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“Go big or go home” is a nifty maxim to live by, but when it comes to interior design, the adage can easily lead to trouble. Maximalism is characterized by bold colors, textures, and patterns, which can be hard to pull off in a way that feels intentional rather than overwhelming.
Audrey Scheck, founder and principal designer of Audrey Scheck Design, has mastered the balancing act maximalism requires. Recently, the Austin, Texas–based designer put her prowess to the test when a client asked her to transform an all-white 3,400-square-foot home in Hampden South. “It was completely blank walls—no character,” Scheck says. “[The new owners] are a really fun, fabulous couple coming from Hollywood, and they wanted to infuse character and personality in the home.”
To do this, the designer leaned into playful colors, whimsical wallpaper, and the owners’ memorabilia from their world travels to adorn the walls. The result? A maximalist’s dream manor that’s both eclectic and, as Scheck puts it, “deeply personal.”
Learn how to incorporate moments of maximalism in your own home with the help of Scheck’s tips below. (We can’t wait to see your new orange office.)
1. Start with a color palette.
The regal Versace wallpaper on the ceiling of the dining room set the tone (literally) for the entire project, Scheck says. That design element inspired a color palette of nearly 20 hues, starting with the dining room’s light green walls (Benjamin Moore’s Cucumber). Then, Scheck painted adjoining spaces to either complement or contrast the soft green shade—hence the bright orange walls and built-ins in the office (Benjamin Moore’s Tropical Orange).
2. Go all in.
Color drenching—painting an entire room, including the ceilings, a single color—is in vogue. “In a home like this where color is so important, it felt even more intentional to go for it and fully saturate the room in that color,” Scheck says. “Why would you choose a beautiful color you love to set the tone for your room, but the ceiling is a bright white?” This intentional color play can be seen throughout the house, in the purple guest bedroom and even the chocolate-brown primary bedroom closet.
3. Find your moments of inspiration.
What single color or item in a room can help dictate everything else in the space? In the primary bedroom, it was chic black-and-white Pierre Frey wallpaper depicting desert flora, which gave the room a more refined vibe—one Scheck deemed “oil baron chic.” The simple palette became the perfect backdrop for an earthy blend of burgundy, cream, blue-grays, and deep greens. “[The wallpaper] was neutral enough that it let us play with a lot of color,” Scheck says. “Paint is the background narrator of the ambience of the whole space.”
4. Build in moments to breathe.
No, we’re not talking about taking a breath during a stressful renovation (though, you should do that too). Rather, “give your eye a chance to settle and relax,” Scheck advises. In this home, the sunny orange office gives way to a more subdued dark brown staircase. If you have several bright, busy rooms, consider adding browns and greens, which are known to feel grounding, Scheck says. The sunroom, with its ocean blues and plethora of plants, is a breath of fresh air before moving into the lively living room. Even in that space, the mauve and black ceiling provides an anchor point. It’s all about balance, Scheck says.
5. Make your home a reflection of yourself and your interests.
The owners’ new Denver digs were inspired by their previous home at the base of the Hollywood Bowl in L.A. The guest room incorporates whimsical nods to the amphitheater, from historic framed photos to disco-inspired decorative objectives. The living room is covered with memorabilia from trips to Japan, Singapore, Germany, and beyond. Because these spaces are sprinkled with personal touches, they have a “warm and inviting” vibe, Scheck says. “It doesn’t matter what’s trendy or what other people are saying is the hottest color. What matters is that you have things in your home that you love. People are going to remember how they feel being in your home.”
6. Avoid a cluttered feeling by focusing on variety.
Uniformity is the enemy of maximalist design. Incorporating intentional variety in decor can help the space feel curated, not cluttered. In the Hampden South living room, Scheck used varying sizes of artwork, decor of various heights, and different fabric textures to give the space an elevated, lived-in look. One way to achieve that yourself: Don’t buy prepackaged gallery wall sets. Instead, choose frames with different patterns, sizes, and designs.
7. Go dark.
A black-walled basement may seem counterintuitive—wouldn’t it make the subterranean space feel darker? Scheck says the opposite is often true: “If you play into the size or the light or lack thereof in that space by going with something that is darker, it will actually make the space feel bigger.” If you have a tricky, small space in your home, try color drenching it with a dark paint. “It’s like you’re tricking the mind into focusing on something else,” she says.
Read More: Inside an Interior Designer’s French Modern Hilltop Home
