Interior design is another area where there are strong correlations between form and function. If minimalism is about stripping down the excess and concentrating on the essential, it’s logical that these principles manifest themselves in the aesthetics as well. Simplicity and a great level of functionality are thus important building blocks of minimalist designs.
While at first glance, minimalist interiors do share common design elements, there are subtle (or sometimes not so subtle) differences between the various design trends, be it Scandinavian, Japanese, or functionally minimal. I plan to write about the different subgenres of minimalist home aesthetics in detail in future posts, but for now, let’s just settle for some basic and more general traits of minimalist interior style.
Simple color palette
Simplicity already manifests itself in the color choices of minimalist homes. Black, white, grey and their many shades and variants, as well as the occasional color accents give the interiors a clean and polished look.
Strategic use of materials and textures
Interiors are often dressed up with textures and not objects or elaborate decorations. Different textures and materials like metal, glass, wood, concrete, and stainless steel add an interesting visual twist and personality to a room.
Maximize space
When we think of minimalist homes, a typical mental image is a huge room with few furniture and decoration. However, spaciousness in not directly related to size. Even small minimalist apartments can look spacious by cleverly mixing white space with clean lines, smart setups, and an uncluttered layout. Rooms are also often adjoined, thus creating more open, flowing spaces.
Clean lines
There is a huge emphasis on strong clean lines in minimalist design. What often gives minimalist spaces an interesting aesthetics is mixing the heavy verticals (tables, desks, sofas) and horizontals (walls, wardrobes, cabinets and bigger elements) with softer curves and more eccentric shapes (armchairs, coffee tables, lamps).
Light
Lights and lighting play an incredibly important role in minimalist interior design. Whether it is natural light streaming in through huge windows or strategically placed or diffused artificial lights, like spots and LEDs, lighting is an aesthetic device in minimalist homes. It helps create and set the atmosphere, emphasizes and enhances the textures and details, and functions almost like decoration itself.
Smart organizing solutions
Minimalist homes look clean, sharp and uncluttered, because they are full of practical storage solutions that ensure that everything has its own place and thus aren’t left around on random places in the room. Smart home technological solutions are also frequent features of minimalist homes, as they integrate and streamline various functions and tasks that would otherwise require a dozen separate, bulky devices.
Styling – the difference between cold and sterile, and clean, but homey
Sometimes people shy away from more modern, minimalist homes because they fear that stripping down to the essentials results in boring, cold, sterile spaces. And while interior design is, as all aesthetic issues, highly subjective, I do agree that some minimalist interiors can look , well, too minimal. I think the key to maintain balance between clean minimalism and cozy ambience lies in the strategic use of decorations, plants, warmer tones, as well as the personal accents. If you like French-style prints, do a gallery wall. If you like to spend time in the kitchen, do open shelves. If you travel a lot, exhibit the memories. After all, it’s a home, and not an an exact replica of an interior design catalog.
For more amazing minimalist interiors:
+ Leibal
+ Minimalist Interiors – my Pinterest board
+ Check out the first part of the Minimalist Aesthetics series: Fashion (and 10 Minimalist Style Bloggers to Follow).
Follow me on Bloglovin’.
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I love minimalist design but I’m SUCH a hoarder and I like such an eclectic mix of things that it’s never possible!
Beautiful post though, can’t wait to read more! xo