Mixed Patterns and Curated Materials that Push the Boundaries

An exploration of the maximalist design style.

Written by:Cambria USA
a bold living room with dark ceilings and walls, bold patterned curtains, a blue couch, and a black, white and gray speckled quartz fireplace.

Cambria design shown: Hollinsbrook™

More is more when it comes to the maximalism trend in interior design, which is currently experiencing a deserved resurgence. A contrast to the minimalist aesthetic of years past, maximalist design is a bold style comprised of mixed patterns and excessive—but curated—collections that push the boundaries in design.

Because Cambria offers an expansive palette of designs, all of which can be mixed and matched together for a one-of-a-kind aesthetic, Cambria quartz surfaces can often help amplify a subtle maximalist design plan.

Intimidated by this over-the-top design style? Here, we share a few Cambria spaces with maximalist intentions to inspire your next project.

Playful Decadence by BA Torrey

For the Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York, designer BA Torrey created “a cocktail intended to pique the senses,” he told 1stDibs.

A bar featuring green chairs in front of a counter with a Cambria Hollinsbrook quartz countertop.

“You didn’t just look but touched and felt my 70s-inspired homage to playful decadence and indulgence,” says Torrey. “Luxurious textures filled the room, making for a highly tactile environment.” Cambria design shown: Hollinsbrook. Photo by Nickolas Sargent.

“From the cerused oak of the custom millwork, brass of the stools and coffee table, crystal of the lamps, plush velvet and mohair of the upholstery, shimmery black-and-gold wheat-inspired fabric of the Hermes throw pillows, and chunky honed stone of the fireplace and Cambria Hollinsbrook matte bar counter and backsplash, this room was made to touch,” explains Torrey.

A Maximalist Kitchen by Jewel Marlowe

In a kitchen design by interior designer Jewel Marlowe for her family home, a standout waterfall island in Cambria’s Bentley™ design, fabricated by Granite and Marble Express, features exciting movement and veining in a black-and-white pattern.

Instead of letting other elements in the space defer to the island, Marlowe added even more bold elements in a nod to maximalism, like blue-hued cabinetry, gold hardware and fixtures, a contrasting wood island inlet accent by Burled Co., striped stool cushions, and black window trim. The effect wows.

Unique Cambria Bentley kitchen waterfall kitchen island

Interior designer Jewel Marlowe leaned into the maximalist aesthetic with a Bentley waterfall island and blue-hued cabinetry.

“To add continuity to the home, I have repeated the bold black-and-white theme of our Bentley island in almost every other room of our house. Black-and-white rugs, art, and wallpaper help the statement-making kitchen island feel so natural and consistent,” said Marlowe.

Maximalist for a Cause by Young Huh

For the annual Holiday House Showhouse in New York, which benefits breast cancer research initiatives, designer Young Huh created a maximalist kitchen design with a multitiered floating island featuring black-and-white Rose Bay™ and Hadley™ countertops.

Cambria Rose Bay and Hadley quartz countertops in kitchen with unique shapes and styles

“Young used modern Bosch appliances and Cambria quartz surfaces, which contrast beautifully with the classical architecture of the room,” wrote York Avenue.

Power Powder by Clive Christian Interiors

Powder rooms are an ideal room to showcase maximalist-like opulence and ornate details. This stunning space by Clive Christian Interiors features gold hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, intricate cabinetry with a playful woodland pattern, and Cambria’s Ella™ for the vanity countertops.

A gorgeous black and gold powder room highlighted by a Cambria Ella quartz countertop sink

Ella countertops pair with opulent gold wallpaper and patterned cabinetry.

Powder rooms tend to leave an impression with your guests, so you never want to skimp on quality materials. Cambria is maintenance free, easy-clean, and nonabsorbent (meaning moisture and bacteria are never absorbed), all of which are important considerations for high-traffic bathroom areas.

