10 Tips for a Minimalist Home Design

Penny Carlisle
5 min readFeb 18, 2020

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Minimalism has been one of the most popular design concepts in the past decade and up to this day and time, may it be in website design, architecture design, graphic design, and of course — interior design. It is believed that living with less reduces stress because there’s nothing quite like the feeling of a tidy space.

Latest research shows that your home’s space, lighting, and room design can affect how you feel. If a room is a mess, then you can become uneasy, if it is too dark, then you might feel unhappy. If it is too small, then you might feel confined.

So, are you ready to free up time and space and breathe fresh air in your home? Read through these tips to give you ideas on how to design a minimalist space that is equally functional and aesthetically appealing by using just the right space, texture, lighting, color, floor, furniture, accent, functionality, symmetry, and simplicity,

#1 Space

The most important thing to remember in achieving a minimalist interior design is to declutter. Most homes are full of objects that are often unnecessary and are only ending up in random places. To be able to sustain a minimal lifestyle, strategize your storage, every room should have plenty of storage. You may find items you’re not ready to discard yet, in this case, hidden storage is the key just make sure all mess stays out of sight.

#2 Texture

Texture is the thing that makes a room stand out, as you put your space together remember that texture is your secret weapon because it is related closely to our sense of touch or sight, consider each item’s visual weight, how it looks and feels like. You will only be working with a few components, it’s important to add just enough variety to enliven the place. Try classic stones as it is versatile for any design or wooden blocks as it is a fantastic insulator, bigger pieces may be able to assist in reducing energy consumption for heating and cooling. Polished metal tiles are also a good choice because not only is it visually striking, it is also very chic.

#3 Lighting

Minimal home designs usually have open spaces with windows and lots of sunlight and natural light. Don’t settle living in the dark, even if your room lacks natural light there are plenty of ways to light it up. Brighten up your room with white bulbs, use sheer curtains, keep tall items away from windows, strategically position your mirrors and add custom lighting like lamps, pendant lights, and chandeliers.

#4 Color

Color plays a major role in designing your space, as colors hold immense power when it comes to evoking emotions. For minimal designs choose a neutral color palette because too many colors can make a room feel cramped. This doesn’t mean that you have to stick to just white or beige. There are a lot of great options such as purple, gunmetal gray, navy blue, blue-green, coffee, pearl gray, straw, peacock, blush, sage, sky blue, or eggshell.

#5 Floors

Wood and concrete are two of the most suitable flooring options for minimalist design, strive to achieve a modern tone. With today’s wide-ranging stone look-alike products, it’s easy to become bewildered when trying to compare marble tiles and ceramic tiles, they are both durable and heat resistant with a lot of available hues, patterns, colors and sizes to choose from. Despite the similarities marble tiles and ceramic tiles also have a lot of differences especially when it comes to price and durability. Choose whatever suits your taste or budget.

If you opt to have hardwood flooring maple flooring, oak flooring, and cherry flooring are all great choices for they are natural and durable, though they are expensive. Vinyl flooring is cheaper, but are less durable, it is a synthetic alternative for hardwood flooring.

#6 Furniture

Remember that minimalism is the art of decorating with less and as effortless as it may seem, it is not that simple to do. Before anything else, think about functional furniture and interior objects before furnishing your home, something that feels cozy and warm rather than a cold and unwelcoming vibe.

Personality is encouraged, you don’t necessarily have to stick with the rules, follow your heart and show off your character and style, but not too over the top. No matter which style you’re gunning for, the key here is balance.

#7 Accents

Bring the room to life! You can never go wrong with an indoor tree, a cactus or a fiddle leaf fig. It may seem like accessories are unnecessary in a minimalist look, but it’s not. In fact, they are an essential element provided that they are placed strategically, accessories pull the room together.

#8 Functionality

Just like people who want to find their purpose in life, give your personal belongings a reason to exist. Make sure that everything has a practical purpose. Minimalist decorating not only focuses on aesthetics but also the necessities — this means every single item must be functional, even decorative pieces must serve a purpose.

#9 Symmetry

After setting up your home, it’s time to look into the details. Is everything symmetrical? Attention to detail is crucial. Minimalist homes usually use a limited pattern so if you decide to go with patterns, use it smartly, stay away from things with strong patterns. One of the charms of a simple house is when everything looks trim.

#10 Simplicity

With all the keys mentioned, simplicity is the master key to achieve a minimal design, it definitely is one of the best elements of interior design. By building only what you need, you can truly feel the delight that simplicity holds. Even simple objects can stand out!

If you love minimalism, you’re existing in the right decade! Don’t you just love the minimalist look of modern living? You’ll have less household chores to do, you’ll find it easier to be effective in your daily tasks, you’ll have a peaceful mind, and your home will look incredibly sleek. As the designer Buckminster Fuller said, “Do more with less”. Go on and design for today!

Get more tips on Home Design here: https://medium.com/@virtualstage/10-home-staging-tips-for-beginners-37c0d8eccf7c

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Penny Carlisle

Virtual Staging Expert @Zipp3D— lover of all things interior design, passionate in real estate photography