When you’re designing your first space, it can be tempting to pack it full of things that you love. Many of us might feel the urge to cover every available wall space in paintings and pictures or to stuff our shelves full of books, collectibles, or other display items.
However, having such a cluttered space can actually negatively affect you. Research shows that living in tight, cluttered, or highly colorful or bright spaces can drain us of energy and promote stress and poor sleep, none of which are things you want to be experiencing in the comfort of your own home!
Minimalist interior design can help you still include thoughtful homages to your passions and family without overwhelming yourselves, creating a restful and inviting space that helps you feel at peace.
What is Minimalist Interior Design?
The interior design of your home is a major contributor to your overall health and happiness. You want a design that promotes thoughtfulness, intensity, creativity, and simple living.
Minimalist interior design can provide a cleansing and positive open space for you to rest and relax in, meaning you’ll feel rejuvenated after every moment you spend in your home.
Minimalist interior design is characterized by light colors, open design, green accents (typically plants), and lots of natural lighting. These clean and spacious areas bring simple, understated decor to the front of your home so that the focus is on you and your family.
How Do You Decorate Like a Minimalist?
There are no hard and fast rules for minimalist interior design, but there are some themes that most people use. Take the time to consider what your ideal living space would look like.
Would you want lots of natural light? Are you an introvert who needs a lot of personal space? Do you enjoy bringing nature indoors with plants or artwork made with natural materials?
Once you have an idea of what your core values are, start to find items that match the theme. Make sure that each element in your design ties back to your core values so that the space stays in line with your vision.
10 Minimalist Interior Design Ideas You’ll Love
Minimalist interior design is all about creating an ideal space for you and your family to enjoy spending time together without distractions or stressors. When you think of what that means for your home, consider these 10 ideas:
1. Introduce Muted, Light Colors
Muted and monochrome color palettes are staples of a minimalist home and make for great interior design themes.
Sticking to light and simple palettes, such as beiges, neutral tones, whites, or blacks, will help you create a subtly simple look that’s cohesively tied throughout your home.
2. Mix It Up with Texture
If you’re worried about not having enough variety in your home, you can consider adding different focal points through the introduction of different textures.
If your living room is mostly white, consider adding in a white shag rug or a tasseled throw blanket. You can also play with furniture upholstery fabrics to create even more variation.
3. Introduce Organic Themes
Simple and organic textures and colors can help break up the monochrome of a minimalist interior design while still providing a simple and grounded look that many people enjoy.
You can bring in wood accessories or orange or sienna-colored furniture to help create a natural and simple finish to your room.
4. Pick One Pop of Color
Minimalism isn’t all about whites and neutrals. You can still have an exciting minimalist interior design and play with color, it’s just important to be strategic in the color you choose and the way you manipulate that color.
A statement piece of furniture or a single brightly colored print can go a long way towards creating an exciting yet simple space.
5. Stick to the Same Color Family
Whatever color palette you choose, make sure you stay within that color palette in order to truly achieve a minimalist design. If you want soothing blues, keep your whole design in different shades and colors of blue.
If you’re looking at white, stick to neutrals and white accents. Whatever you pick can still be minimalist so long as you’re within the same color family.
6. Get Creative with Storage
Minimalist design is all about keeping things simple and open, which means that in spaces where you’re storing many different items you’re going to have to get creative with your storage.
Consider building vertical storage solutions to maximize vertical space as well as horizontal. Pare down on the items you keep in your home and designate a space for every item to help you manage the size of your collection.
7. Lean Towards Nature
Nature plays a big role in minimalist interior design, from accent pieces to featured artwork to classic textures and more.
Whether you’re adding in a houseplant or putting up palm prints, the more natural influence you can add to your home the better off you’ll be.
8. Clean Lines Are King
Minimalism is all about clean and simple lines in every component of your home, from the floor layout to the furniture you use.
When selecting sofas, chairs, or tables, look for pieces that provide sleek and simple usage, modest design, and clean outlines that will pair well with an open and streamlined home.
9. Get Creative with Artwork
Artwork is not just a painting or picture; it can also be texture hangings, sculptures, or even hanging installations from your ceiling.
Minimalist interior design welcomes all kinds of expression and art, and in a space that’s simple and pared-down, anything you display will appear as a major focal point. Make the artwork you select count by selecting statement pieces to display.
10. Keep Bookshelves Empty
This can be a hard one for many people to think about (aren’t shelves made to hold things?) but clean and empty shelving is actually one of the biggest contributors to minimalist design.
Keep a few books or picture frames up to help you feel at home, but the emptier your shelves are the more minimalist your home will appear.
Is minimalist design expensive?
Minimalist design doesn’t necessarily mean more expensive, and in fact, you can keep the price of your space down by simply prying yourself away from materialistic possessions and getting creative with storage. Also, by using natural elements and selecting neutral colors you’ll be able to save money on purchasing accessories.
Keeping your design pure and without clutter is crucial to avoiding spending money on unnecessary items, so do what you can to keep things simple when designing your functional space.
How To Apply These Minimalist Design Ideas to Your Home
Swapping in minimalist design ideas can be a gradual process. If the idea of transforming your entire home overnight feels impossible, you can begin by slowly but surely working through the different rooms in your home. Start with the bare essentials or small spaces, as well as a clean and simple design.
Box up belongings you don’t need or use and consider donating them to others who can use them. Keep only the things that make you happiest, and work to create clean, open spaces that help you feel relaxed.
Limit wall art to only the most impactful and keep your windows open as much as possible to welcome in natural light. Focus on simplicity, functional pieces, fewer pieces, and create a welcoming feel. Add visual interest where needed.
With slow and steady changes, you can begin applying minimalist design to every aspect of your home and create the restful space you’ve always dreamed of.
Final Notes
Minimalist interior design is both aesthetically appealing and mentally, physically, and spiritually beneficial to you and your family.
With these ten minimalist interior design ideas you’ll love, you can begin transforming your space into a minimalist oasis that promotes overall health and happiness for everyone who lives there.