Maximalism or Minimalism: Which Interior Decor Style is Right For You?
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When it comes to your apartment decor, do you think you are more of a minimalist or a maximalist? Or maybe you're somewhere in between the two?
In this post, I'm going to give you a little quiz. It’ll be a series of questions you can ask yourself to find out where you stand in the battle between maximalism versus minimalism.
…Not that it's actually a battle. Both styles prevail in this because both are beautiful in different ways! I'm personally more of a maximalist, but I really do love minimalism too. So in the spectrum of maximalism and minimalism, where do you think you fall? Let’s figure it out together!
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
Before we get into these questions, keep in mind that there really is a spectrum between maximalism and minimalism.
This is not binary. You might be a little bit of a maximalist and a little bit of a minimalist at the same time. This isn't about putting you in a box! This is just a fun way to get some insight into maximalism versus minimalism and get you thinking about how each style could work for you.
Now let’s dive in!
1. Which comes closest to how you want your apartment decor to make you feel?
“I want to feel calmed, soothed, and relaxed”
~ Or ~
“I want to feel excited and creatively charged”
If you chose the first option, you might want to consider minimalism!
Minimalism is great for someone who really wants to unwind in their home without being surrounded by a lot of visual things going on. You just want your apartment aesthetic to feel like a soothing oasis, and you appreciate a simpler environment that creates a calming effect on your mood.
If you chose the second option, maximalism might be a better fit for you!
Maximalism is all about expressing yourself creatively. It's about giving into your creative impulses and going a bit wild with your decor. And being surrounded by a bunch of things that inspire you and light you up is going to create more of an exciting and creatively charged environment.
2. Between the two groupings of photos below, which one appeals to you most?
If you chose the first group of photos, then you might be a maximalist!
The first image group captures the wild, bold, and free-spirited energy of maximalism. They give off the overall vibe of someone who marches to the beat of their own drum and loves to make a statement.
If you chose the second group of photos, then you might be a minimalist!
The second image group embodies the tranquil, classic simplicity of minimalism. The photos are serene, monochrome, and feel like a breath of fresh air, which is the same feeling minimalism tends to evoke in a space.
3. How much visual stimulation do you like?
This one's actually a big one because I think a lot of what makes someone a maximalist or a minimalist all comes down to how much stimulation a person's brain jives with best. Some of us thrive off of a lot of visual stimulation, and some of get stressed out by too much it.
So if you thrive off of a lot of visual stimulation, you might be a maximalist.
Because maximalism is all about visual stimulation. A maximalist is genuinely lit up by a lot of visual things going on around them and feels at home in a space filled with layers of decor they love.
If you're someone who doesn't want a ton of visual stimuli happening all at once, you might be more of a minimalist!
Unlike the maximalist, the minimalist needs a break from a bunch of visual stimuli. Daily life is filled with stress, decision fatigue, and information overload, and a minimalist home home can be a way to create a relaxing pause from all of that.
4. Which group of Instagram accounts appeals to you more?
If you found yourself more attracted to the first group, you might be more of a minimalist!
These Instagram accounts really evoke the soothing vibe of minimalism through their uncluttered aesthetic, use of clean lines, and calming color palettes. Every styling choice is clearly made with thoughtful intention and an eye for editing, which results in a simple elegance. I highly recommend you follow these accounts for your own minimalism inspiration!
If you're more into the second group of Instagram accounts, then you might be more of a maximalist!
These Instagram accounts really exemplify the untethered joy maximalism. Each photo feels like a celebration in a room, where more is more and every inch tells a story. They embody a fearless embrace of bold patterns, saturated colors, and eclectic collections, resulting in spaces that boldly shout their personalities. I highly recommend you check out these accounts for inspiration as well!
5. Both minimalism and maximalism have their challenges. So which of the following challenges sound more manageable to you?
