If you’re the kind of person who likes clean, simple lines and a fuss-free life, you might be interested in the minimalist interior design philosophy. Often wrongly associated with stark, cold – or dare we say – boring decor, minimalism doesn’t have to mean soulless, and this month we’re going to show you why.
Getting the minimalist design basics right
Turning your home into a sophisticated and simple space that oozes class is relatively straightforward, but unless you get the basics correct it’ll never really hit the mark. There’s a saying in music that a simple song is harder to play well because there’s nowhere to hide from your mistakes, and the same is true with minimalist interior design. Your walls must be super smooth and blemish free, your painted wood must be clean and sharp, and your flooring needs to be perfectly finished – this is no time for sloppy decorating work!
Because you’re going to be relying on the quality of the finish to make your space work, it’s crucial that you take your time with every aspect of the decorating process. It’s possible to achieve a great finish to your walls, but if they’re particularly rough it’ll pay to seek the help of a high-quality professional plasterer – even if you’re planning on hanging lining paper.
The same goes when you’re painting the walls and wood in the room, so make sure that you sand everything down deliberately and thoroughly before painting. If you have shaky hands and struggle to keep your lines clean when painting, call a pro!
Colour schemes
When people think about minimalism they usually picture lots and lots of white, but modern minimalists are happy to embrace some colour to accent and accentuate the cleanliness of the space. You might want to stick to bright white, but consider other neutral colours like grey, warmer whites or even blues. Think about your hard furnishings and whether they’ll have colour because an accent wall in an exact match as some of your furniture works great. Minimalism doesn’t mean that you need to live inside a stark white box!
Less is more
Minimalism only works if you’re prepared to keep your space clean and uncluttered – there’s no place for surfaces covered in toys, books, bags, and, well, everything that you find scattered about the average home!
Yes, you can give your space some character with a few well-placed, uncomplicated ornaments, but it’s really a philosophy of ‘a place for everything, and everything in its place’, so stay on top of the housework.
Get the obvious things correct and minimalist interior design can change your life for the better, but if you’re struggling to make this style work for you, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. We can give you some friendly advice or even a quote – we’re just a phone call away!