Maximalism vs. Minimalism: Survey Shows Minimalism Is People’s Favorite Interior Design Style, Despite Experts Touting Maximalism

Interior design is an ever-changing field and, at the start of each year, we all enjoy reading the predictions and betting on the top trends of the coming year. For instance, while minimalism has been all the rage for a few years now, expert designers continue to foresee its demise and the escalation of its opposite — maximalism — in a grand, post-minimalist era. But, is that truly what people want for their homes?

To find out if the predicted trends are in line with what people prefer, we recently surveyed our website visitors — renters looking for apartments on rentcafe.com — regarding their preferences on interior design, color schemes, and the general home aesthetic they want and enjoy. Of the more than 12,000 survey respondents, the vast majority reported that they opted for the minimalist style — calm color schemes, soft lines and a relaxing atmosphere — thereby drawing a striking contrast between trends and reality.

Most Interior Design Experts Predicted Maximalist Styles as the Most Popular in 2022

At the start of every new year, designers and influencers across social media love to denounce the classics and praise the new. So, to check on the status of the predictions made for this year, we researched more than 100 interior design publications and articles that covered the topic of 2022’s trendiest design styles.

We then filtered the publications even further, selecting only the most visited websites to see what the biggest names in interior design had to say about the minimalism versus maximalism paradigm for 2022. We found that 31 out of 53 big names predicted that minimalism would be out of style in 2022. These influencers also signaled the rise of maximalism, grandmillennial, cottagecore and cluttercore — all eclectic, busy design styles.

Notably, from the vintage, grandma-inspired designs to the glorification of admitted clutter as an expression of self, these trends embrace the idea of a home being a constant stimulus that energizes and keeps us away from everyday boredom. And, while some staples were predicted to remain in the spotlight — such as black accents, abundant houseplants, luxe textiles or versatile furniture pieces — they’re more akin to features than styles in and of themselves.

In Reality, Minimalist Styles Are the Winners, Survey Shows

Next, let’s see how that compares with what the survey participants had to say.

Calm & Soothing Color Schemes Were Respondents’ Clear Favorites

When asked about color preferences, nearly three-quarters of respondents (73.5%) said they wanted a calm and soothing color palette in their homes. Clearly, color schemes that accommodate a versatile design and those that can be easily maintained tend to be the favorites. Specifically, neutral, muted hues and off-whites — combined with subtle, contrasting accents — usually make for the best color schemes to implement in homes and apartments. Conversely, colors that were dark and moody or vibrant and bold were far behind, preferred by only 15.2% and 11.3% of respondents, respectively.

 

 

Additionally, the “color of the year” trend has been going on for a while, with huge brands naming one particular color as the go-to for the year. And, while it would be fun to constantly change up your décor and wall paint to keep up with the trends, people don’t really do that — nor do they truly enjoy it.

Soft, Curved Shapes Overtake Sharp Geometrics

Likewise, when asked which design concepts they preferred, most people (33.6%) chose soft, curved edges and shapes. In second place were plant- and Earth-inspired prints at 21.4%, followed by subtle textures, which were preferred by 20.1% of respondents. Meanwhile, sharp geometric shapes and colorful floral patterns were the least favorites.

 

 

So, the people have spoken —  “the colorful, the cluttered, the maximalist, …” might be trendy on social media, but it’s simply not feasible or desirable for most of us in real life. Similarly, while TikTok has popularized colorful, bright, eclectic patterns and sharp aesthetics, are they really as prevalent as some influencers say? Of course, it can be exciting to look at these types of designs online. But, for everyday living, that’s just not what you find in most homes.

Most People Prefer a Clean & Minimal Design

Overall, the top choice in home décor was a clean and minimal design that’s calm, simple and purposeful, as 59% of respondents chose this option. All others (dark, romantic or patterned styles) were at a sizable distance behind.

 

 

At one point, the increased discussion about trends like carnivalcore, grandmillenial, and dark academia appeared to signal that calm and minimal design was heading out the door. However, our survey confirmed just the opposite: people are only interested in reading about it, much less adapting such a trend in their own homes. Granted, celebrities or industry professionals might gravitate toward the sensational and trendy. But, for the everyday person, a clean and minimal design is not only more accessible, but also more desirable.

The noise of high contrasts and abundant décor distracts and energizes. Alternatively, a minimal design with less clutter and fewer accents can help create a serene environment in which one can work, relax and enjoy each moment.

A Soft, Relaxing Atmosphere Makes People Happier

Similarly, the majority of survey respondents (47%) also reported that a soft, relaxing atmosphere was invaluable. Having a place of one’s own often equates to having a space that nurtures serenity and calmness, and a subtle aesthetic that embraces soft textures and muted colors will likely create that. Along the same lines, modern and sleek finishes were the second-most popular choice: 29.5% of survey respondents believed that this style also provided comfort, offered a thought-out design, and minimized randomness and clutter.

 

 

For comparison, many designers believed that 2022 would be the year we said goodbye to the all-white, neutral, minimal, and modern interiors, opting instead for vibrancy, color, and mixed patterns: more precisely, they predicted that a loud, maximalist style — as well as a combination of vintage and “granny-chic” design — would replace what some experts consider “boring” or “stale.”

Calmness Overtakes Excitement & Intrigue

The vast majority of our respondents, almost 70%, said they wanted their home design to make them feel calm. And, it seems only natural for our homes — the places we spend most of our time in — to be designed in this way.

 

 

Conversely, the essence of carnivalcore — wanting to feel as though you’re living in a perpetual festival — is a means of celebrating life and feeling excited in your own home. However, only 14% of our respondents selected that they wanted to feel excited by a design trend. At the same time, only 13.5% of respondents reported wanting to feel intrigued when viewing a design style. As such, dark academia might be the style that serves their purpose well, adding inspiration and moodiness to any room.

Clearly, the people have spoken in favor of clean and serene minimalism; sleek and modern design; and a relaxing aesthetic. Of course, this way of designing one’s home doesn’t necessarily mean that it lacks personality, but rather that we find its expression in more subtle details, rather than in an entire style. For instance, personal trinkets, photographs, artwork, and gallery walls all help people express who they are and what they like — and, as a result, make their homes truly their own.

The purpose of the design style we choose for our homes is to accommodate individual personalization — especially for renters. But, when choosing a busy style itself, this becomes more difficult. So, it seems fitting that most people would opt for these simpler styles that allow for personalization and make everyday living simpler.

Methodology

RentCafe is a nationwide apartment search website that enables renters to easily find apartments and houses for rent throughout the United States.

The data presented in this study is based on a survey of 12,474 respondents in the U.S. that ran between June 7 and 14, 2022, on www.rentcafe.com.

To identify the interior design trends predicted for 2022, we analyzed 103 sources, such as online publications and articles covering the topic. We then filtered the sources by the size of their audience, selecting only sources with more than 300,000 visits in monthly traffic for a total of 53 articles, which we then manually searched to discover which home design trends they predicted. All in all, 31 articles predicted maximalist designs as the winning trends for 2022. Download the complete list of publications here.

Fair Use & Redistribution

We encourage and freely grant you permission to reuse, host, or repost the research, graphics and images presented in this article. When doing so, we kindly ask that you credit our research by linking to RentCafe.com or this page so that your readers can learn more about this project, the research behind it and its methodology. For more in-depth, customized data, please contact us at media@rentcafe.com.