Your Ultimate Lowdown on How to Create Minimalist Home Decor

Keeping your house clean in every inch everyday can be an arduous and time-consuming task. But we also want to come back to a home that is freshly spruced, looks and feels inviting after a day of hard work. This is where minimalism comes in. Distilled from the larger philosophy of ‘less is more’, this design trend calls for pairing things down to the bare necessities and ditching anything superfluous or unnecessary. It is a foolproof design solution to creating a warm home that never goes off trend and houses elements brought with much consideration and love.

Minimalism is defined as being “rooted in an art movement in the 1960s, and it later expanded into the design and architectural aesthetic most commonly associated with simplicity, neutral color palettes, and clean lines.” And when thinking of minimalist decor, it is impossible to not be lured by the simple and serene beauty of a space that looks super sophisticated and sleek. It is the visual definition of laid-back luxury, and recreating this in your home might look deceptively simple, but it isn’t as much. Think of it as achieving the no make-up makeup trend- requires skills of a professional to achieve perfection. If not treated with a decisive approach, your minimalist space may end up looking, cold, uninviting, sparse, and unlived-in, all the qualities that we don’t want in our homes.

Following is a step-by-step approach to help you find the key aspects of how to incorporate minimalist design in a space:

Clear the clutter

The first and foremost step to embracing minimalist design into your home is by clearing out any and every unnecessary object you see scattered around you. Be it bills from 3 months ago or snacks lying on the table, or objects that have gathered dust on your table top. There will always be stuff to get rid of, things that can be stored away for later use, unessential items: all need to be thrown or stored away as per priority. Make this a consistent practice, come back to every room with an aim to purge it of every unnecessary item to ensure clearing out all surfaces and give every object its own spot.

Take it at your own pace

You don’t necessarily have to transform your whole house overnight. That can prove to be a very stressful activity, and the whole point of a minimalist decor is to also give not only your house but also your mind the extra space to breathe and relax. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Create a neutral color base

Subdued hues which have an inherent understated elegance form the basis when it comes to creating a colour palette for a minimalist space. Think whites of different tones and warmth, beige, greys, greige, and every ecru-inspired tone. These colours imbibe a sense of calm and look as refreshing as they feel. But don’t worry if you are a lover of a splash of colour here and there. Your minimalist, neutral colour base doesn’t have to be boring at all. Should you wish to introduce some colour into the room, we suggest you opt for earthy tones like browns and solid pigments like blues and greens.

Pick and loose

As you build your minimalist space, remember to keep decluttering it of any and every thing that you have not used in the past 6 months and will not use in the 6 months. You also don’t need the uncountable utensils in your kitchen in anticipation of when you might host a big party, nor do you need 5 pairs of running shoes. While it may be intimidating at first, you should make it a practice to not only clean out your home but also not buy anything new.

One in, One Out

Which brings us to our next tip- the one in, one out philosophy. As might be self explanatory, this philosophy dictates that for every item that comes into your home, something else should go out in turn. And while it is the easiest to apply when swapping, for example, one cooking pan with another, it doesn’t always have to be that way. But do keep the size of the item that’s going out close to the one that’s coming in.

Quality over quantity

Given that everything that you buy and that acquires space in your home has to be well thought-out, the decision takes longer and the process is trickier. Every element needs to be bought after elaborate consideration but this also implies that every element in your decor will have a story, an inherent value that you adore, and will be elegantly curated. In such a case, you should keep quality as your utmost priority. Only invest in items that will stand the test of time and that which keeps your interest sparked for long before you add it to cart. When it comes to minimalist design, impulsive buys based on ever-changing home decor trends are practically not allowed. You should choose pieces that are made well and built to last, and look good while at it. It goes without saying that not only will you end up loving your space, you will also be making a bunch of environment-friendly decisions in the process.

Punctuate your home with stylish and functional space-saving elements

When you are dealing with very limited pieces of furniture and a decluttered space, making use of every inch of space is crucial. This is where stylish storage comes to the rescue so that you can stack things away from sight. This is also helpful for people who wish to have a minimalist lifestyle eventually, but are still in the process of letting their maximalist tendencies go. When buying storage, or any piece of furniture, really, think of how many ways it can be used. From tables that fold away to couches that fold out as extra beds for guests, nowadays, smart design solutions are available for those who love compact, small, and clutter-free spaces.

Incorporate natural elements

Be it a jute rug in your living room to add an earthy warmth, or simply letting the gorgeous natural light in your bedroom to take decor center-stage, natural elements play a pretty crucial part in minimalist home decor. Something like a wooden bench or a dark oak center table will help balance the look of white space and sleek lines with natural materials. Add some woven planters and you will solve the dual purpose of adding colours through the pop of green in the plants as well as adding that cute little accessory that doesn’t look bulky or take up a lot of space. These can also be used later for extra storage units.

As for natural light, what better way is there to soften the space and balance out the sharp look of sleek lines? You can add flowy sheer drapes and strategically placed mirrors to introduce more light into the space, making it look and feel bigger and airier.

The minimalist decor starts with incorporating minimalism ideologies in your daily lifestyle. The rest of it will fall in place, albeit with some help from the afore-mentioned tips and tricks.