Minimalist Design – how to add it to your home
by Northern Life
Open plan living is the best approach for minimalist designs and moving furniture away from the walls to create unique spaces is key.
While for some, maximalism rouses the senses, for others, the serenity and beauty of a minimalist home are all that is desired. Minimalism offers light and space that can bring elegance to any space. Yet, the boundary line between minimal and sparse is a fine one. Getting the right look to give your house a homely feel at the same time as wowing with design is challenging. Here we offer some tips on integrating minimalist interior design into your home.
Select subtle, neutral colour schemes
Minimalism starts with your choice of colour scheme. As you can imagine, a circus tent could never aspire to minimalism, as the bright and bold colours immediately offer a sense of clutter to the space. Therefore, you need to go for pastel shade or natural colours to give that sense of openness and light.
The choice of paint and wallpaper colour is not surprising. Imagine that the interior design trend of minimalism is grounded in a belief in the simple things in life. It is about stripping bare the objects in your life and living with more purity. Therefore, the more natural the shades, the better you will achieve the effect of minimalism and the look.
If you want to add patterns and textures to your design, choose one or two feature points to include these. Equally, one splash of a contrasting colour can accentuate your minimalist choices and offer a significant impact on the overall design.
Use natural materials in your furniture
As noted, natural elements are a core feature of minimalist design, and it leans heavily into Zen philosophies that link the energy within our home with the energy within us. There is much written about how everything is energy, and there is little creating a barrier between us and our environment. Therefore, bringing nature into your home is much more wholesome than using manufactured materials.
Anything wooden is going to add a positive energy to your minimalist design. Tatami mats and straw carpeting are also a great way to include natural elements in your home. Keep the variety of textures to a minimum, too, as too many alternatives, even natural materials, will reduce the minimalist effect.
Live in open spaces
Opening doors and leaving windows unobstructed is an essential of minimal living. You want to capture as much light as possible to give that airy effect. Open plan living is the best approach for minimalist designs and moving furniture away from the walls to create unique spaces is key. You can always use collapsible room dividers and screens to separate spaces when the family comes to stay.
The more you can let light and airflow naturally through your home, the more you will benefit from this minimalist design.
Introduce some greenery
Adding plants, shrubs, succulents, and other outdoor elements indoors is great for your minimal design. Again, this is about bringing in nature to improve the air quality and energy within the home. Keeping the scheme of these plants relatively simple is important, and one or two placed around your home can have a significant impact.
One of the best ways to add a splash of colour to your home is by using flowers. Again, it uses the natural world to bring some contrast to your home.
Low height seating
You do not have to spend a fortune to get the minimalist sofa you see in the interior design magazines, You can find luxury affordable furniture online. The fourteen-cushion corner sofa that takes up a whole area of the room isn’t for everyone.
Instead of thinking length, think height. You want the seating to be lower to the floor to make the most of the room’s height. It is a place to get closer to the earth and snuggle into the odd larger cushion. Your minimalist house should not be uncomfortable, as it is still your home after all.
Make the most of focal points
The minimalist design is so clever because it gives you an opportunity to wow visitors in one moment in your home. The sparseness and limited use of colour provide the perfect backdrop for that one powerful moment. It is a piece of art of a signature piece of furniture and zing in a room where everything else falls away to reveal its beauty. Your focal point will be a conversation starter and, with the right painting or sculpture, could move you each time you walk into your home.
Minimal for more
Minimalism isn’t about having less design but about making simple design choices. You have a much more powerful effect on those visiting your home by making one or two signature moves.