Soon the air will get a bit more crisp, you’ll pull the sweaters out of the closet, and you’ll be craving a home that offers a fresh sense of coziness. The shift in temperatures and vibe from summer to fall comes in like an invitation to shift things in our lives, too.
And, this fall, interior designers are feeling moody. Okay, we don’t know their actual moods, but there are, for sure, three design “moods” trending in stores and homes: vintage maximalism, warm minimalism, and biophilic design.
All three are fundamentally about character, coziness, and creating a space that feels deeply personal. And, here at the largest online upholstery fabric store, we’re happy to report there’s an unsung hero in them all: upholstery fabrics. Fabrics offer the layer you see, textures you love, and the simplest and easiest way to give your home the seasonal refresh you crave. That’s what’s for us today.
Vintage Maximalism: For Love Of Boldness And Personality
Some rooms are so deliciously lived-in and lovingly offered that they beckon you in and instantly make you feel at home. Imagine such a space with warm, comforting reds turned up to 11 throughout. Classic paisley curtains in merlot frame the windows, an armchair in rust velvet offers the perfect afternoon perch, and, looking around, everything just feels so…right.
That’s the experience of vintage maximalism. It’s storytelling, layering fabrics, colors, and pieces with soul.
Might that include a bold Victorian floral tapestry fabric that’d make your grandma proud? Possibly. But only because it speaks to something in you personally, to an experience you want in your home. Maximalism embraces such inspiration, freeing you to go big with things like a tufted loveseat in emerald or plum velvet practically made for sitting a spell with a friend and a couple glasses of wine.
And, though maximalism often means going all-in from floor to ceiling with colors and patterns, it’s also simply going all-in with a statement piece. Like a sofa Caribbean blue chevron brocade, or a thrift store piece reborn in an antique gold striped retro fabric. For that matter, simply swapping throw pillow shams for something bold like a prism blue and green contemporary pattern can add enough maximalism to shift the vibe of the space.
The beauty in the “vintage” part of vintage maximalism is the story, sustainability, and budget-friendly joy of reusing or reupholstering. Heirloom pieces are no longer relegated to the attic, they’re reborn to be showcased. Whether they’re singing solo or a part of a bold, maximalist chorus of colorful fabrics, vintage maximalism gives them a home in your homier new vibe.
Warm Minimalism: The Less Is More (Cozy) Design Vibe
If vintage maximalism is a full symphony orchestra, warm minimalism is a late-night three-piece jazz set, the essence of simplicity with soul and heart. It’s pared back, sure, but humming with warmth — different from straight minimalism.
The style starts with a color palette that builds on a minimalist penchant for neutrals, but focuses on soft, warm, earthy shades, like rust, ochre, and sage. The warmth in warm minimalism heats up from another simple place: texture. Because, rather than leaning heavily on stark simplicity alone, warm minimalism lets fabrics do the talking.
Boucle feels different than linen, which feels different than microsuede, which feels different than chenille, etc. So, while like any other minimalist style you’ll find less in a space, what’s there carries more than its own weight as colors and textures combine to elevate the mood.
In practice, that might mean an almond colored linen sofa, a curvy, snuggly sage green armchair in boucle or shearling. Or a sectional in an earth tone like honey gold chenille that feels as if you’re settling into a cushy forest floor.
Warm minimalism is less about adding and more about subtracting. You’re distilling a space to the elements essential to what you do in that space and how you want to feel in that space. Then fabrics — pillow covers, slipcovers, reupholstering, headboards, and more — create opportunities to soften the visual field as well as add textural interest, like with sea salt white faux silk, rose quartz ultrasuede, or earthy clay woven jacquard.
Biophilic Design: Bring The Outside In And Feel Better, Naturally
And then there’s biophilic design — the art of merging the outdoors and indoors in your home. More than just adding house plants, this is about using your home as a kind of echo of nature, incorporating fabrics and textures that reflect the world outside.
So, a pair of armchairs might don a botanical print with stylized flowers and leaves in a footprint with an earthy green Crypton velvet sofa, with windows in a flax beige sheer linen. The idea is that, since we know nature is calming and broadly supports well-being, surrounding yourself with natural textures and patterns inspired by nature offers similar benefits.
What’s more, as good as biophilic design is on its own, it also blends well with maximalism and minimalism of any variety. For instance, a green-inspired maximalist style space becomes more biophilically maximal with a matelasse fabric like a meadow blue and green floral and foliage pattern in addition to actual foliage and flowers. A minimalist version of the same theme goes biophilic with woven fabrics like muted green and off-white eco-friendly floral or a taupe and beige monochromatic floral in addition to tastefully scattering indoor plants.
Both are aligned with the individual styles and biophilic design, helping you breathe just a little easier in your home.
Best of all, you can embrace biophilic design in small ways and still have a big impact. Because, of course, reupholstering or slipcovering cushions, an ottoman, or throw pillows in a print like tree branches or terra cotta eco-friendly tweed is cost effective as is simply swapping out heavy synthetic fabrics for something durable but more natural like an ocean blue cotton denim.
Your Home, Your Style: 3 Cozy Styles, Endless Possibilities
Each of the three styles we’ve talked about brings home a bit more sanctuary and soothing comfort. Vintage maximalism’s bold sense of history and personality ground and inspire. Warm minimalism simplifies, calms, and slows things down. And biophilic design reconnects to more natural rhythms in a world calling us all to unnatural rhythms.
Mix styles throughout your home, with different rooms offering different styles. Or take lessons from each and mix them in through layers in any single room.
Like the power of contrast with navy blue velvet lounge chairs paired with the serenity of a sofa in cream toned woven fabric. Or a warm minimalist living room with a biophilic “moment,” like an upholstered bench in fern green foliage pattern damask. A maximalist space built around the deep blues of the ocean finds warm minimalism with a chaise lounge in simple, classic Hampton blue stripes.
Pick a single style lane — or all of them. And as for the perfect fabrics to get you there, we’ve got them. And we’ve got a team that loves helping you this fall and every season. Give us a call today.
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