Less is More: 5 Tips for Creating A Beautifully Minimalist Interior

If you’ve just gone on a cleaning spree and cleared out a lot of unnecessary items, you may find yourself reevaluating your space and decor. Once you’ve adopted a clutter-free lifestyle the minimalist style becomes more appealing; you want to make your room look its best with the new, smaller amount of objects in it. However, minimalist interiors can sometimes be criticized for being too sterile and cold. So we’re offering some tips on how to create a chic minimalist space that not only looks great but still has that personal touch of home.

Keep an Eye on Proportions and Balance

When you don’t have a lot of things in your space, it becomes even more important that what you do have all works together. Make sure that the furniture is all in proportion with itself; you don’t want anything to stick out as too big or too small. If you do want to add something that is out of proportion make sure to exaggerate; make it very large or very small so it’s clear that this was a purposeful choice done for effect. Try to keep the visual weight of the room in balance so one side doesn’t come across as “heavier” than the other. You want to keep a sense of harmony among your pieces. Things don’t have to perfectly match but they need to complement each other.

Neutral, But Not Boring

Neutral colors tend to make a space look neater and quiet the visual noise. Loud colors have the potential to overpower the room, but muted tones can keep things calm and looking fresh and tidy. The main color scheme for a minimalist space will be neutral and muted shades, but you don’t need to be afraid of color. An accent wall in a bold color will add personality without adding stuff. Or you can simply buy practical things like pillows or linens in fun hues for splash of color. You can integrate different colors into a room without creating visual clutter by playing with pattern and tying everything together with a neutral tone.

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall

A large mirror is a great addition to a minimalist interior. Besides being useful for looking at yourself, a mirror can become the focal point of a wall, taking the place of smaller pieces of art. The right mirror can help emphasize the height or width of a room while allowing it to appear larger. Properly positioned a mirror can also bring more light into a space and reflect a scenic view that may be coming in from a nearby window. All of these things will help your space feel less empty while remaining clutter-free.

Go Big

One piece of large wall art is also a welcome accent. Too many small frames can make the wall feel cluttered, but a large piece will add personality without adding too much stuff. A large piece of art is the perfect opportunity to play with color and pattern in the room without being overwhelming or making the space feel messy.

Turn to Nature

Choosing natural materials for your furnishing can help add a sense of warmth to a minimalist decor. When you have fewer items in a room, pieces made out of reclaimed wood or that have live edges will stand out even more. You can also turn to nature for your accent pieces. A vase of fresh flowers, a potted plant, or a small selection of shells collected from the beach will give the room a fresh feeling without being overwhelming.

You don’t necessarily have to totally embrace the minimalist lifestyle to create and appreciate a minimalist decor, but it certainly is easier to keep your space looking clean and simple if you do. The key to minimalist style that you actually want to live in is to keep chaos to a minimum while showcasing what’s important to you. If you choose your pieces with care you’ll end up with a stylish, minimalist interior that will still make you smile.