Bold Kitchen by Soda Pop Design

In this maximalist-inspired kitchen by Soda Pop Design, a Bentley waterfall island with a gold inlay, brass and gold hardware details, black cabinetry, and a high-gloss, textured backsplash make for a bold and glamorous design.

Designers often use Cambria for unique applications separate from countertops and, in this case, the team also installed a custom vent hood with the Bentley design to match the space’s countertops and island. It all comes together for a chic and sophisticated result.

Kitchen featuring an island with dark siding, a compartment for storing cups and dishes, and a Cambria Bentley quartz countertop.

A glamorous kitchen design by Soda Pop Design features Bentley countertops and vent hood.

Jewel Box Powder Room at the Lake Forest Showhouse

In the Lake Forest Showhouse, guests are greeted by a cloak room and powder room designed by Sarah Vaile Design. She created the maximalist powder bathroom jewel box with a color palette—Sherwin-Williams Framboise—inspired by the burgundy Rolls Royce driven by Princess Margaret in The Crown. In fact, Princess Margaret served as the muse for the entire space.

“We sought to create a design that felt both original to the home and simultaneously modern,” says Vaile. “A black-and-white stone mosaic felt like a natural go-to, which is what brought us to Cambria. We loved that their latest collection offered a quartz with all the veining and visual elements of marble but yet suitable for modern living with its durable nature. We had used this fun and young geometric mosaic on a master bath project and sought to have Cambria custom create the design for the Showhouse.”

a bold powder bathroom with hot pink trim on the door and window, black and white quartz tiled floor, rainforest inspired wallpaper and a pedestal sink.

A de Gournay Rousseau wall covering, custom inverted chevron tile pattern floor in Cambria’s Mersey™ and Smithfield™ designs, mirrored wall, and cheeky prints and tassels drive home the maximalist nature of the space.

Maximalist Bar at Fhima’s

After a two-year renovation and restoration, legendary Minnesota restaurateur David Fhima transformed the Twin Cities’ storied one-time Forum Cafeteria space into what’s now his modern French Mediterranean restaurant Fhima’s Minneapolis.

To give the space much-needed life, Fhima enlisted the help of Cambria to redo the restaurant’s oval-shaped back bar in a period-appropriate white and gold theme with Cambria’s Galloway™ and Brittanicca Gold Warm™ designs. The lucite construction of the bar let the warm golden hue of the stone shine through with strategic underlighting that added to the vintage vibe.

a restaurant and bar with tables and bartop topped with gray and white veined quartz countertops and orange seating and decorations

The teams cantilevered the bar from the ceiling in its same location to allow sightlines across the expanse of the traditional French bistro that glow in the golden tint of Cambria’s Brittanicca Gold Warm and Galloway designs, also reflected in the redone black and gold flooring.

“Cambria gives it the heart and gives it the soul, while still preserving the essence of the space,” said Fhima. “Cambria’s finishes are so beautiful, but they also have a great modern feel to them. There is no way that I can picture anything else. I’m not a spokesperson for Cambria, but I do love Cambria. I love the look and love the work that we do with them. But I did not install the Brittanicca Gold Warm and Galloway designs because of that. I did it because the countertop works!”

Fit for a commercial application, Cambria quartz surfaces feature unparalleled strength and durability—they’re nonabsorbent, scratch and stain resistant, and maintenance free—and are crafted from the purest natural materials on Earth, all backed by a transferable Full Lifetime Warranty.

Luxe Maximalism with Vanessa DeLeon

Vanessa DeLeon of Vanessa DeLeon Associates curated her own maximalist-inspired Edgewater, NJ, kitchen with matte black cabinetry, including a matching True Residential refrigerator and contrasting copper hardware and corner details.

A modern kitchen with a massive island and backsplash with Cambria Brittanicca Gold Warm quartz creating a warm earth toned kitchen.

A matte black Brizo faucet and pot filler add a modern aesthetic against the massive island and backsplash in Brittanicca Gold Warm, with warm earth tones against a temperate white background, to complete the maximalist look.

[Updated on 2/12/2024]

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