BO LD DESIGN DESIGN
How maximalism grew from the Guilded Age 1
by Tori Dobias
Step aside minimalism, there’s a new trend that’s bigger and bolder than ever. Maximalism is a design trend that emphasizes over the top, elaborate, and bold designs that catch the eye. And while it may seem like a new concept, the basic structure of maximalism have been explored before in the past. Nothing encapsulates this more than the mansions produced in the Gilded Age, which were abundant with elaborate and over the top designs and decorations. Back then, such detailed and intricate art was only for those who could afford it- the rich. Over the top designs are back in style today with the maximalist trend except this time, it’s not just for the 1%. While both styles are loud and busy, those created in the Gilded age had a limited audience while maximalist trends today are available for all. The mansions of the gilded age were built during a short and extravagant period in history. According to the real estate network Curbed, these mansions were built from 1890
and 1915 by the wealthy upper class. These mansions were enormous and unnecessarily extravagant part-time homes that used groundbreaking technology at the time like electric lights and elevators. The upper class splurged on decorating their homes as well, with things like gold finishes, marble floors, and painted ceilings. Such extravagant design was only available to those who could afford it. This period of wealth came to an end when two new tax laws were introduced. First, income tax was implemented which decreased net income. Second, the Revenue Act of 1916 passed which taxed estates and properties and affected how the property ownership could be transferred after death. This cause once affordable mansions to quickly become too expensive to keep, and most were abandoned or auctioned off in the years to follow. The designs of the gilded age reflected the wealth of the people that could afford them. They were over the top, lavish, and bold. Rich, deep colors were often used like dark velvety reds,
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“aesthetic “aesthetic of excess excess of and and redunredundancy” dancy” forest greens, and gold. Patterns were a huge part of these designs, seen anywhere from the wallpaper, to the stained glass, or tile on the floor. The wallpapers are especially eyecatching, often using bold colors and floral motifs. There was very little empty space anywhere. Even behind a staircase which would normally be overlooked, there was a fountain and a set of chairs installed. There were tiny details put into every aspect of the house. For example, the Vanderbilt family built a mansion during the gilded age that had elements from their family crest included in every room in the house. Dolphin imagery was found on tiles, carved into the crown molding, painted on the ceiling, on the side of chairs, and so many other places. This type of design became popular during this time period because of the epic amounts of wealth people had. They needed to fill space in their 70-room mansion, so the big and bold designs helped to fill this space. All of these design elements would have only been possible to achieve if you
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were wealthy. They weren’t designed purely for function and were impractical for someone of lower income to invest in. While it’s easy to look at this and romanticize this era, it’s important to remember that this lifestyle was not representative of everyone in that era. Maximalism is a upcoming trend in the design world, but it’s not an entirely new concept since it shares elements with the gilded age designs. Both use bold colors, patterns, gold foil, and are over the top. Maximalism can be applied to any type of art including interior design, music, and literature. The general definition of maximalism is that it’s a “reaction against minimalism” and it’s an “aesthetic of excess and redundancy”. This definition is applied in visual arts and graphic design as well, and maximalist designs are “characterized by decoration, sensuality, luxury and fantasy”, according to Maximalism: The Graphic Design of Decadence & Excess. This design trend was also seen in the 1960s with the bright psychedelic posters containing
geometric and contrasting colors to create optical illusions that catch the eye. Now it’s trending again and seen everywhere from billboards, to commercials, to packaging. Today in America, maximalism is available to a large audience across a variety of mediums. So why has the audience of maximalism changed even though the basic aspects of the design have stayed the same? Back in the gilded age, there were less channels to produce or view maximalism, and the materials to create it were much more expensive. Back then, there was no televisions or iPhones which make up the majority of our media intake today. Printing was more time consuming and costly, the maximalist designs weren’t always practical for companies to use in advertisements or brochures. Therefore, it only reached a very select audience. This audience was made up of wealthy members of the upper class who could afford design and who could afford the amount of furniture and items it takes to achieve maximalism in interior design. Now, media can
quickly and cheaply be distributed to a much wider audience than ever before. With screens everywhere we look, it seems that the modern audience requires a trend like maximalism because it stands out from all the other design we see. We can use maximalism in ways never seen before, overlapping music, videos, and special effects all at once; demanding the audience’s attention. Back in the gilded age, they also relied heavily on natural resources, like real marble or gold to decorate. Today, it would be insane to hand someone a gold foiled business card with real gold. We have access to cheaper alternatives to real resources. With the bold colors, patterns, and over the top look, the designs of the Gilded Age and the modern maximalist trend are similar in design but had very different audiences. In modern America, art and design is for everyone and can be expressed in a multitude of mediums that are available to most. So when you’re looking for the next big trend in design, look to past. You might just be inspired.
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