For several years now, the minimalist style has been a tour de force in the world of interior design. Critics of the trend, however, have claimed that this style tends to be cold and barren. While that is certainly one interpretation of Minimalism, there is no reason why the minimalist concept cannot be warm, as many interior designers have successfully demonstrated. While no decorating trend can last indefinitely, Minimalism offers several benefits to home decorators that may help to keep it alive for a few more years.
What Is Minimalism, and Why Is It So Popular?
The minimalist interior design seeks to remove clutter by focusing on essential furnishings. Minimalist homes typically focus on one particular color palette with possibly one or two accompanying accent colors, and the style lends itself to open spaces and floorplans. Minimalist design does not mean doing without items that you need to live comfortably, but instead removing unnecessary things from your living space to enhance comfort and tranquility. The term “decluttering” has become synonymous with minimalism, but you cannot achieve minimalist decor simply by decluttering. Rather, decluttering is an essential step in developing a minimalist environment.
Benefits of Minimalism
In addition to being an attractive approach to home decorating, Minimalism can enhance your quality of life in several ways.
Creating a Tranquil Living Space
Fans of the minimalist style will often point to its simplicity. In a minimalist design, everything has its place, but there is also a distinct lack of extraneous items. Living room furniture, for instance, is arranged in a grid pattern with few, if any, items to distract from the clean and efficient arrangement. The neutral, muted tones create a calming atmosphere where bright conflicting colors don’t compete for your attention. To enhance the calming effect of minimalist spaces, many decorators are embracing the Scandanavian concept of Friluftsliv, which emphasizes year-round indoor greenery.
Easier to Maintain and Clean
With the focus on fewer items, light colors, and geometric lines, minimalist spaces are easier to maintain and keep clean. Fewer surfaces mean that dust doesn’t have as many places to settle. The simple design presents a hygienic appearance, as well.
Fewer Pieces Allows You to Curate Your Furniture Collection
Building a quality furniture collection can represent a significant financial investment, but with a minimalist design, you can build slowly and focus only on essential pieces. For instance, you can build a bedroom by starting with a single piece of furniture, like the bed. As time progresses, you can add other essential bedroom pieces to your room. With a minimalist design, you can use a similar approach to any room in the house.
Tips to Keep Your Minimalist Decor Fresh
If you’re concerned because you committed to Minimalism and you’re worried about your living space looking dated, we have some good news. Many decorating trends are continuations of the minimalist design style. Here are a few tips that will help you keep your minimalist style fresh and up to date.
Add Greenery
We alluded to it before, but Friluftsliv aims to bring natural beauty indoors. Adding a plant or small indoor tree to your roomscape can enhance the warmth of the room and break up the clean lines of your furnishings. If you want to maintain the straight lines of your aesthetic, consider a topiary with the contours you’re seeking.
Add an Accent Wall
Minimalist design isn’t necessarily limited to gray or white. You can change the entire look of a room by changing the color of a single wall. To maintain the minimalist theme of your room, don’t venture too far away from muted, neutral colors like beige, gray, etc.
Add Accessories
You can accessorize your furniture and rooms without giving up a minimalist style. Add a throw or pillows to a living room chair or sofa. Place a quilt and throw pillows on top of a bed. To maintain your minimalist style, choose solids or simple or linear patterns that will accentuate the existing tones in your furniture. Consider adding an area rug or changing the one you have to freshen up the look of the room.
Minimalism Is Still Safe
Our opinion is that the minimalist style still has a few years of life left in it. But if you are concerned that your room is beginning to look out of style, you can always begin building a new look around your existing pieces or start from scratch with a different style.
