Designer Tips for Achieving Maximalism in Your Home

Meet Isabel Ladd

Meet Isabel Ladd — a Kentucky-based designer with a passion for maximalism and a knack for knowing exactly how to implement a mélange of colors, textures and patterns in a space without ever compromising on style.

Increase Risk to Increase Reward

Isabel’s design style falls somewhere between a no-holds-barred approach to color and patterns and a museum-like curation of aesthetics. She is able to make a space feel loud and bold, yet still welcoming and cozy.

Create Your Happy Place

“The thing I love the most about design is its ability to transform the way you feel. Design can energize or calm you, and certainly make you feel content and grounded when you walk into your home, your happy place, your retreat from the world,” says Isabel. It’s this understanding that allows her to create irresistible design moments for her clients.

Keep Everything in Its Place

This living room is packed with an assortment of colors, patterns and textures, yet nothing seems out of place. “While maximalism does indeed glorify the idea of excess, I like to execute it in a very curated way. Everything has its place, and nothing is out of place. For instance, a coffee table is loaded with books, memorabilia and a fabulous plant and cachepot. However, every piece is meticulously placed, and accessories are balanced,” notes Isabel.

It Doesn't Have to Match to Work

This vignette is a perfect glimpse into Isabel's brand of maximalism. Nothing in the space matches, yet everything works. On the sofa is what she references when asked about her go-to decor elements. “I have a signature move that I try to implement in each project: It’s Scalamandré’s Tiger Velvet. Animal print is my neutral. I’ll try to incorporate this Tiger Velvet in a chair, but sometimes I can only get away with a pillow.”

Skip Boring Wallpapers

“My other go-to decor element would be super-duper bold wallpaper. Some people will argue that they may get tired of it, but I counter it by saying: but what if you love it so much, that it becomes your favorite part of your house?!” says Isabel. Even in a room filled with color and patterns, she went all-in on a bold floral wallpaper and the results speak for themselves.

Spend Your Money on Statement Makers

“You can do maximalism on a budget by choosing bold, colorful wallpapers and prints. So, instead of spending funds on subtly printed wallpapers or fabrics, (because you’ll just have to spend more money on other goods to achieve the maximalist effect), spend money once, on something that will have the biggest punch of all,” advises Isabel. This space perfectly exemplifies how one bold element can enhance every item in the room.

Don't Forget the Ceiling

To maximize your wallpaper's impact, Isabel recommends you don't stop at the walls. She says, “My other go-to is wallpaper for the ceiling. It doesn’t have to be the same paper as what’s on the walls (though it could look amazing if it were!), but if the ceiling and trim were left white, they just stand out like a sore thumb and look unfinished. So, remember that the ceiling is the fifth wall!"

Patterned Tile? Just Go for It

Understandably, many homeowners are afraid of committing to a bold, patterned tile like the one seen in this kitchen. Isabel’s advice? “I tell them: YOLO. So, make it count and love it when you do, and replace it when you’re over it. Wallpaper can be removed or replaced, tile can be painted over (I stencil or paint ugly tile floors all the time instead of demo-ing them), furniture can be recovered.”

Go Big With Your Lighting

With a few key elements, Isabel was able to make this standard white kitchen a fun and exciting design moment. Though we love the colorful stools and patterned tile, most notable are the oversized pendants suspended above the island. When it comes to lighting, she says, “Always go big and bold. Lighting should not be an afterthought, basic or discreet. Select lights which are unique and really fill a space. When deciding between the smaller or larger size, pick the largest size that still allows for a taller person to walk under it. Go big and unique on kitchen island lights, too. And think of unexpected options that have cool shapes and aren’t necessarily glass, round, pendant lights. Select lights that are different textures such as rattan, woven seagrass, knitted metals (you read that right!) or embroidered. In lieu of traditional bathroom sconces or bedside lamps, consider dropping lights down from the ceiling, hanging at the height a wall sconce or nightstand lamp would hang.”

Never Opt for Average

Rather than opt for a standard vanity light, Isabel chose to make a statement by installing this delicate brass sconce reminiscent of a vintage desk lamp. The shiny brass fixture and bold blue vanity pop against the bathroom's patterned wallpaper.

Don't Forget About Lamps

Isabel’s thoughts on lighting don’t stop at the ceiling or wall. Even her choices for table lamps are big and bold. She effortlessly dresses up this simple console table with visual intrigue in the form of gold tree trunk lamps, a gold mirror and a unique piece of art off to the side.

Work With What You Have

Isabel works to give her clients the most impactful design she can while still being mindful of their budgets and needs. Regarding this home, she says, “The client was initially considering re-painting the walls, but I knew that painting an entire house would eat up a lot of the budget. Therefore, I rationalized that we should be intentional and bold in the furnishings, rugs, colors, and patterns first and foremost, and then re-evaluate whether it would still be necessary to re-paint the entire house. In this case, once the installation was complete, the home looked so finished, that the neutral walls worked well as they were and truly supported the furnishings. I really think about the best way to allocate budgets and what will make the biggest impact.”

