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Maximalism is India’s natural design instinct

Maximal Designs

By Rachana Nakra

Aug 10, 2022

Maximalism design with low-hanging chandelier - Beautiful Homes

What has been a part of design for centuries in India, is now being celebrated once again

In an interview with us, when Parmesh Shahani vehemently declared to me that “Minimalism is a cop out!” he made my day. This is not to say that I am a maximalist. Do I enjoy beautiful things? Oh, I do. Do I dream of suddenly one day packing up all my belongings in a backpack and moving to Costa Rica? No doubt. So in my daily choices I sit somewhere in the middle—between the love of things I want to be surrounded by, and the life of minimalism with real psychological benefits of a ‘less life’ in this ‘more world’. But as an editor of a magazine, to me, the exciting ideas and conversations are usually in the extremes. And I love it when someone is able to take a stand and have their life’s choices to show for it.

And as such Parmesh and designers that love maximalism, will argue that it is not about having a lot of stuff. “It is about exuberance, not over-consumption. It’s about layering contextually; it’s about juxtaposition of things where each layer adds something. It is very much about an overt and grateful celebration through colour, large shapes and more,” says Parmesh. In the milieu of home décor maximalism implies mixing and matching, colour and print, displaying your favourite curios and travel momentos and everything else in multiples. So yes, you can’t really do it without stuff either.

Damask wallpaper, white curtains & hanging lights - Beautiful Homes

Use different kinds of textiles to add texture, shine and print to your décor. Photography by Isha Shah

For designer JJ Valaya the answer is very straightforward—we are a maximalist country. Complexity is part of our culture and trickles down into everything starting from our food. “Look at our spices, our big thaalis full of different flavours, our festivals, and look through Indian architecture with those beautiful masterpieces. India is maximalist at heart, but then we live in a digital age and try to be ‘with it’ with the rest of the world and therefore minimalism sort of creeps in,” he says, about the impact of minimalism in culture in the last few years.

In a recent interview when asked about Maximalism, designer Parmesh quoted that “Maximalism is about exuberance, not over-consumption. It’s about layering contextually; it’s about the juxtaposition of things where each layer adds something. It is very much about an overt and grateful celebration through colour, large shapes and more” and designer JJ Valaya’s answer was very straightforward—we are a maximalist country. Complexity is part of our culture and trickles down into everything starting from our food. ” In the milieu of home décor maximalism implies mixing and matching, colour and print, displaying your favourite curios and travel momentos and everything else in multiples.

ONLY MORE IS MORE

So we have understood that layering is a big part of the practical application of maximalism—what a lot of people misinterpret as clutter, but what Parmesh describes as “elegant clutter”. “I have three rugs one on top of each other because each has a different story. I don’t even like the idea of having art in storage. Bring it all out, and if you run out of space on walls put it on your ceiling!” he adds.

Unlike most of us, he doesn’t even believe in having your best crockery saved for special occasions. Maximalism is an everyday celebration of life for him and elegance is a part of that. Valaya adds elegance within all of those layers through textiles, leather, mirrors, textures and most importantly culture and stories. “There's also the kitsch kind of maximalism which is loud, blingy, uses strong colours which works for some, but not for me. I believe that maximalism if done sophisticatedly adds the requisite amount of warmth that you require in a home and that is why I indulge in it,” he says.

White sofa with hanging wall art - Beautiful Homes

Statement lighting and artworks are great conversation starters too. Photography by Ashish Sahi

Armless sofa chair with trunk table - Beautiful Homes

You can use a neutral base of white or grey to display your collection of curios. Photography by Isha Shah

If by now you have some clarity and also some overwhelm about making this work, here are some tips from the experts:

“First of all, stop caring about what other people think,” says Parmesh.
As Indians we come from a very strong colour heritage. Everyone here mixes and matches—flowers, bangles, colour—and you can too.
It’s not about the money you spend on things—you need to have an eye for things. “Even as a student I had done up my home in brocade, and khadi rugs from Khadi Bhandaar. It was fabulous and over the top,” says Parmesh.
Don’t underestimate the power of flowers. A true maximalist is about all senses.
“Be true to yourself,” says Valaya. Trends come and go but a home cannot be transient—it has to grow with you, age with you. “Your home will only keep on getting more and more interesting because you're collecting memories. Photographs, paintings, artifacts, rugs, wherever you travel you pickup something meaningful to you,” he adds.

Watch the video for more insights by JJ Valaya about everything that is maximalism!

Vibrant rug with mosaic flooring for a compact drawing room - Beautiful Homes

Mixing and matching prints is fun and can make your interiors stand out. Photography by Pulkit Sehgal

Maximalism design with low-hanging chandelier - Beautiful Homes

What is clutter to someone’s eyes is just layering and a love of things to the maximalist. Image courtesy, Beyond Designs

Wooden ceiling & plant décor for living room - Beautiful Homes

Don’t be afraid to display all your art. Photography by Pankaj Anand

Vintage home design with traditional wallpaper - Beautiful Homes

Printed wallpaper is the simplest first step to adding character to your room. Image courtesy, Nilaya by Asian Paints

Concrete staircase with sofa chair - Beautiful Homes

Experiment with colours on your walls. Photography by Prachi Damle

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