For over a decade, minimalism has held a tight trip on the modern design industry. But I feel that minimalism has served its purpose. And I experienced the same during my visit to the Milan Design Week; Euroluce & Salone Del Mobile in Milan, asceticism has given way to audacity.
The fraternity of the design industry trek in April every year for the trendsetting design week in Italy, which undoubtedly influences the furniture, accessories and the textiles industry, that make their way into homes, offices, hotels, restaurants and virtually every other interior.
Designers and manufactures experimented with digital fabrication like 3D Fresco's. They rediscovered artisanal craft techniques like lacquering, metal casting & jacquard weaving.
The thing that was consistent as I explored the streets and the stands - everyone was embracing luxurious materials and textures, working on detailing to yield products and furnishings that are visually enticing and emotionally evocative. In other words, minimalism is dead; welcome maximalism.
The reason behind this shift are just as nuanced as the designs themselves, and mirror many of the societal shifts we all are experiencing today. People started accepting the bold colors and vibrant patterns associated with maximalism. I guess the credit goes to changing tastes. In other words, markets are bringing what they can bear.
This year, sculptural lighting was evident at Euroluce, the lighting show within the larger Salone Del Mobile. When the goal is minimalism, you eventually end up with nothing. The thought of maximalism makes the designers feel like designing. It gives them the opportunity to flaunt their creativity.
We are entering a new era that embraces personality, rather than minimal perfection. Layering new modern pieces with other objects in our homes - existing furniture, art, photos etc brings it all to life. The brands could feel the desire for more personal expression, and not completely rejecting minimalism outright but driving in the interiors a few maximalist pieces.
Maximalism has now become a trend, slowly, but powerfully and it is being surrounded by everything that surrounds us. Global design culture is playing a pivot role in the surge of maximalist design thus driving the creation of more unique, modern pieces that appeal to different tastes.
The globetrotter generations are very attentive to contemporary pieces of furniture rather than the old preference to classic furniture. Maximalism is certainly a beautiful distraction. It's pure escapism and a welcome break.
Less is a bore, as Robert Venturi once said.
