Architectural Cases

Unleash Your Inner Maximalist: A Journey Through Bold Interiors

Summer Thornton Design: A Symphony of Patterns and Personality

Chicago-based Summer Thornton excels in weaving together diverse patterns and textures to forge visually stunning spaces. Her designs transcend conventional styles and eras, creating an unmistakable aesthetic that is uniquely her own. Thornton believes deeply that a home should be a vivid reflection of its owner's individuality, passions, and eccentricities, evident in every wall and piece of furniture.

Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates: Traditional Elegance with a Playful Edge

For those seeking to infuse traditional spaces with an unexpected twist, New York's Corey Damen Jenkins is the go-to designer. An AD100 honoree, Jenkins's work is characterized by a "new maximalist" approach, blending tantalizing colors and whimsical patterns. His signature style is showcased in both his chic Manhattan studio and his exclusive fabric and wallpaper collections.

Aquilo Interiors: Sophisticated Fun in Every Corner

Carmen René Smith, through her firm Aquilo Interiors, based in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, masterfully combines lively patterns, bold colors, and luxurious textures. Her designs for high-profile clients worldwide strike a perfect balance between fun and sophistication. With vibrant wallpapers, saturated paint, curated art, and playful accents like vintage gumball machines, each space becomes a unique and personal sanctuary.

Studio DB: Dramatic Flair and Family-Friendly Wonders

New York-based Studio DB, led by Britt and Damian Zunino, is renowned for its dramatic and maximalist interiors. Their recently published monograph, Drawn Together, highlights their expertise in blending surprising materials and furnishings. From opulent chandeliers paired with modern tables to plush seating within Tudor Revival settings, Studio DB creates inviting and elevated homes globally, all while maintaining a wondrous, family-friendly atmosphere.

Amy Studebaker Design: Eternal Summer Through Pastels and Florals

Amy Studebaker's designs bring the essence of summer indoors year-round, making pastels, florals, and rattan feel perpetually fresh. The St. Louis designer, a self-proclaimed "maven of maximalism," fearlessly incorporates color and pattern into both historic renovations and new constructions, crafting inviting interiors perfect for relaxed gatherings and garden parties.

Noz Design: Cosmic Eclecticism and Collected Narratives

Noz Nozawa's projects at Noz Design burst with personality, spanning from the cosmic psychedelia of a wet bar at the San Francisco Decorator Show House to the vibrant eclecticism of her own Bay Area residence. Nozawa champions interiors that feel curated and express the inhabitants' stories, ensuring that every space is constantly engaging and never mundane.

Studio Proba: Infusing Joy with Organic Forms and Vibrant Hues

Alex Proba, the multifaceted designer behind Studio Proba, creates colorful, energetic works that infuse every environment with happiness. Her Portland, Oregon-based studio is known for its signature use of bold colors, organic shapes, and a deep connection to nature, transforming ordinary spaces into dynamic and imaginative experiences that are both functional and mood-lifting.

Jasmin Reese Interiors: Artistic Juxtapositions and Timeless Whimsy

Chicago-based Jasmin Reese approaches interior design with an artistic sensibility, creating impactful rooms with daring color combinations and unexpected accents. Her firm, Jasmin Reese Interiors, specializes in dynamic juxtapositions of old and new, high and low. With wallpapered ceilings and vibrant "color-bombing" as signatures, each space is meticulously edited to remain timeless, uncluttered, and imbued with playful elements, ensuring comfort and functionality.

Jewel Marlowe: Traditional Maximalism with Eclectic Charms

Jewel Marlowe, a designer based in the Washington, DC, area, brings a traditional yet unexpected take to maximalism. Her work showcases an eclectic blend of antique and vintage pieces sourced from around the globe. Marlowe's interiors are bold, historically rich, and skillfully layer vibrant palettes and whimsical patterns, creating unique spaces tailored to her clients' lifestyles.

Peti Lau Design: Hollywood Glamour with Global Flair

Los Angeles-based designer Peti Lau infuses her interiors with a distinctive Hollywood glamour. Her bold, confident, and richly layered designs make homeowners' stories the central theme. Often featuring impactful art collections and international elements, Lau's spaces offer a welcome escape, reflecting a sophisticated and vibrant aesthetic.

