Why TOO MUCH Christmas Decor Is Never Enough (with @whilefloriansleeps)

An interior designer’s maximalist Christmas style has become one of the hottest trends this festive season. For Erika Kikola, more is always more, and her unapologetic Christmas aesthetic – made up of tens of thousands of items some dating back over 100 years – is bringing a sense of nostalgia at every turn. Erika said she has always been a maximalist at heart, having been raised mostly by her grandparents, who introduced her to vintage items. At Christmastime, she said her family's approach to decorating was often a case of mish-mashing whatever items they had in their house, decorating as boldly as possible for as little money as possible. This approach followed Erika into adult life, as she started thrifting festive decorations, big and small, to a collection that grew into the thousands over the years. Come each festive period, the interior designer once again takes her decorations from storage, placing them in every nook and cranny around her home. Over recent years, this approach to a maximalist Christmas has become somewhat of a trend on social media, with many seeing Erika, who has tens of thousands of followers, as the North Star of the style – though she humbly doesn't see things that way. When describing her maximalist approach, she said it's often a case of having a large number of items that don't match; vintage decorations, where possible; a little DIY here and there; and a "ton of color, patterns," and, most important, "fun." With such a large array of items all in one place, Erika feels her look brings people back to their childhood, reminding them of old heirlooms, traditions, and that feeling of crafting as a kid. This rolls into her tree design, too, as each year she adds DIY elements, such as popcorn strings, paper chains and paper snowflakes. The designer admits that, in recent years, the appetite for her festive look has increased a lot, making it tougher to find special vintage pieces, given the competition. For anyone looking to start, though