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10 Signs You Might Be a Maximalist

Nancy Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
As a former Senior Writer at Apartment Therapy, Nancy split her time among looking at beautiful pictures, writing about design, and photographing stylish apartments in and around NYC.
updated Oct 16, 2022
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Rihanna Inspired This Dark, Moody Glam Apartment (Image credit: Esteban Cortez)

“Less is more,” said Mies van der Rohe. “Less is a bore,” retorted Robert Venturi. Are you a minimalist, favoring clean lines and subdued colors? Or a maximalist, embracing intricate styles and bold colors and pattern upon pattern upon pattern? Here are 10 tell-tale signs you might fall into the latter camp.

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The Most Colorful Apartment in the World (Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

1. Your favorite color is everything.

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Jewelry Designer Pippa Small’s Colorful London Home (Image credit: Viv Yapp)

2. You have a collection of collections.

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A Colorful Home in Mexico Celebrating \Eclectic (Image credit: Cesar Bejar)

3. You’ve never met a pattern you didn’t like.

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A Maximalist on a Minimal Budget Fills Her Home with Murals (Image credit: Jessica Isaac)

4. You see a white wall as a missed opportunity.

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Valorie’s Fearless and Fabulous New Orleans Home (Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

5. You went to Versailles once and thought it was a little underwhelming.

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A Baker’s Bold Rental Decorated on a Teeny Budget (Image credit: Chrissy Racho of Lily & Camelia Photography)

6. You worry less about whether things match than if they’ll fit.

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Valorie’s Fearless and Fabulous New Orleans Home (Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

7. You’ve ever added a disco ball to ‘tone things down a bit’.

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A Baker’s Bold Rental Decorated on a Teeny Budget (Image credit: Chrissy Racho of Lily & Camelia Photography)

8. You liked wallpaper before it was cool.

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The Most Colorful Apartment in the World (Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

9. Your grandma goes looking for new stuff in your attic.

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An Actor’s Explosion of Color in 650 Square Feet (Image credit: Justice Darragh)

10. Elton John once called your place ‘a little over the top’.

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(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

11. Color and pattern make you inexplicably happy, and you don’t care who knows it.

With many thanks to Dabney for the inspiration.

Not sure if this is you? Keep exploring:

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Interior Design