The Art of Negative Space in a Maximalist Room

Let’s talk about breathing room—the kind that exists within the chaos.

Maximalism gets a bad rap for being cluttered or overwhelming, but a well-done maximalist space actually requires just as much thought as a minimalist one. Maybe more. Because when you’re layering colors, patterns, textures, and treasures, the magic isn’t just in what you add—it’s in what you leave blank.

Image Credit: Charlotte May

Negative space isn’t about emptiness. It’s about letting your eye rest. It’s that stretch of bare wall between two art pieces that makes them both stand out. It’s the solid sofa that grounds a riot of patterned pillows. It’s the quiet corner of the room that lets your wild gallery wall sing.

I like to think of it like punctuation in a sentence. Without it, everything just runs together. With it, your space starts to speak fluently.

Image Credit: Maria Orlova

So yes, you can have ten vintage vases, bold wallpaper (and I know just the spot), and a velvet tiger-striped chair. Just give them a little room to shine.

Even maximalism needs a deep breath.

-Juliette