Everything: A Maximalist Style Guide

By Abigail Ahern

Welcome to the 'more is more' world of decorating, or as it's more commonly know in the business, Maximalism.

A style that embraces the all-out: beautiful colour palettes, luxurious textiles, patterns and embellishment. Maximalism is the epitome of passion, one in which Scandi-style, stripped bare and pared-back interiors have no place. Abigail Ahern guides us through the sea change in the world of interiors as the pendulum swings away from minimalism, over to our increasing desire for self-expression and optimism. Learn how to break the 'rules' of interior design, play fast and loose with different periods in a single room and have fun. Maximalism allows you to dip into colour palettes and any decade or style, with the effect of stirring up emotions and creating a bedazzling space you'd never want to leave.

Chapters include:
Developing a Sense of Style: Research tips and how to begin, from trawling Instagram and tearing sheets from magazine.
Expressing Yourself: Learning which rules to forget and which guidelines you would do best to remember to make your decorating foolproof.
All-Important Accessories: Learn to create a story whereby every object in the room supports the same vision.
Identifying Your Palette: Experiment with thinking outside the box and be curious with colour – what matters most is not the colour but the tone.
Creating a Sense of Home: All homes should have a soul and you should be the mixologist, taking risks and mixing up furniture styles with aplomb.
Creating Ambience with Lighting: Lighting is key and enables you to set a mood that is instantly tangible and has a direct impact on mood and energy.
Styling Your Space: The secret ingredient to making a maximalist home work, and not feeling like a cluttered mess.
Challenge the Norm: Harness beauty and oddity, sensuous and the macabre, to create a decorative melting pot where elements vibrate with energy.
Little Black Book: Take a peek inside Abigail's little black book where we find the best global decor stores not to be missed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Oct 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781911663669

Abigail Ahern

Abigail Ahern is an influential tastemaker who has redefined the visual landscape with her unique style and bold approach. Her trendsetting designs are synonymous with glamour, eclecticism and wit. In 2015, she launched her Abigail Ahern own-label collection, available worldwide as well as the Abigail Ahern London store. She is the author of the best-selling Everything and a guest judge on Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (BBC/Netflix) and regularly appears on radio and TV for her interiors expertise. She has 216k followers on Instagram.

Book preview

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Full disclosure:

I am an unabashed maximalist.

One of the reasons I am so obsessed with maximalist interiors is that they stir up emotions, offering a much-needed respite from minimalism and mid-century quietness. Maximalism is the most explorative of styles, nothing is off limits. Through experimentation with materiality, colour, form, vintage finds and modern pieces it’s an aesthetic that pulls in and weaves together different periods and styles that are distinctive, expressive narratives. It’s a highly stylized type of decor and it holds comfort as its very centre. It’s a full-on sensory experience that lifts your spirits and provides inspiration in a way that minimalism just can’t.

I think maximalist interiors have had a bad rap in the past because spaces can look like they’ve been decorated by someone who’s had seven cups of coffee while nursing a hangover: chaotic and messy with an overwhelming thoughtlessness and disarray that feels jarring and not at all serene. Yet it doesn’t have to feel that way. I’m championing a new kind of maximalism, one that – when you get it right – feels considered, curated and magical.

There is such an emotional quality to maximalist interiors because they require you to draw upon things you love. I’ll be unravelling my ideas for creating a sensory-stimulating home, where a visual cacophony of pieces tie in together, harmonize and intrigue, and also contrast and excite. In so doing we’ll be mixing fancy with friendly, gritty with glam, feminine with masculine, dainty with weighty and, above all, we’ll create a home you’ll never want to leave.

Here’s how…

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I am a huge believer that by adding considered colours, textures, patterns and accents you’ll create spaces that solicit conversation and evoke immense personal pleasure.

Maximalist interiors cram in a wealth of experiences in every space, mixing edgy pieces with vintage treasures, and refined items with raw, unique, one-off finds. It’s one of the most interesting and individual design styles out there. It pushes boundaries and challenges rules and in so doing provokes an emotional response.

Nothing is off limits! Having said that, I’m not talking about neon pink walls, with plastic pigeons and a large dollop of leopard print thrown in. If you love that vibe, go for it, it’s just not for me. I am talking about partnering high end with low end, high street with handcrafted, vintage with modern. My kind of interior is decorating with intention rather than just frivolously plonking stuff everywhere. I am a believer that by adding considered colours, textures, patterns and accents you’ll create spaces that solicit conversation and evoke immense personal pleasure.

Whether your place is big or small, owned or rented, whether you live uptown or downtown, on the coast or in the country, maximalist interiors are all about surrounding yourself with things that you love that make you (and your home) feel a little bit cooler, a little bit more glamorous, and that resonate with the heart.

