In times of the coronavirus pandemic and social isolation, we are spending most of our time at home. For that reason, we need to create a cozy place to work, relax, and have fun more than ever. If you are trying to make your living place calmer, simpler, and fairly easier and to eliminate the unnecessary in your life, read the following guide on how to create a minimalist look of your home.
Benefits of a minimalist home
1. Less stress
Cluttering visually distracts us, as we pull everything to our attention, especially when it comes to our living space. The more clutter, the more stress. Living in a minimalist home gives you an opportunity to focus on your mental and physical health, which will lead to exercising more, improving your diet, getting a good night’s sleep, and reducing your stress overall. In addition, living without unneeded items reduces the dust and toxins building up around your possessions.
2. Visual appeal
If you compare photos of minimalist homes and homes that are cluttered, you will probably prefer the first ones. Creating an interior with almost nothing in allows you to show off your fine furniture, decorative elements, valuable art pieces, and your most prized possessions. Make your home more appealing by making it more minimalist.
3. Easier to clean
It is no secret that it is quite hard to vacuum or sweep around a myriad of furniture pieces or to clean a whole bunch of small objects. Always keep in mind that the more unnecessary items you have, the more complicated it is to clean around them. Imagine how easy it is to clean and maintain a minimalist home as compared to a cluttered one. At last, if you are not into spending an entire day cleaning, simply get rid of your old possessions.
4. Financial freedom
Minimalism makes you think before buying. This habit allows you to get out of debt, as you do not spend your paycheck on disposable items. You have an opportunity to invest in pieces that will create unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime instead.
A guide to creating a minimalist home
1. Less is more
‘Less is more’ is the main principle of the minimalist idea. In other words, keep fewer items to make your home more spacious. The minimalist style requires more thought into the arrangement of your interiors. Be prepared that you may be always willing to get rid of any items. Just relax and follow your heart to make your home feel just right.
2. Minimal furniture
A minimalist room presupposes a few essential furniture pieces. For example, a living room may contain a coffee table, a couch, a minimalist entertainment stand with a few shelves, a chair, a television, and a couple of lamps. A bedroom may have a simple bed, a nightstand, a bookshelf, and a dresser. If you are going to get rid of unused furniture, you can donate it to your family or friends who may really need it. All in all, choose furniture for its form and function. Remember that we are better off living without bulky clutter like unnecessary furniture.
3. Clear surfaces
Throw away unused, unsightly, and unwanted pieces that do nothing but clutter up your space. Remove possessions that you can live without and keep only the essentials. In a minimalist home, floors are supposed to have only furniture on them, the walls should be adorned with selectively chosen art pieces, and flat surfaces should be clear (one or two decorations are acceptable.) Forget about stacks of books or papers on your desk!
4. Accent decorations
A completely empty home would be, however, a bit boring. Therefore, you need some decorative elements. For instance, you can have a simple vase with a few beautiful flowers instead of having a coffee table completely free of any stuff. You may put a family photo on your desk. Besides, according to Fine Art Shippers, an empty wall will probably change its look for the better with a tasteful piece of fine art on it.
5. Invest in quality
Always keep in mind that it is better to choose a few really good things you love and use often than to have a lot of stuff in your home. Thereby, you should buy a really nice table instead of five pieces of press-board furniture.
6. Create a neutral base
A neutral base is one of the main features of a classic minimalist home. This helps create a fresh, calm environment. You can easily create a minimalist style by using similar textures and color tones. Feel free to mix in natural tones of tans, beiges, and grays. This will also help add depth to your living space.
7. Maximize storage
Although minimalists try to minimize the number of their belongings, they do not give up all their necessities. In fact, to allow your home to appear almost empty, make it packed with clever storage.
8. Make it personal
When decluttering your space to make it minimalist, do not forget to make it personal. Do your best to reflect your taste and the way you like to spend your time in your living place. Whether it comes to a choice of furniture or a layout of the interior, you also need to include pieces that are personal to you. Your home is supposed to accommodate how you live. A carefully curated collection of items or a wall of large photographs you have taken on your travels will evoke pleasant memories and arouse warm feelings.
9. Be inspired
Collect items that will be a source of your inspiration. You may even find some pictures of minimalist interiors on the Internet to have a general idea of your perfect home. Take note of the color palette, style of furniture, textures, and overall feel of the space to get a starting point.
Minimalist homes do not have to be lacking in color, void of personality, or sparse. Reduce things and be conscious of your environment!
