodboard, then it will work in your living room. 

One word of caution when pattern combining: it’s important to consider scale. Large patterns work best where they can be appreciated, like a feature wallpaper or full-length curtains. Save those smaller, more intricate patterns for cushions.

Even if you’re not giving your whole living room a makeover, you can still inject personality with a few sofa styling secrets. Start with your throw or blanket – is it super-tactile, or crisp and cool? How you style it can also reflect your personality – are you a ‘neatly folded over the armrest’ person, or do you go for more of a casual look? 

Odd cushion numbers are favoured by interior stylists – one, three or five (if you have space). Start with a few plain ones that reflect your accent colours, then add a hero style – try embroidered for inner boho, velvet for a touch of luxe, or a colour-wash floral for the romantic in you.

Collections of pictures and photographs will add colour and personality to your room, without the need to repaint the walls. Choose pieces on a theme – such as travelscapes, floral prints or family photos – or unite random images by using similar frames. 

How you arrange your wall gallery can again reflect your inner style. Do you favour order? Then start with strict rows. If you are more expressive, then hang the largest print first and fill in the gaps with smaller frames. A top tip is to make a paper template of each frame and reposition with masking tape to the wall until you are happy with your display.

Living rooms often have to be multifunctional, working not just as an everyday space but a place for entertaining or for hobbies such as sewing. Make sure you’ve thought through how best to incorporate all the room’s uses. Often these can be small changes – from a bar trolley for cocktails to a craft cupboard for your sewing machine – but they will all help to create a fully functioning living room that truly reflects you and your interests.