Make an Impact With Your Decor

Making a big visual impact without painting walls and trim is a bigger feat than one might think. However, Isabel was able to introduce things like artwork, a rug, sconces and even bouquets of flowers to bring much-needed color to the space. On the other hand, the buffet table and fabric chairs at the head of the table tie together with complementary geometric patterns.

Pile on the Patterns

Once the table is set, the dining room takes on an even grander appearance. Colorful, patterned dinnerware sitting atop contrasting chargers, gold flatware resting on patterned linens and vibrant glassware work together to elevate the overall atmosphere of the room. Whereas many designers may shy away from this many different colors and patterns, this is where Isabel thrives.

Color Blank Canvases

This sitting room is another great view into how Isabel delivers a visual punch without committing to a bold paint color or wallpaper. With an assortment of colorful artwork and lively furniture pieces, she’s able to color a vibrant scene in a room that maintains a relatively neutral base.

Do Sweat the Small Stuff

Isabel’s take on maximalism works because she’s all about the details. Though nothing in this vignette perfectly matches, there’s not a single item that doesn’t complement its neighbor. The implementation of the mirrored table grabs color and patterns from around the room and tells a different visual story depending on where you’re standing.

Sometimes Less Is More

When asked for her tips on styling mantels and shelves, Isabel laughs, “I can’t believe I’m saying this: but less is more when it comes to styling shelves and mantles…When I style a mantle, I start with a large piece of art above. Then, I’ll add a sculptural, artsy object on either side. I like to start with symmetry, then add one other thing to break the symmetry.”

Skip the Knickknacks

Understanding how counterintuitive saying “less is more” sounds when discussing maximalism, Isabel goes on to clarify, “To keep shelves from getting cluttered, but still having a high impact, I like to wallpaper the back of bookshelves in a bold pattern. Then, I very selectively layer in books and objets d’art. I do not use paperback books or small, knickknack items. I also layer collections and group like-with-like. For instance, I’ll stack a collection of iconic National Geographic magazines or I’ll group a collection of records.”

Curate, Curate, Curate

Approaching maximalism with such a curated bias is what separates good design from bad. As Isabel puts it, “maximalist design is very much a personal design aesthetic; a reflection of all the things you love, all out on center stage. It is not just about looking at pretty things - it’s ultimately a framework for your life, a reflection of who you are. Maximalist design is a bold, multi-faceted declaration of repeated patterns, colors, textures; a layering of wallpapers, fabrics, art and personal items … all at once.”

Start in a Kid's Room

Afraid of diving into maximalism in your home? Start with a kid’s room. In fact, many homeowners already practice maximalism in kids' rooms and nurseries without even realizing it. Vibrant, unapologetic patterns, over-the-top decorative pieces and fun bedding are already right at home in a child’s room. All it takes is a little curation of these pieces to make a stunning design moment.

Don't Let Color Scare You

A bright pink egg chair, flamboyant artwork and a handful of colorful prints and patterns may seem like a risk in your living room, but this child’s bedroom proves otherwise. Isabel achieves an elevated sophistication that would work effortlessly throughout the home, without compromising on creating a fun atmosphere.

Go All Out With Patterns

When asked if color or patterns make the greater visual impact, Isabel responds, “Patterns. And on unexpected surfaces. I have several wallpapers in my house that are two colors (brown and white, gold and white, and black and white.) But they are in unexpected places like kitchen walls, backsplashes and ceilings. Up a flight of stairs, connecting the foyer to the upstairs landing, and in teeny-tiny hallways and itty-bitty bathrooms. It’s the pattern and placement that makes the greatest visual impact.”

Enhance Your Aesthetic With Artwork

One of Isabel’s greatest strengths is her curation of gorgeous artwork and her ability to use it to enhance a room’s overall aesthetic. Regarding her process, she says, “I start by asking the client what their interests are because I’d like to reflect that. Have they lived in other countries or cities? Do they like to be surrounded by images of nature? Photography? Then, I source original art both locally or at trade shows where I pick the image, but then specify it be made in a particular size or frame."

Choose the Best Art for Your Space

Additionally, Isabel says, "I’ll measure the space and annotate my ideal size range so that I find pieces that fit that space. I also layer a lot of art by perhaps putting one large piece off to one side, and two similar-sized pieces off to the other side, layered above and below one another. I am also very cognitive of using a range of mediums throughout a home: oils on canvas, watercolors, charcoal drawings. I also use a range of subjects: landscapes, abstract, figural, photography, etc… It’s instinctual for me to know how to mix art.”

Design Your Home for You

“When designing a room, I look to accomplish a space that will serve a functional purpose as well as lift you up emotionally or subconsciously,” notes Isabel. “I also like to use every single room in a house. So, if you’re not a formal family, you may not need a formal sitting room or dining room. A game room or a room that serves as a special place to retreat may serve your family better. I like to really think about how the people living in the space will use it, as opposed to how something “should” be, because that’s what the floorplan said, or that’s how a previous owner used a particular room.”

25 Designer Tips for Bringing Trendy Maximalism Into Your Home

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