How Minimalist Interior Design Style Maximizes Life!

Minimalist Interior design style and a distinct, intentional lifestyle practiced by some rare breed of people.

It is very likely you have come across such people who embody understated simplicity and yet exude an aura of quiet confidence.

Such people of substance neither show off their many accomplishments nor wax eloquently about themselves.

There may even be an air of vulnerability about them as they are fine with being themselves, just as they are. They have an air of confidence.

Minimalist Interior design have similar characteristics. This style is about understatement that eschews extravagance.

That is why Minimalist interior design style is usually embraced by this breed of rare people when it comes to giving shape to their homes.

This is because minimalist interior design style is a manifestation of a personal lifestyle philosophy steeped in simplicity while omitting the unnecessary.

The world and the homes we create begin at the depths of our being. Like an extension of our being.

Alignment between our beliefs and how we express them through our creations bring about a sense of congruency.

Alignment with our minimalist philosophy will burst through various aspects of our life. Here are a few important areas where minimalism will find expression in various facets of our life.

Minimalist food is about eating healthy food without indulging in fast food that harm us in the long run.

Minimalist fashion is more a movement than a trend. The focus is on arriving at a minimalist wardrobe that will be fashionable and comfortable for a long time. You can find more about minimalist fashion and ways of getting a minimalist wardrobe in this blog post.

Digital clutter in our day and age is an aspect we have to be wary of. Rather than consuming every information that comes our way, there is a need to discriminate and choose with conscious intent.

So, as our minimalist personal lifestyle philosophy based on simplicity finds actual expression in minimalist interior design in our homes, it is an outcome worth celebrating.

What is Minimalist Interior Design?

Like a woman or man of substance, minimalist interior design style is characterized by minimal decoration, without unnecessary frills or pomp.

Geometric shapes, minimal colour palette consisting of two or at most three hues and functional furniture are other aspects of minimalist interior design.

Austerity and emphasis on basic style that creates a home that is a calm sanctuary are other attractions of such a style.

Minimalist décor is just the opposite of maximalist design which is characterized by embellishments, loud and bright colours, imposing furniture and assortment of accessories vying for attention.

Minimalist interior design affords opportunities for us to give expression to our personal preferences by intentionally opting for a select few items in various parts of our homes. This way, our home bears personal imprint of our convictions.

“Less is more” is the philosophy that guides minimalist décor.

Here are 10 points discussing the essential features of minimalist design.

Essentials of Minimalist Interior Design

1. Open spaces: It is important to have open, uncluttered space with an open floor plan and open spaces where one room blends into the other. Just as music is created by pauses between notes, in a minimalist home, open spaces define the few intentionally selected objects. The Japanese have a word ‘Ma’ for negative space or an “emptiness full of possibilities”.
2. Neutral minimalist colour palette: Most minimalists prefer to go with white walls. But it is also fine to go with hues of grey or creams. You can also experiment with very light pastel monochromes, if you feel things are a little too monotonous.
3. Flat surfaces and geometric forms: Clean, sharp and flat surfaces that reflect light and make rooms feel more spacious, is absolutely the way to go. Smooth curves, straight lines and simple shapes have a way of adding elegance to your home. This idea is enhanced by designing around existing architectural forms, instead of hiding them.
4. Lighting: Emphasis on natural lighting and free flow of air are other aspects that would make you fall in love with your minimalist home. And, when it comes to artificial lighting, there are excellent minimalist light designs that will introduce the right ambiance.
5. Textures: Your home will not be boring because there is a lot of scope for you to exercise your creative muscles. Experiment with various textures in the objects at your home, like pairing wood with metals pottery, cloth, canvas or glass to get the right feel and ambiance you want.
6. Use of focal point to arrive at balance: Paintings, art pieces, centerpieces or even a sofa could be used to make your rooms look vibrant by providing contrast to a neutral atmosphere. An effect of intrigue can be further added through very subtle use of plants, lamps or art items around the focal point.
7. Quality over quantity: In our search for minimalism devoid of ornamentation and unnecessary embellishments, it is important to go for quality. In a minimalist home that shuns quantity, any item that does not have quality will stand out like a sore thumb.
8. Declutter and organize: A minimalist home that has stuff lying all over the place will bring focus on the clutter rather than the elegance of the home. Ensure that every item has a home — which means that once items are used, they need to go to the cabinets, drawers and closets. This way, your home looks elegant and orderly at all times. I have written a separate blog post about the 5 steps of the minimalist to claim sanctuary.
9. Pay attention to details: Any part of the décor that is not done well in a minimalist home will naturally draw attention. Poor execution of grouting between tiles, bad quality door knob or artifacts that have lost their shine are bound to accentuate the problem areas.
10. Use décor items with care: Going overboard with using too many art decors or accessories, is bound to ruin all the careful effect you have put in. Use plants, vases, pots etc, in such a way that they contribute to creating focus areas instead of creating clutter. When it comes to minimalist paintings, it is wise to opt for just one large painting in a room instead of several of them.
11. Balancing simplicity and function: Every item in your house should serve a purpose while they also have an air of elegance. Form should complement function which can be accomplished by employing rich texture in a home item.

How to achieve minimalist interior design features — room by room

Minimalist interior design has particular styles such as Japanese, Scandinavian and modern. It is surely possible to evolve a style which is unique to our Indian context too. The possibilities are endless. Yet, the principles which govern all these styles are generally the same.

Here are some ideas how you can aim for and achieve a minimalist lifestyle by incorporating minimalist interior design features room by room.

Minimalist bedroom

Most minimalist interior designers like to go for a low-lying clean lined bed frame minus the headboard or any ornamentation. The subtle grains on the wood add that restrained accent.

