Maximalism, John Hughes style   | National Post

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Set design from the 1980s serves as the best reminder of what the decade’s maximalist aesthetics had become. Any John Hughes movie will do the trick — take Andie’s room in Pretty In Pink, which featured a mix of vintage knick-knacks and crocheted linens, or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with its brass beds and floral wallpaper. Now, as a backlash to the longstanding minimalist aesthetic, the ’80s has become an inspiration for the new maximalism.  

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“The conversation is changing,” says Cynthia Ferguson, owner of Toronto’s Cynthia Ferguson Designs.  “After years of minimalism, people are like, ‘Oh my god, we want colour. We want pattern!’ People are tired of sharp angles.”  

Ferguson says that a new aesthetic inspired by the ’80s can be spotted in a variety of items, from accent colours like yellows and deep browns to the scallop-shapes visible on everything from pillows and headboards to kitchen islands.  

“We are in a softer movement right now where we are loving those scalloped shapes, a ruched or pulled fabric in drapery, a reworking of a floral pattern,” she says. “We are in an era where people are called to return to the tradition of decorating.” Ferguson cites interior designers who were influential in the 1980s, such as Billy Baldwin and Dorothy Draper, as the source of bold flourishes appearing in contemporary interiors: “Pick up any of their books now and you can see the trends of today.” Here, local designers explain how to get the look, one that isn’t always easy to achieve. 

THE DECORATIVE WALL 

Part of this trend involves letting go of an austere, mid-century modern vibe for something more playful. But Ferguson suggests proceeding with some caution: “This new age of wallpaper, mixing patterns and vintage pieces is not really a DIY project. It takes a certain eye to put it all together,” she says. “For any beginner, I would say start with the walls.”  

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Ferguson suggests a fresh coat of paint in a bold colour and recommends painting the ceiling, what she calls the “fifth wall,” a deep colour so that it gives the illusion of being higher. “I suggest a chocolate or tobacco brown — these colours are timeless and gorgeous,” she says. “I’ve been pushing brown for four years now. It is the new colour of the moment.”  

To ensure full immersion into a colour, Ferguson suggests painting not just the walls, but the baseboards and trim as well. “Don’t ruin the effect by painting the baseboards white,” she says. “And we don’t do accent walls either. They scream ‘we couldn’t afford to do the whole room.’”  

Cori Halpern, owner of Cori Halpern Interiors, agrees that ’80s wall colours are trending, and believes it’s because “there’s a nostalgia factor at play. The ’80s are now considered retro, so there is a generation for which these colours are reminiscent of childhood.”  

Consider Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Peach Fuzz. In her own work, Halpern is combining similar pinks and oranges with what she calls “chapa brown.” “It’s a specific pink — the earthy pink,” Halpern says, naming Farrow and Ball’s Setting Plaster as a good example of the hue she’s gravitating to. “It’s almost pink-adjacent – definitely not the Barbie pink.”  

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Arren Williams, owner of Arren Williams Design, says lime washing walls is back as well. “People are adding texture to walls by capturing a brushed look,” he says, noting that this would be done with a sponge, brush or cloth. “The white gallery wall look is completely done,” he says, “as is grey and greige.” Instead, he says, wallpapers inspired by William Morris’s arts and crafts patterns have become huge and work best when used selectively.  

MIXING VINTAGE WITH MODERN   

Another returning feature of ’80s design is the infusion of the odd vintage piece, usually passed down from generations. “I work on trend reports all the time and what we are seeing now is a return to maximalism with a mix of vintage and modern,” says Williams. “It used to be, for example, that a room had to be one thing, one consistent theme or colour throughout. Now there’s got to be something quirky in there, there’s got to be pattern, there’s got to be colour.” 

He too cautions restraint, or consulting a pro: “It’s not like you can just throw everything together. It might be a 1950s chair upholstered in a floral or a really bold geometric pattern and then a rich coloured sofa with an interesting rug.”  

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Art is another way to achieve a mix of vintage and modern style: “The trend at the moment is to really throw up a mix of pieces – old and new.”  

Halpern believes the vintage undercurrent in this trend is about sustainability and the return of “slow furniture.” “In part, it’s a British trend to really value high-quality pieces,” she says. “In the U.K., people aren’t into fast furniture. They tend to pass it down from generation to generation. So you might have your granny’s chair and something new that you’ve bought and you can make them work together.”  

But there is also the aspect of repurposing the old. “I like to take an heirloom like an antique secretary desk and turn it into a functional piece,” says Ferguson, who transformed one into a liquor cabinet. “That way you are injecting new energy into the room but allowing the ‘class’ to stay.”  

TENSION BETWEEN OPPOSITES  

Part of ’80s maximalism comes from tension between opposites. In a kitchen Halpern created, she featured a bold blue colour on the island and mixed warm and cool hardware with different finishes and textures. “I’m loving some of the newer gun metal and pewter finishes,” she says. “We are at a place where a kitchen doesn’t have to have a unified look.”  

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Ferguson points out that a similar effect can be achieved through lighting. “Pot lights are out,” she says. “Lamps on every surface are in style,” and these can be vintage or modern; a mix of both is better. She notes that pleated lampshades are also back in style, but suggests avoiding beige or white: “Try a hot-pink pleated lampshade or even a pattern.”  

An appealing tension can also be found in pairing patterns. Unlike in the ’80s, however, pattern mixing must be treated as a “balancing act,” says Williams.  

Halpern agrees, and offers insight into her process: “I start with a hero pattern, something I really fall in love with,” says Halpern, “and then mix and match patterns with it.” She notes the art is in the layering, and also in finding the balance between small and larger prints.  

If the prospect of decorating with a maximalist style sounds confusing, that’s because it is. Halpern calls it “thoughtful chaos” and not for the tame at heart. 

But brave souls might just be ready to break up their greige condo with a striped cushion. Or start with your powder room, Halpern says: “It’s your get-out-of-jail-free card. You really can do whatever you want in there.”  

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