The 5 Rules of Decorating as a Maximalist in 2025, According to a Trend Reporter

Nowadays, design trends feel like a game of aesthetic whiplash—one day it's all about zen blue hues and spa-like oakwood, and the next, we’re drowning in bouclé textiles and cloud couches that feel like the decorative interpretation of a marshmallow. But as any art history major (or seasoned designer) will tell you, interiors don’t change on a whim. They evolve, responding to cultural shifts, economic cycles and a collective craving for something more.

Over the past few years, I’ve watched design trends mirror the larger push-and-pull happening across fashion, politics and everyday life. The pandemic era romanticized midcentury minimalism—understated spaces, cozy textures, quiet luxury. Life was too chaotic, so the thinking went, let’s make our homes a sanctuary. Yet, as we moved into 2024, the tide shifted. Suddenly, spaces weren’t just about function; they were about personality. A reactionary movement began, rejecting the cool restraint of minimalism in favor of something richer, grander—something that felt collected rather than curated.

After years of stark minimalism—Japandi, Scandi and beige-on-beige everything—we’re witnessing a dramatic return to maximalism. But let me be clear: This isn’t the glossy, Jonathan Adler-fueled exuberance of the 2010s (all lacquered surfaces and preppy pops of color). No, the maximalism of 2025 is something rooms steeped in history and dripping with heirloom elegance. It’s less about loud statement pieces for the sake of being bold and more about layering old-world craftsmanship with an air of aristocratic restraint. It’s a response to a world that feels increasingly digital, transient and impersonal—an embrace of tangible luxury, storied objects and spaces that feel like they’ve been passed down through generations.

1stDibs’ latest Designer Trend Survey proves the shift is well underway: 33 percent of designers claim maximalism as their leading aesthetic for 2025, tying with eclecticism. But what makes this resurgence different from past iterations is the reverence for the past—murals reminiscent of the Renaissance, opulent Murano-glass chandeliers and a deep, moody color palette straight out of a European salon. The mood is grandeur, but it’s curated. Every piece, every pattern, every material has a story to tell.

In short, this version of maximalism is about more than more. It’s about craftsmanship over mass production, legacy over trend cycles and artistry over algorithm-approved aesthetics. So below, find five ways designers are serving up maximalism in 2025 (because you’re about to see these looks all over your Instagram Explore page).

For a while, maximalism meant electric blue, emerald green and—if you really wanted to make a statement—Barbiecore pink. But in 2025, color is getting a rich auntie makeover. Instead of the high-contrast, pop-art palette of the past, designers are leaning into a more refined, heritage-inspired spectrum: sumptuous chocolate browns, deep ruby reds and old-money navy. According to the survey, warm chocolate brown is the color of the year, with 32 percent of designers backing its return—nearly double from two years ago. Burgundy and oxblood are also trending, replacing the bubblegum hues that dominated 2023.

But this isn’t a call for 2000s-era espresso wood and beige overload. The modern take on this palette leans old-world: warm browns in high-gloss lacquer, oxblood velvet drapes puddling onto parquet floors, caramel leather paired with antique gold. It’s about creating spaces that feel timeless, lived-in and a little decadent. Basically, nothing says “old-money maximalism” quite like a library wrapped in floor-to-ceiling mahogany.

If you’ve been waiting for mid-century modern to die, it’s happening. Per the survey, interest in the clean-lined, walnut-heavy look of the 1950s has plummeted, with only seven percent of designers predicting a comeback in 2025. In its place? A surge of interest in the 1920s and 1930s, with Art Deco and Bauhaus styles taking center stage.

Think sculptural symmetry, high-gloss finishes, and statement furniture with a bold architectural edge. The Eames lounge chair—once the interior designer must-have—has officially been dethroned by the Vladimir Kagan Serpentine sofa, while sculptural marble coffee tables are replacing simple wood slabs. The new maximalism doesn’t mean more stuff—it means better stuff. Pieces that feel like art, that command attention, that carry a sense of history. Instead of filling a room with trendy decor, designers are curating iconic statement pieces that hold their own.

Goodbye, minimalist dome pendants. This year, lighting isn’t just about function—it’s about spectacle. And no fixture does drama quite like a Murano glass chandelier. Designers are calling it the year’s most in-demand vintage lighting style, with 27 percent backing its comeback. For those who don’t know, this type of lighting is handcrafted on the Venetian island of Murano, and it’s maximalism at its finest: intricate, tiered and entirely unique. Whether they’re dripping in smoked glass, frosted globes or rainbow-hued swirls, they instantly turn a room into a statement. (And if you need proof that ornate glass is having a moment, just look at Soho Home’s Elodie Chandelier above.)

That said, Murano isn’t the only star of the show—oversized pendant lighting is also having a major moment. The key to nailing the look is scale. A grand, tiered chandelier over a dining table, sculptural sconces framing a gallery wall or a dramatic floor lamp standing in as its own work of art. Lighting is no longer an afterthought—it’s a centerpiece.

For years, walls were meant to disappear—painted in the same soft white or greige, fading into the background. Not anymore. Now it’s all about statement walls, with designers bringing back patterned wallpaper, colorful murals, and even wallpapered ceilings.

And this isn’t your average peel-and-stick floral. The maximalists of 2025 are looking to history, drawing inspiration from grand European estates and centuries-old manor houses. Imagine hand-painted chinoiserie scenes sprawling across a dining room wall, or Baroque-inspired florals taking over an entryway. Murals, in particular, are gaining traction, with 28 percent of designers backing their resurgence. Why? They instantly imbue a room with a sense of history.

Again, the difference between the maximalism I’m seeing now and the “more is more” ethos of the past is restraint. This isn’t about throwing a million objects into a room to highlight your every whim and interest—it’s about carefully curating pieces that feel meaningful, storied and, yes, expensive. According to those surveyed, there’s been a significant uptick in designers sourcing antiques, with 62 percent planning to purchase more in 2025. But instead of cluttering bookshelves with rinky-dink trinkets, stylists are gravitating toward high-value statement pieces: hand-carved wooden furniture, gilded mirrors, 19th-century oil paintings or an exquisite porcelain set passed down for generations. It’s about maximalism with intention.

The rule of thumb? If it looks like it came from a Parisian flea market (or your great-grandmother’s estate), it belongs. If it looks like you panic-bought it at HomeGoods, maybe reconsider.