Funky Vintage 1880s Home in Milwaukee Is a Maximalist's Dream Come True

The day I learned about maximalism changed everything for me. After years of protesting against society's current obsession with greyscale, impersonal, overly minimalistic interior design, I discovered that there's a name for the colorful, eclectic aesthetic I'd been trying to cultivate. In a world full of grey-washed wood floors, monochromatic color schemes, and "sad beige core" aesthetics, it always warms my heart to see a fellow maximalist doing their thing!

The current owner of this adorable 19th century home in Milwaukee definitely has a little maximalism on their mind. Though it's far from the wildest example of maximalism I've seen (they are trying to sell the home, after all), its fun, funky character is one that so many staged homes lack, and it makes this already beautiful property all the more appealing!

This walkthrough comes courtesy of @emilywalczak.realtor , a Milwaukee-based real estate agent with a fascination for vintage homes. Even before we touch on the interior decor, the property itself is absolutely charming. This three-bedroom, two-bathroom home was originally built back in 1880, and while it's obviously gone through a few renovations over the years, it still retains its beautiful original character, especially in its colorful yet tasteful exterior.

Related: Mid-Century 'Time Capsule' Home for Sale in Milwaukee Is an Absolute Treasure

If this home had nothing but decorless stark white interiors on the inside, its vintage architecture would still speak for itself. However, we get another full feast for the eyes, thanks to the current owner's zany maximalist interior design tastes!

Cozy, Quaint Maximalism

I already knew we were in for something a little unusual when I saw the purple front door with the white tiger head door knocker, and things only got wilder when Emily stepped inside. From the moment the front door opens, you're met with warmth and color. Each room is painted a different bold color, contrasting beautifully with the pale wooden floors and the white trim.

In true maximalist fashion, the decor and furnishings are stylistically diverse. Sleek mid-century modern furniture shares the space with ornate Oriental rugs and antique East Asian lacquer cabinets, and weird vintage decor, like that funky 1960s flower lamp Emily couldn't identify, sits side-by-side with modern ornamentations like neon wall signs and flower wall panels. There's so much personality flowing through every room, and as someone who has a very similar aesthetic in my house, it immediately made me feel right at home.

Bold, maximalist styles are more divisive than plain, generic minimalism, which is often why staged open houses often tone things way down. Even in Emily's comment section, there were people who did not like this aesthetic at all (one person said it had "WAY too much color," which just broke my heart). But the beauty of "love it or hate it" decor means there are also plenty of people who fall head-over-heels for this stuff like I did.

"Wow, my very first college house was 2 doors down, who would have known such a treasure was so close!" admired @amandaleighxo.

"No way, I used to live next to this house! So fun to see the funky interior," marveled @elbycreative.

Hypothetically, if someone were to paint the interior white and get rid of all the funky motifs, it wouldn't be the same thing as gutting a vintage home and redoing it with bland modern interiors. All the maximalist updates are obviously modern, and undoing them wouldn't destroy the authentic character of this already lovely home. But as a matter of principle, I kinda hope whoever does buy this house appreciates its color and liveliness as much as I did. According to the property's Zillow listing , the home is contingent as of July 1. Fingers crossed that its lucky buyer keeps these zany vibes going strong!

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