A. Lantz Design: A Father-Daughter Fusion of Art and Curation

The father-daughter duo, Barry and Amanda Lantz, combine their talents at A. Lantz Design, operating from Florida and Indiana. Amanda's keen eye for object curation fills their projects with unique finds, while Barry, a self-taught painter, contributes original artworks inspired by Midwestern and Southern landscapes. Their collaborations create eclectic spaces enriched with colorful abstract scenes.

Fern Santini Inc.: Grand Gestures and Witty Historical Blends

Fern Santini Inc., based in Austin, embodies grand design gestures, whether through a study encased in high-gloss Prussian blue or a ceiling adorned with velvet-textured jewel tones. Founder Fern Santini skillfully mixes historical references with a tongue-in-cheek approach, imbuing her projects with irreverence and wit. Her designs are characterized by unexpected furnishings and artwork, showcasing a readiness to take risks and think innovatively.

Ayromloo Design: Dreamlike Realms of Color and Form

Jessica Ayromloo's unique brand of maximalism, based in Los Angeles, focuses on intense color-blocking and geometric tile patterns. By combining surrealist furniture, antique treasures, and contrasting industrial materials, her designs transport spaces into a dreamlike realm, reminiscent of both Dalí paintings and the iconic Barbie Dreamhouse.

Studio Eckstrom: Whimsical Modern Farmhouse with a Sophisticated Twist

Studio Eckstrom, based in Omaha, Nebraska, offers a fresh and original take on modern farmhouse style. Mark and Mikal Eckstrom's daring designs feature exaggerated ironwork, pinstriped fabric-lined rooms, faunal motifs, and vibrant clawfoot bathtubs. Their interiors are sophisticated yet playful, demonstrating a refusal to take themselves too seriously.

Kristina Phillips Interior Design: Color-Forward Narratives from Around the World

Kristina Phillips's color-forward interiors resonate with personality, treating design as a form of storytelling. Her studio crafts spaces that reflect residents' experiences, all while showcasing Phillips's exceptional sensitivity to color and pattern, honed during her upbringing in the Bahamas, Germany, and France.

Escala Forma: Tropical Tropes and Contemporary Maximalism

Miami-based design studio Escala Forma embraces the city's tropical essence, blending banana-leaf motifs, wicker furniture, and pastel pinks to create unmistakable locations. Founder Carlos Rodriguez fuses eclectic artworks, busy patterns, and pieces from various eras to preserve cultural significance within his "contemporary maximalist" design style, creating vibrant spaces that engage with both history and modernity.

Lisa & Leroy: Bold Colors and Eclectic Cultural Inspirations

Lisa Shaffer, owner and creative director of Washington, DC, studio Lisa & Leroy, draws inspiration from a rich tapestry of styles and cultures. Her interiors feature bold and contrasting colors, even in compact rooms, delivering powerful visual statements that remain comfortable and inviting. Every Lisa & Leroy project is a unique blend of form and function, old and new, traditional and whimsical.

Frampton Co.: Artful Blends of Tradition and Modernity

Frampton Co., led by Elena Frampton with offices in New York City and Bridgehampton, artfully categorizes its projects as maximalist through a thoughtful blend of traditional and contemporary elements. Their focus is on balancing practicality with personality, ensuring each space, whether a modern beachfront home or a historic townhouse, is contextually sensitive and richly layered with varied decorative styles and patterns.

Sarah Stacey Interior Design: Storied Spaces with Playful Wallpapers

Sarah Stacey Interior Design, with offices in Texas and Tennessee, specializes in creating storied, colorful, and eclectic projects. Founder Sarah Stacey effortlessly combines deep, rich colors and intricate patterns, often incorporating playful wallpapers. Her team focuses on both form and function, integrating meaningful pieces, antiques, and diverse textures to create uniquely personal spaces.

Tim Hawkins Interiors: Grandeur and Cinematic Drama

The interiors designed by Laguna Beach-based Tim Hawkins are best described as grand. With a background in fashion, color theory, and film, Hawkins infuses his residential projects with drama and cinematic flair. His portfolio includes truly palatial homes, where every detail contributes to an imposing yet artfully conceived environment.

Mr Alex Tate Design: Modern American Maximalism with Global Storytelling

Alex Alonso, design principal at Mr Alex Tate Design, is a self-proclaimed maximalist who embraces a global perspective and the power of storytelling. His "modern American maximalism" is characterized by a bold mix of fanciful prints, characterful sculptures, and eclectic objects, creating spaces that are both dynamic and deeply personal.

