Vintage Maximalism: 2025’s Love Letter to Layers

By Mehar Deep Kaur -

September 11, 2025

Vintage Glam Living Room | Tasty Interiors

Imagine yourself in a room where jewel-toned velvet chairs rest beside a grand gilt mirror, its frame swirling with stories of another century. An oversized Persian rug spills across the floor, layered with a zebra-striped throw for a hint of mischief. Shelves brim with porcelain figurines, art books, and little treasures gathered over decades. Every corner speaks, yet together they compose a seamless harmony.

This elevated sensory experience is vintage maximalism. Not a mere trend in the list, but an invitation to live amidst visual tales, treasured heirlooms, and soulful richness. Think “more is more,” but with rhythm, meaning, and theatrical grace.

Nostalgia Born from History

History whispers through this trend. It harks back to the opulent Victorian era and the grand baroque halls of Versailles, where layered textures, ornate furnishings, and curated excess were the norm. As minimalism reigned supreme in recent years, many felt a growing hunger for warmth, personality, and design that speaks to the soul.

Tea Corner with Warm Vintage Furniture, Cool Blue Velvet Sofas, Shein Curtains & Persian Rug | Tasty Interiors

Homes & Gardens recently coined the term ‘heritage maximalism,’ a refined cousin of vintage maximalism that melds traditional craftsmanship with maximalist vibrancy. It’s less visual chaos and more a thoughtful layering of color, texture, and nostalgia that is deeply intentional.

What Defines Vintage Maximalism?

Vintage maximalism is resonating today because it offers a striking counterpoint to the pared-back serenity of minimalism. At its core, vintage maximalism is:

An Eclectic Dialogue between Eras

Imagine mid-century seating mingling with baroque frames, or 1970s patterned textiles contrasting with an antique Persian rug. It’s an orchestrated mash-up of eras, but harmonious.
A Carnival of Colors and Textures

This isn’t for the fainthearted. Jewel tones of emeralds, ruby reds, and sapphire blues dance with bold florals, geometrics, and animal prints. Velvet, silk, carved wood, and intricate upholstery are layered with textured walls.

Floral Upholstery Matching the Vintage Wallpaper, Paired with a Modern Rug, Makes a Perfect Look | Love Rugs

Statement Pieces

A grand chandelier in the living room, an oversized antique mirror, and a side table with carved legs. Such showstoppers anchor the space and invite conversation.

At its heart, the movement is about individuality. Vintage pieces resist the sameness of mass production, allowing each room to carry stories of craftsmanship, memory, and personal expression.

Beyond aesthetics, vintage maximalism is gaining traction as a sustainable design practice. By reviving heirlooms, upcycling flea-market finds, and celebrating craftsmanship, it reduces reliance on mass-produced décor. This emphasis on reuse aligns with growing eco-consciousness, proving maximalism can be both indulgent and responsible in shaping interiors for 2025.

Designers Realizing the Maximalism

If vintage maximalism feels like a romantic dream, these tastemakers are its most vivid storytellers. Each of these designers proves that maximalism is a curated abundance of beauty.

Kelly Wearstler, often crowned the queen of bold interiors. Her work at the Proper Hotels in Los Angeles and Austin exemplifies maximalist grandeur, saturated palettes, kaleidoscopic patterns, and a playful mix of Art Deco accents with vintage mid-century treasures.

Calco Verde Restaurant in Proper Hotel, LA | Dezeen
Studio DB, led by Britt and Damian Zunino, has become synonymous with theatrical layering. Their transformation of a Tudor Revival townhouse in Brooklyn is a maximalist masterclass. Oversized chandeliers hover above modern dining tables, while rich wallpapers frame vintage portraits, creating spaces that are both whimsical and sophisticated.

Living Room at Tudor House, Brooklyn | Archdaily
Jasmin Reese Interiors brings joyful saturation and grace to suburban living. Her sitting room in Illinois, recognized by the Luxe RED Awards, features metallic wallpapered ceilings, vibrant blues across walls and rugs, and pink-and-gold accents that feel both opulent and cheerful.

Living Room Interior by Jasmin Reese | Jasmin Reese
Jewel Marlowe, a designer based in the DC area, infuses vintage treasures with custom pieces in her own home. Her “Colorful Life” Spring 2020 home tour reveals layered patterns, from striped rugs and oversized chandeliers to antique mirrors and bold wallpaper.

Timeless, Cozy Living Room Interior Inspired by the Adjacent Garden | Architectural Digest

How to Embrace Vintage Maximalism with Elegance

Here’s how you can also artfully compose such spaces:

1. Begin with Foundations That Matter

Start from what speaks to you: a family heirloom, a travel souvenir, a heritage wallpaper. Designers encourage beginning with “treasured belongings,” keeping intention at the heart of every bold choice

2. Layer Textures & Patterns, Thoughtfully

Go wild but with grace. Match florals with stripes; mix velvet with brocade; overlay patterned rugs. It’s about creating rhythm, not visual overload.

Bold Blue Textures & Patterns Adorn the Living Room Designed by Miles Redd | Catherine Jordan Design

3. Juxtapose Old with New

Balance vintage treasures with contemporary pieces. An ornate antique table might twinkle beside a modern art piece. That tension is what gives vintage maximalism its modern relevance.

4. Let Your Collection Tell Your Story

Fill spaces with objects that whisper of the past, ancestry, and good old times. Whether vases, framed art, or figurines, each piece becomes a stepping stone in your design process.

Hollywood Regency-Inspired Manor House Decor By Kendal Wilkinson | Architectural Digest

5. Keep the Style Intentional

As Homes & Gardens notes, unlike maximalism gone rogue, vintage maximalism thrives on intentional assembling. It’s about “what you choose to surround yourself with and why,” not piling things for the sake of following a trend.

A Design That Feels Lived

Vintage maximalism allows you to appreciate your home like a treasured brooch rich in history. It’s the warmth of a grandmother’s hand-stitched throw, the thrill of a thrift-store discovery, and the liberating joy of colors colliding beautifully.

So if your heart skips a beat looking at that pattern, quivers at the touch of a texture, and leaps at the idea of walls that hold a piece of nostalgia, vintage maximalism is your love letter to life.