Are you tired of minimalism? You’ve come to the right place. As the pendulum of design inevitably swings, people have been scrambling to predict what look will replace the all-white, minimal, Scandinavian style that is so popular right now. A lot of people have pointed to maximalism, which is the inevitable foil to maximalism. But what kind of maximalism? I think I may have stumbled across the answer.
One day, while cruising Pinterest, as you do, I came across the image above, which brings together a lot of trends we’ve been seeing in interiors lately: maximalism, luxe materials like velvet, and moody, desaturated colors. They all come together neatly into a very cohesive look, something that feels almost… Victorian.
The Victorian aesthetic has been thought of as fussy, artificial, and overdone, in many ways the opposite of the bright, natural, hyper-minimalism that has been the ruling style for so long. But what we’re seeing, of course, isn’t a re-creation of Victorian style, but rather a reimagining of Victorian interiors, filtered through a modern sensibility. (Interestingly enough, there are other rooms in this Berlin apartment, spotted on My Scandinavian Home , that hew quite minimalist.)
To back up my assertion, here’s an actual Victorian interior (or at least, a faithful reproduction of one) from Rynerson O’Brien Architecture . It’s not exactly the same, but a lot of the elements are very similar: dark colors, small, intricate patterns, a general embrace of ornament.
Here’s another example of the new Victoriana, this one from Alvhem . A lot of the elements, like the floral wallpaper, dark colors, and mismatched antique chairs, feel distinctly Victorian, but the addition of a few minimalist pieces, like the leather sofa and round mirror, freshens things up quite a bit. (What I’m saying is, if you like the look, don’t immediately throw out all your furniture for fusty antiques.)
Here’s another example, from Bolig , that neatly walks a line between a moody, Victorian look and clean-lined modernism.
In this bedroom from Historiska Hem , intricately textured fabrics stand in for intricate patterns, but the effect is similar: delicate, absorbing.
In this room from Lovely Life , a William Morris-esque wallpaper sets a gorgeous, moody tone.
And one final space, from Ohhh Mhhh , that fits neatly at the intersection of minimalism and moody Victorian maximalism. On display are a Tulip table and Eames Shell chairs atop a white floor that you’re used to seeing (and maybe a little tired of?), but now they’re paired with dark walls, dark florals, and curiosities in cloches for a look that feels both familiar and exotic, a little bit old and a little bit new.
We’d love to know what you think of this look. Though not for everyone, we definitely can, at the very least, admire it from afar!
