Minimalism is one of the crowning architectural achievements of the 20th century. Spare and streamlined while still being inviting, minimalism is charming in almost any space. With less clutter to wade through and mentally process, the innate beauty of each piece of furniture or art in the home really starts to stand out. These days, the minimalist look is increasingly popular. These spaces are delicately laid out interiors and have a tendency to look so untouched and so well-curated that it’s hard to imagine anyone actually living in them on a regular basis. If you have fallen in love with the minimal look it can easily be incorporated in you home. Read our tips on how to pull off minimalism the correct way.
Stick to a Neutral Color Palette
When you’re building a space with almost entirely neutrals, it’s crucial to add enough variety to keep the room from looking too boring. You can have a splash of bright color in the room, but most of the room should be more subtle colors – white is classic minimalist, but really any solid colors that don’t stress the eyes are good (earth colors come to mind, such as blues, browns, tans, or greens). Minimalist interiors are all about creating a simple and clean look. Choose one shade to be the dominant base for the room, another to act as a coordinating secondary color, and a third that’s reserved for accents.
Focus on Furniture
Keep only the essentials. Whether looking at your furniture or anything else in the room, ask yourself if the item is truly essential. Try to strip the room down to its essentials — you can always add a few choice items beyond the essentials later. In minimalist spaces, furniture is king. Include plenty of negative space, the less there is to draw the eye away from the furniture, the more prominent it will become. These rooms tend to be built around their function and there’s no better way to put it front and center than by making furniture your focal point. Purchase furniture with simple clean lines and natural materials. Don’t be afraid to invest in high-quality items that stand up to the amount of attention they will receive.
Mix Up Textures
For some reason, texture seems to always to be an afterthought when it comes to interior design/ Texture is the thing that makes a room pop. It’s what brings a perfectly fine design up to enviable levels. Since you’ll only be working with a handful of design elements, it’s important that every item pull double-duty in terms of adding both function and beauty. Texture is your secret weapon for this task.
Lots of Storage is Needed
In a minimalist house, it’s important that you find a place for everything. Where does your blender go? Aim for logical spots that are close to where the thing is used, to make things more efficient, but the key is to designate a spot and stick with it. Hidden storage is your best friend. Whether it’s put behind a closed door or stored away in a drawer, the key to maintaining a minimalist look is making sure all of your day-to-day clutter stays out of sight. Don’t be afraid to add a few more pieces of furniture or organizational systems to the room, if needed. The most important thing is making sure everything stays contained.
The Accent Decorations
A home completely clear of things would be a bit boring, actually. So instead of having a coffee table completely free of any objects, you could have a simple vase with a few flowers, for example. Or a clear desk might just have a family photo. An otherwise empty wall might have a tasteful piece of art . A common misconception is that minimalist looks don’t have room for accessories. In fact, they are a critical component to the room’s success. The addition of a few, well-placed accessories act as a finishing touch that pulls the room together. Accessories with functional value lend well to a minimal design. Think about using objects like candles, books and blankets to accessorize.
Benefits of a Minimalist Home
- Less stressful. Clutter is a form of visual distraction, and everything in our vision pulls at our attention at least a little. The less clutter, the less visual stress we have. A minimalist home is calming.
- More appealing. Think about photos of homes that are cluttered, and photos of minimalist homes. The ones with almost nothing in them except some beautiful furniture, some nice artwork, and a very few pretty decorations, are the ones that appeal to most of us. You can make your home more appealing by making it more minimalist.
- Easier to clean. It’s hard to clean a whole bunch of objects, or to sweep or vacuum around a bunch of furniture. The more stuff you have, the more you have to keep clean, and the more complicated it is to clean around the stuff. Think about how easy it is to clean an empty room compared to one with 50 objects in it. That’s an extreme example, of course, as I wouldn’t recommend you have an empty room, but it’s just to illustrate the difference.
With its clean lines and emphasis on simplicity, the minimalist look really does showcase some of the best interior design. Some people feel this simplicity is impractical for day-to-day use, but it can work.
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