I love walking into a living room and having plenty of ‘stuff’ to look at — as a maximalist, I feel you can really capture a snapshot of a person by looking at their bookshelves and observing the way they’ve arranged their coffee table. That said, the best spaces always have a sense of curation rather than unbridled chaos — and there’s a very fine line indeed between a space that looks collected and one that feels cluttered.
Happily, most modern living room ideas tend to show a little personality. As interior designers leave out-and-out minimalism behind and create homes with more character, though, the risk of overstuffing a space has increased. “Books, artworks, and objects are just as important to the atmosphere of a room as furniture,” says Murude Katipoglu. “These really tell you something about the person who lives there, but there needs to be an editing process.”
