How To Easily Create The Perfect Minimalist Living Room
How To Easily Create The Perfect Minimalist Living Room
Are you tired of your home’s decor? Well, it turns out, you can create a Minimalist Living Room easily and perk up your place in no time! Minimalism in home decorating is everywhere and now it’s time to give it a try with these easy to follow steps!
Anyone with even a passing interest in interior design will likely have heard of minimalist style. It’s a hugely popular trend that’s posted all over sites like Instagram and Pinterest by celebrities, influencers and just about everyone else.
And there’s a good reason for its popularity. It is a cool, clean and generally refreshing look that doesn’t cost a fortune to achieve.
The Perfect Minimalist Living Room
When it comes to creating a minimalist style, there are some basic rules you should follow to implement minimalism in your home. It took me a while, but I’m starting to transform my space so I can have a minimalist living room too. I’m tired of the clutter and living in a townhouse, you can’t afford clutter or oversized furniture.
We’ve put together a list of six ways you can create and maintain a minimalist living room that’ll look perfect in any home.
What is Minimalism
Before we jump into how to get the minimalist look, let’s see what minimalism is exactly. In basic terms, the trend is a style based on removing excess and leaving the bare essentials. The unofficial slogan for minimalism is “less is more”, ani important concept that should be seen throughout your room.
The 6 Basic Principles of Minimalist Design
- Let your high-quality items stand on their own – If you’ve gone all out and purchased an expensive piece of furniture or wall art you love, don’t camouflage it with other decorative items.
- Always choose a single stand-out piece and let it stand out! Always place your stand-out piece in an entryway or as the focal point of any room.
- When choosing objects or furnishings, be sure and choose design elements that are simple and pure. Don’t go all ornate – in achieving your perfect minimalist living room, you’ll want the overall theme to be calm, simple, and pure in nature.
- Give the things you love plenty of space. Keeping the walls neutral and allowing ample space will highlight each piece and ensure it has some breathing room.
- If you can, use restraint in your furnishing styles. When choosing pieces for your home, keep furniture like end tables and bedding on the down-low. In doing this, you can still use those special pieces that might be a bit more ornate to really shine!
- Remember, a little accenting goes a very long way. To achieve your minimalistic living room, you will want to down-play any accenting. You can cluster certain areas with vases or beautiful decorative houseplants and still achieve a minimalistic look and just enough to give it a tad of punctuation!
The movement of minimalism emerged in the 1960s in the art world to combat the increasingly rampant consumerism. From art, the trend was adapted into all areas of design including architecture, graphics, technology, interior design and more. Without even realizing, you’ll likely see minimalism in one way or another in the majority of aspects of your life.
Now that you know the basics, let’s take a look at how you can create your very own minimalist living room.
Remove All Clutter
Decluttering is likely the key pillar of a minimalist style. Every surface should be completely cleared of items with everything stored out of sight. Where possible, anything you don’t use should be donated or properly disposed of. This also goes for everything else in your room including furniture and decor.
As we mentioned, “less is more” is the minimalist mantra that you need to live your life by. To aid with clearing away clutter, try to keep the storage you have organized. This should prevent the mess from spilling out into the rest of your room.
Try to maintain the look by having regular tidying sessions where everything is clean and cleared away. If you struggle to remember to do this, why not try setting a weekly reminder as a prompt.
Minimalist Colour Scheme
When it comes to a minimalist color scheme, whites and neutral colors should be used for the room’s primary color. These color schemes are bright and calming and can be very relaxing too.
Although any neutral color works, white is the most popular choice for minimalist rooms. White makes a room look less cluttered and bigger. It will also give you more freedom to play around with secondary colors.
Try to use the primary color you choose in at least 65% of the room. You can then add one or two additional colors for the rest of the room. Try to keep these other colors in the art and accessories you display.
Minimalist Furniture
Minimalist furniture is based around quality, functionality, and balance. Choose a few high-quality pieces rather than too many, going for quality over quantity. For the sofas and chairs, stick to straight lines to go with the minimalist style. For the color, either match your background or use one of your additional colors.
As you’re aiming for no visible clutter, plenty of storage will be a must. Enclose shelves and drawers are perfect for hiding away everything you don’t need every day. Remember, you can always opt for a sofa or chair with hidden storage to increase your options.
For the furniture, you add, try to create a balance in your living room for the best look.
Minimalist Decor & Accessories
Minimalist decor and accessories are where you can bring some color and personality into your room. Use the colors you have left available to show off features you love. Just follow a general rule of one large or two small items per surface or wall at the most. Also, try to add in a variety of textures in your room to add to its depth.
You can easily add some stunning minimalistic wall art and include art, prints, family photos and frames, wall hangings, etc. Use color or black and white depending on your preference. A perfect way of adding warming texture is with textured throws and cushions. Display these on sofas, chairs or an ottoman to make them stand out.
Finally, you could bring some natural color to your minimalist living room with some house plants. Add leafy plants like ferns and palms in interesting pots made from porcelain, clay or wicker. Be experimental with your accessories and decor. Use your style and character to make the room as interesting as possible.
Minimalist Flooring
Another trick to create the appearance of a large and clutter-free room is to install an open and clear floor. Light colored wood paneling or big tiles both have a great effect. You can then add in color with a large area rug. The rug will bring warmth into your room improving the overall aesthetic. The flooring is key when it comes to your minimalist living room so don’t forget to include it.
Try to show off as much of the floor as possible. Limit free-standing furniture by wall mounting cabinets and shelving whenever you can. This is particularly important if you have a small living room.
Use Natural Light
Minimalism is based around the use of natural light in your room. This builds on the rest of the design traits, creating a clear and fresh space. Use your room’s natural lighting to create an open feel and look to your minimalistic living room.
Strip back your window dressing to white, light curtains which will instantly lighten up your space. During the hours of daylight, open your window dressing up and make sure you don’t block out any of the light. To maximize your natural brightness, make sure to frequently clean your windows and don’t use your windowsill as storage space.
Good luck with creating your minimalist living room. Just remember to keep on top of the clutter to maintain your look. Avoid slipping into old habits and keep what you bring into your home to a minimum.