Creative Tonic Design: Saturated Hues and Personal Narratives

Creative Tonic founder Courtnay Tartt Elias layers saturated hues, richly appointed textiles, and personal narratives into her residential designs. Based in Houston, Texas, her studio fearlessly combines geometric patterns, high-gloss millwork, metallic sheens, and varied floral motifs, all meticulously detailed to reflect unique stories and aesthetics.

At ninety years of age, Nigerian architect Demas Nwoko’s impact extends far beyond his artistic endeavors; it is deeply woven into the very structure of his rural dwelling in Idumuje-Ugboko, a historically significant town located in Nigeria’s Delta State. The journey to his residence involves navigating a landscape characterized by reddish soil, extensive palm groves, and low-lying trees that cast elongated, irregular shadows. Homes emerge from the earth with modest grace, some adorned with a coating of clay, while others reveal their sun-baked brick and timber foundations. Striking geometric patterns often decorate external walls, and intricately carved wooden doors serve as testaments to the skill and pride of their creators. Following a winding path, Nwoko’s unique home eventually comes into view.

Nwoko, born into the royal lineage of Idumuje-Ugboko as the offspring of Obi Nwoko II, a revered traditional monarch, has garnered numerous appellations throughout his 90 years—artist, master builder, sculptor, architect, designer, and educator. However, to confine him to a single label would be to overlook the profound interconnectedness of his multifaceted creative pursuits, which together form a unified legacy. This legacy continues to shape and influence artists across generations, extending far beyond the geographical boundaries of Nigeria.

His initial architectural inspiration was drawn from the Idumuje-Ugboko palace and the surrounding edifices constructed by his father, both deeply rooted in the design traditions of the nearby Benin City. Nwoko observes that this architectural style was typically reserved for royal palaces across the Yorubaland region, encompassing southwestern Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, but within Benin itself, it was commonplace in domestic structures. “It was a design language I was familiar with from childhood,” he recounts. Nwoko’s early professional life immersed him in theater and scenography, later leading him to teach drama at the University of Ibadan. Yet, he always held a conviction to honor the architectural heritage of his homeland. He states, “By then, I had already made the decision to champion Benin’s architecture in my work. I had thoroughly examined it; there is no other architecture quite like it.”

Constructed in 1978, Nwoko’s own residence distinctly reflects the architectural characteristics of ancient Benin City. The fluted exterior columns at its entrance echo the ribbed walls of the Oba’s Palace, the seat of Benin City’s ruler. Concurrently, the prominent pitched, overhanging roof—a signature element found across his diverse projects—pays homage to the traditional housing styles prevalent in the country’s southeastern regions. Nwoko meticulously conceived and executed every aspect of the home himself, employing indigenous construction techniques and locally sourced materials.

Inspired by the New Culture Studios in Ibadan, which started as his personal artistic space and dwelling, Nwoko’s constantly evolving arts and culture center features an exterior clad in 'laticrete' blocks. He innovated this material when regulations restricted the use of local laterite soil. By blending soil with cement, he forged a substance that, while grounded in tradition, adhered to contemporary building standards. “There is nothing inherently wrong with mud,” Nwoko asserts, highlighting the existence of multi-story residences throughout Yorubaland built using this readily available resource. He emphasizes, “A structure lacks viability if it fails to utilize local materials.”

Within the home, a sacred tranquility prevails, occasionally interrupted by the subdued sound of a television. The expansive interior is thoughtfully divided into distinct zones. The dining area features vibrant stained-glass panels, reminiscent of Nwoko’s earlier commissions, such as the Dominican Chapel in Ibadan. This space is furnished with his iconic interlocking wooden chairs, ingeniously crafted without a single nail. Nwoko explains, “Our lifestyle is centered around open planning, without confined rooms. The house is designed similarly, allowing for seamless movement throughout.”

Upstairs, Nwoko incorporates the Igbo architectural concept of a “conical square”—a pitched roof supported by a central structural column. Since the 1970s, his home has remained largely unaltered, with the only subsequent addition being a second floor serving as his private quarters. Bofu Nwoko Ugbodaga, the designer’s daughter and a senior partner at their architectural firm, New Culture Designs, describes it as “an ageless building.” She further notes, “Every decision made here was deliberate.”

Nwoko's creative drive remains robust; he recently unveiled a new church tower and is currently drafting a publication on the subject of tropical architecture. Collaborating with a younger generation, this versatile creative continues to advance his work. He states simply, “The least I can do is to assist as much as possible. As long as there is work to be done, how can I cease?”