You can experiment a bit with your ideas here is this is an isolated room meant — just for you.

It is best if the bedside furniture like cube cabinets or shelves are at the same height as the bed. Built-in minimalist ward-robe or even a single piece storage furniture wouldn’t adversely alter the desired look.

A sleek lamp light either on the wall or stand alone lamp can maximize the ambience of serenity flooding into the room. And colourful art pieces can add that bit of vibrancy and excitement into your room.

Minimalist Living Room

It is fine to aim for restrained luxury with your minimalist living room, emphasizing well curated minimalist décor. The right thing is to repeat the same furniture form across the room.

If you can manage spaces in the living room without any décor, that would be an accomplishment you will be proud about. Remember we had talked about ‘Ma’ or negative space which defines the few but quality items in the room.

If you can find an arresting centerpiece or a large painting, it would add that bit of drama to enliven your living room.

Minimalist Kitchen

As the most happening place or the heart of your minimalist home, minimalist kitchen design ideas will have a rippling effect in other parts of the house as well. So, it is worth apportioning a good part of your designing budget for getting your minimalist kitchen absolutely right.

A kitchen is the place which has an assortment of colours and materials on account of the cabinets, floor designs, wall tiles and the appliances. Hence it is essential to pay even greater attention to how a minimalist kitchen design will emerge through careful planning.

This can be achieved by sticking to two colours and also just two materials such as timber or marble. Do not stray from the two colour palette even when it comes to appliances or crockery items.

Having enough storage space in the kitchen will ensure that the work surfaces are free of any clutter.

And, as your kitchen is likely to be the place which is used the most, it goes without saying that utmost attention has to be paid to the quality of materials used in the cabinets, drawers and accessories.

Minimalist Dining Room

Nowadays, dining space serves the purpose of a workspace and dining. So, it is essential that you design an organized and minimalist dining space.

It is a good idea to aim for minimalist furnishings, neutral colour palette and more space with some items displaying simple accents.

The dining table is ideally made of wood with its natural grains accentuating that touch of class. If the minimalist architecture of the dining space boasts of clean and uniform features, it is a good idea to go for geometric chairs that are abstract, only ensuring that they sport the same finish and materials as the dining table. This serves the purpose of complementing and contrasting.

The pieces in a dining room should relate to one another with regard to colour, line, texture, mass etc. There should be unity in the items used.

The light that hangs from the ceiling can be a contemporary design piece. To complete the minimalist look, go for bare white walls.

Minimalist bathroom

The way to achieving a minimalist bathroom is by using clean lines and enough hidden storage space so that there is no clutter that distracts.

Minimalist bathroom designs aim at functionality and precision. Décor is used to the minimum and one trick to getting elements of décor is by using functional items that serves as décor items.

Cabinetry in a modern, minimalist bathroom is very crucial. The clean lines of the cabinets along with its delicate grains can be used to counter the stark look of the clean white walls and the black and grey accents.

Another important aspect to remember is, do not bring into your minimalist bathroom stuff which do not serve any function or look beautiful. Every item in the toilet should accentuate beauty and enhance functionality.

Why you will love minimalist interior design style

For someone opting for designing a minimalist home the benefits are many. Particularly in our country, minimalist design ideas have high degree of relevance. I list a few of them below.

1. Small spaces appear larger: In cities in our country, where a lot has to be achieved with less space, a minimalist style makes small spaces appear larger.
2. Never go out of fashion: Minimalism is more a movement than a trend. Therefore, minimalist interior design style and practices will continue to remain in vogue.
3. Saves you money: Minimalist homes will be designed with minimal items — using what is just needed. Therefore, minimalist homes will be less expensive in comparison to homes designed along opulent design style.
4. More calming and relaxed environment: Homes designed without too many furniture or décor items are definitely more serene, like a calm sanctuary. Free flow of air and light, white or neutral walls enhance the feeling of living in a soulful home.
5. Save at least 15 hours every month on cleaning: A minimalist home without all the clutter lying around, is much easier to clean.
6. Improvement in productivity: Stats show that in a well cleaned, organized place, productivity improves substantially and the saving of time can be 30 minutes to one hour every day.
7. Happier family bonding: Environment we live in has a tremendous effect in the way we feel within ourselves and relate with people at home and the world outside. In a well ordered, neat environment, it is easier to achieve harmony between the minimalist home interiors and the inner worlds of the family members.
8. Focus on the value system: A minimalist home leaves a message to everyone who are fortunate to live in one, that possessions and consumerism do not create happiness. And, what is important is the content in each person.
9. Minimalist home interiors lead to minimalist lifestyle: This could be the greatest benefit of going for a minimalist interior design style. As you get used to the minimalist environment, you also begin to ease into a minimalist lifestyle. This encompasses minimalist fashion, minimalist food, minimalist art etc.

Interiors Square was set up to create awareness about Minimalism and minimalist home designs. As the founder of the company, what I can assure is the design and execution of minimalist home interior design projects by a team that is passionate about providing quality and high class customer service.

Creating soulful homes is what we are as a company about.

In addition to minimalist interior design, we offer decluttering services without which no home can start on the journey of becoming minimalist.

The decluttering service is provided by Service Square which has built a reputation for deep cleaning services.

It takes a decluttered, minimalist and clean home to arrive at a soulful home.

Where every aspect of work done is a work of art.

Whether it is cleaning.

Or decluttering.

Or Designing Minimalist home interiors.

This blog post was originally published at https://homesartist.com/look-how-minimalist-interior-design-style-maximizes-life/. If you are a minimalism enthusiast, there are other posts related tot the same field.