Live with Less: How to Embrace Minimalism at Home
Live with Less: How to Embrace Minimalism at Home
The minimalist home design is about functionality and simple decor, characterized by the lack of ornaments and simplicity. Nonetheless, this decorating style makes a home very appealing and elegant, even though it presupposes reducing everything into basic necessities. And believe us when we say that living less can really be detoxicating, helping you feel more satisfied and less psychologically stressed without the clutter of too many things being kept around the house. Here’s how to embrace minimalism at your home and make it simple, sleek, and sophisticated.
Modern and Subtle Use of Color
Minimalistic style doesn’t require you to eliminate all color, leaving you with just plain white, cream, or beige around you. Feel free to add warmth with a simple and pared back style, combining colorful furniture pieces (blue, jade, orange, or light green), and add warmth to your wood flooring with a floor lamp. Further touches of color can be added by jars and bottles lined up on the open shelves, creating a cozy and domestic feel. By choosing a scheme of soft, light colors, such as cream, white, and pale natural woods, you can create a calming and soothing atmosphere – a timeless décor that works every time.
As for artworks, choose them bright and bold. Paintings and prints will stand out a lot more once you have fewer possessions lying around the house. Opt for filling large areas of wall with one or few big pieces of artwork, to make a confident statement. Of course, if you’re not skilled in interior decoration and don’t know where to begin, you can always seek the help of a decorating professional that will help you turn your ideas into reality.
Opt for Natural Materials
When it comes to minimalism in interior design, the ultimate choice can be a rustic cottage style. Whether it’s a small detail like a ceramic vase or a wooden bowl on display, or a whitewashed wall in the living room, you’ll go to basics by embracing the simple and the subtle. Choose items in natural materials, like stone and wood, and it will connect you to the outdoors – the world of mountains, forests, and beaches.
Natural Light
Let the natural light flow in. It awakens your senses and lifts your spirits up, providing more power to your indoor décor. Does the window glass need a nice, thorough clean? Could your window coverings be pared down or simplified? Could you maximize light potential by replacing your current windows with larger ones? Think about all the possibilities to introduce more light into your home.
Light Fittings
When it comes to light fittings, you should choose them carefully. There will be more focus on the room’s basics (window dressings, flooring, skirting boards, and lighting), as there will be fewer objects in the room. Add some personality to your minimal space with some attractive, well-planned lighting. For example, you can create a streamlined, sleek feel with some neutral-shade built-in banquettes, or a sculptural, stylish effect in your dining room with a few simple pendant lights.
Storage Solutions
The same rule applies to storage cabinets – keep it simple and effective. Keep your bathroom uncluttered with simple cabinets for keeping toothpaste and shampoo out of sight. Use wall-mounted pieces to create the illusion of a larger space, along with mirrored cabinet that will brighten the room by reflecting light.
This also goes for all the other rooms in your home, like the hallway or kitchen – add filling cabinets to contain stuff like paperwork or junk mail, and prevent it from spilling around the house. The top drawer of the cabinet can be used as the “in tray” for storing things you want to leave as reminders. Once it gets into your routine, you’ll remember to check it frequently.
As for the bedroom, it’s great to have enough storage to keep the area de-cluttered. You should pare back the area by keeping it free of technology and screens, in order to encourage quality sleep. Your bedroom should be associated with relaxation and sleep, making it the most minimalistic room of them all.
The minimalistic approach to interior decoration doesn’t mean that your home should be austere. Surround yourself with stuff you love, but in small, controlled doses. Choose things that relax you, things that make you feel happy and calm. Eliminate the unnecessary stuff and create yourself a warm, cozy, simple and functional living space.
