Maximalism: A Trending Décor That Turns Off Homebuyers

With increasing home inventory coming on the market, maximalist décor may further harm a homeowner’s ability to sell quickly and at the best price.

Two things in real estate are hot right now: maximalist interior design and increasing home inventory. They are on a collision course that could affect home resale prices.

The analysis by luxury brokerage RubyHome reveals a surge in Google Trends search popularity for “maximalism” over the past five years. The first spike in Spring of 2021 saw a 1900% increase followed by a recent second wave increase of 144% in August 2022 as homeowners and designers flocked towards one of the hottest design trends. Here is trend globally:

Nicole Torossian of Nicole Michael Designs explains, “Maximalism is a design style characterised by large amounts of colour, pattern and texture executed in highly dramatic ways. It’s a ‘more is more’ style that is extremely personalised.”

Highly personalized interiors could spell trouble for homeowners who’ve decorated using maximalist principles. The U.S. real estate market is in transition right now from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. Buyers simply have a wider selection of properties for sale. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), inventory rose 4.8% from June to July (+1.31 million homes) and housing increased from 2.4 to 3.3 months-worth of supply.

Expert Commentary from Tony Mariotti

• “Maximalism is one of the most personal and visually dramatic styles in the design world. Unlike other schools of décor, it has a unique ability to distract a homebuyer from envisioning an environment for themselves as well as detract from architectural features.”
• “Invariably, after showing a home decorated in the maximalist style, my buyers ask about the cost to undo things like removing wallpaper, tile, and fixtures.”
• “Homeowners should strongly consider whether maximalism is the best interior design choice right now given the changing real estate market dynamics – inventory is on the rise and buyers will have more homes to choose from that have neutral interiors.”
• “With significant supply chain issues persisting in the home sector, both mid-range and luxury homebuyers will be wary of homes requiring significant décor changes.”