A minimalist home is clean, neat, and organised. But it can also feel empty and bare—if done wrong. Minimalism isn't about getting rid of as many possessions as possible, it's about creating an environment that makes space for comfort and calmness in daily life.
This article will guide you through the minimalist home essentials that will help you simplify your decor and optimise your space without sacrificing the personal touches; so that you can create a home that is both meaningful and clutter-free.
What makes a house minimalist?
A minimalist home typically features open, airy rooms with lots of natural light, a monochromatic colour palette, and minimal furniture with no clutter. The "less in more" approach means furniture and decorative objects are chosen with a specific purpose or meaning in mind, and are used to show personal style without overwhelming the space.
Although a minimalist home is often simple in both style and design, that's not to say you can't be a minimalist if you prefer bright colours, clashing patterns, and statement furniture! A minimalist home doesn't have to be boring. The emphasis is on creating a clean, clutter-free aesthetic with deliberately chosen items that mean something or serve a purpose.
How do you decorate like a minimalist?
To decorate like a minimalist the interior design needs to be clear and simple—but not boring. The goal is to create a calming, uncluttered environment that is enjoyable to be in without sacrificing personal style or home comforts. The focus of minimalist style is on pairing well-made essential items with meaningful homewares.
Minimalist decor encourages a mindful curation of belongings where each item is chosen with intention and meaning, and unnecessary belongings are removed. From the furniture to the homewares, each element should be thoughtfully chosen and limited to essential functional items or personal objects with meaning. The result is a personalised space that reflects the individual style and values of the people who live there.
How to Create a Minimalist Home
This is how to create a minimalist home with lots of personality and zero clutter!
Neutral Colours
Decorating with a simple colour palette helps maintain a cohesive aesthetic throughout the home. The colour scheme of a minimalist home is often neutral with white walls and soft furnishings and homewares in earthy tones. These natural colours create a calm atmosphere and provide an ideal backdrop for more colourful personal possessions.
Visual clutter isn't just about belongings, it's about colour too! It's best to stick to neutrals on the walls and save the clashing prints—if you like them!—for the homewares. The classic neutral colours include black, white, grey, and navy. But more modern neutral shades are sage green, stone blue, or coral pink. Find a range of colours that appeal to you and will make your home feel the way you want it to feel.
Functional Furniture
At the core of minimalist home decor is functionality and practicality. If it doesn't work and isn't practical, it's unlikely to get used—and that's when something should be decluttered! Furniture should be chosen based on its usefulness, efficiency, and comfort. Each piece of furniture should have a specific function or serve a purpose to prevent it from ending up as visual clutter.
How the furniture looks still matters, as an ugly piece of furniture can really change how a room feels to be in. Don't rush purchases. Take time to decorate slowly by making intentional choices about the furniture that is brought into your home to make sure how it looks and the purpose it serves matches up with your needs.
Mood Lighting
A house full of things will make the home feel alive and lived in—if somewhat cluttered and overwhelming! In comparison, a minimalist home can feel soulless and bare. By incorporating warm and soft lighting, a minimally decorated home will feel just as homely and inviting as its cluttered counterparts.
Adjustable smart lighting provides a way to change the mood and ambiance of a space throughout the day, while well-placed spotlights will draw attention to specific focal points. Allowing sunlight to flood the rooms during the day and using warm indoor lighting at night will provide natural yet sustainable lighting for the home that adds warmth and comfort.
Storage Solutions
Clutter is often the result of a lack of organisation. By giving every item a designated place to be stored in means all visual clutter is eliminated and nothing is ever out of place. Storage solutions make it possible to maintain a minimalist aesthetic in the home, helping to prevent clutter with very little effort.
Well-designed and purposefully chosen storage solutions will optimise the available space, making it easier to categorise, sort, and store belongings. The result is a more spacious and uncluttered living space that's easier to keep tidy, and a home that feels relaxing to live in.
Meaningful Items
A minimalist approach to interior style doesn't mean getting rid of any and all decorative elements—especially not the meaningful or sentimental ones! The purpose of a minimalist home is within the intentional curation and thoughtful choosing of what to display. A home without meaningful possessions feels very empty indeed.
Personal items and sentimental objects express a lot about us as a person. Having them on display creates a harmonious balance between minimalism and individuality. By carefully choosing the items that go on display, it's possible to create a minimalist home that feels warm and inviting, rather than unfriendly and impersonal.
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