Having to purchase lots and lots of things, then figure out how to make them all look good together - without creating a hodgepodge
~ Or ~
Having to show a lot of restraint and discipline in what you buy, while having to upkeep a more clean and minimal environment on a daily basis
If the first challenge sounds more manageable to you, then maximalism might be a better fit!
Because one challenge with maximalism is that you're going to be spending more money, simply because you’ll need to buy more things to create the look. And the art to maximalism is to create an aesthetically pleasing picture with all of these things; it's not about mindlessly buying a whole bunch of stuff and then throwing it all into a room. It's about creating a visually pleasing picture with with all that stuff.
If the second challenge sounds more doable for you, then minimalism might be a better fit for you!
I think the tough thing about minimalism is that you really do have to show a lot of restraint, not just in the decor you buy, but also with how you live on a daily basis. Just like with maximalism, there's a lot of intentionality that has to go into minimalism. It's not about simply buying less things, it's about being very mindful about the the few things you do buy. And then it’s about placing them in a way that creates a beautiful picture that feels simple but not thoughtless. And after that, you also have to upkeep the look on a daily basis by actively keeping clutter at bay.
Minimalists are… a disciplined bunch, haha. Whereas maximalists have so much more room to indulge in our styling whims.
6. Which of the following groups of artwork do you like the best?
If you chose the first group, then you might be more of a minimalist!
Because these art pieces convey a simple yet striking visual. They wouldn’t add any visual clutter or chaos to a minimalist space; instead they would add a modest and simple aesthetic quality to a room. They're a bit stark, but not at all boring!
If you chose the second group of artwork, then you might be more of a maximalist!
Because these art pieces make big, bold statements that demand attention and would add tons of personality to any space. They’re the kind of pieces that start conversations with your guests and add a ton of visual impact to a space.
7. When you get dressed every day, which of the following sentences usually applies to the outfits that you put together?
Less is more
~ Or ~
More is more
If your clothing style tends to have a “more is more” of vibe to it, then then you might be a maximalist!
If you tend to layer on the accessories, jewelry, patterns, bold colors, and you typically make a somewhat dramatic statement with your outfits every day, it stands to reason that your interior style could be the same. A maximalist fashion sense could indicate that you would love a maximalist space as well.
If “less is more” tends to apply to your outfits on a regular basis, then you might be a minimalist!
If your clothing tends to be more simple, classic, and timeless, then minimalism might be a great fit for you. It could be that you're not one to fuss with a ton of jewelry or dabble with crazy prints with your outfits, and you like a streamlined no-fuss-no-muss clothing style. This preference for minimalism in your wardrobe could be a clue that you’d prefer a minimalist space too.
Either way, I'm a firm believer that you can find so much insight into your personal interior style just by looking in your closet!
8. Which of the following is more important to you?
Simplicity
~ Or ~
Self-expression
I think that you can boil down maximalism versus minimalism into simply self-expression versus simplicity. Now, that's not to say that minimalists aren't expressing themselves - they very much are - but like I said earlier, it's more about restraint. It's more about pulling back, and there's an art to that for sure.
Whereas with maximalism, you can really indulge. You can pretty much buy whatever you want whenever you want it, and it'll go with the maximalist aesthetic.
So if you're someone who values self-expression over simplicity, then you might be a maximalist!
And then on the other hand, maybe you find that you don't really want to have to fuss with your decor very much, and you just want to exist and relax in your space.
So if you find that you thrive off of simplicity, then the more pared down aesthetic of minimalism might be best for you!
So that was my little maximalism vs minimalism quiz!
You might already know where you stand in the spectrum between these two styles, and I'm pretty a lot of you happen to be maximalist like me. But I want press upon you that both styles can be so beautiful, and it really just depends on the person and what their individual needs are.
So when figuring out your personal interior style, simply ask yourself, “What are my needs? What does my brain need on a daily basis that my space can give me?”
Let me know in the comments below, which one are you? A maximalist, a minimalist, or somewhere in between?