Whatever style your home is, it should feel like a place free from rules and authority where you can do whatever you like. I know that when I get home and put the key in the lock I enter a space that calms me, inspires me and makes me feel a whole lot happier. I’ve escaped into my own universe and my home is a reflection of my interior self! If all of that sounds too profound, fear not, we are going to deep dive into how to create a home that reflects you, by balancing colours, patterns, rich fabrics, textures and eclectic furnishings, all in one room.

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ASK QUESTIONS

I know first hand from the classes I teach all over the globe, as well as hold in my own pad every month, that many people struggle with finding their own sense of style. This might sound a tad gung-ho but it’s actually easier than you may think. It just takes a pair of fresh eyes and about a zillion questions. Start with taking a walk through your home and ask yourself the following:

→What stands out, what catches your eye?

→How do you feel in the space?

→Are your walls too plain?

→Do you like the paint colour?

→What pieces do you love?

→What colours do you like?

→What styles are you drawn to?

→Do you have any hobbies, activities or collections that need to be factored in?

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Designers ask questions all the time, it’s a great way to understand how you want the space to feel.

A key stage in developing a sense of style is to drill into your emotions and visualize, if you can, how you want your space to look and feel. Visualization is a powerful tool that athletes (as an example) use a lot. Start by visualizing how you want your space to look and then begin collecting imagery. Don’t rush it and don’t play it too safe. We need to push boundaries and dream here. Think big, don’t be restricted by practicalities – just grab images from Pinterest, blogs and magazines that make your heart beat just that little bit faster. At this stage, don’t try to be practical. I suggest setting up two folders – one of images you love, the other of images you don’t like. Don’t overthink it, just grab them.

Mood boards are a great tool for getting off the starting blocks when it comes to figuring out your own style. Without investing too much time and expense you can create your very own personal style guide, a visual language of what you love. It’s the perfect way to collect ideas, colour schemes, thoughts and moods all in one place. Keep it loose and let everything and anything inspire you. I find it’s best if you start with one really strong image. That could be something like a page torn from a magazine or a swatch of amazing fabric.

Before very long, you’ll notice a common thread appearing – that might be similar colours or patterns, comparable architectural styles, a love of nature, a gravitation towards a boho slash glam vibe (moi) or maybe it’s more traditional or industrial. I should say at this point that it’s actually better not to have one set style but rather a more eclectic approach – perfect for maximalist interiors. This is a great way of getting started, as it will help you figure out your feelings and tastes: what you love and what you don’t.

LOOK AROUND YOU

Allow commercial spaces to inspire you: restaurants, coffee shops and designer hotels. You know that feeling you get when you step into a welcoming lobby, a beautifully lit restaurant, or a luxurious suite? You feel instantly at home. From patterns to fabrics, and materials to shapes, be on the look out for inspiration – you can learn so much from what others have done.

Take hotels for instance… HÔtel Providence, in the heart of Paris, is the sweetest, tiniest boutique hotel just off Le Marais. It’s a decadent pied-à-terre with vintage objets d’art, seventies-style statement pieces, design-savvy wallpaper and a riot of colour. Midnight hued walls lined in velvet, gold deco-style headboards; the exquisite attention to detail and an unnerving embracement of pattern really set it apart. It’s super-small, and the rooms are certainly bijou, but it’s decorated so beautifully that your eye doesn’t even register that, it just registers how cool they are. Colours are restrained, pattern abounds – it’s truly inspirational.

Mood boards are a great tool for getting off the starting blocks when it comes to figuring out your own style. Without investing too much time and expense you can create your very own personal style guide, a visual language of what you love.

Another great example is the Soho House group of hotels, which range from sprawling rural retreats to urban properties, each with its own innate style. Rooted in tradition, the spaces are eclectic and contemporary, relaxed yet glam. Palettes are rich and masculine, often with earthy, heritage tones. I’m not asking you to replicate what you see, but rather be inspired by what you see. Learn from it, reinterpret it, put it through your own filter.

Travel and holidays have an increasing influence on our homes. Try to reach the essence of a place that you fell in love with. The local crafts perhaps, the colours, or a vibe, and then reinterpret it in a modern, unique way in your own home. I’m not talking about coming home from a South African safari and draping every surface with animal print, instead play up the rich earthy tones, or the contrast between rough and smooth, for instance. Your dream destination actually says quite a lot about your style. Breezy beach house near the shore anyone? A cabin snuggled into the depths of the forest? Yes please!

Another way to help figure out your style is to shop your wardrobe – as odd as this sounds, think about how you dress. Daring or conservative? Bold or neutral? It’s a great starting-off point. If your wardrobe is elegant and glam then your home should reflect that. Your wardrobe can