Many of us realized just how important our homes are to us and our families, and our mental health in particular, during the global pandemic.
Stuck at home for more time each day and for longer than ever before, we came to see our places as more than just somewhere to sleep, eat, and get away from the world for a while.
Many people are keen to freshen their homes now that the world is returning to a “new normal.” If you’re one of those looking to make some changes, you might be interested in choosing a minimalist decorating style to help your property become more calming. Here are some ways to do that.
Stick to Neutral Colors
When you think about minimalist spaces, you’ll likely immediately think of simple, pared-back areas in neutral tones. A key part of minimally decorating is not to go too heavy-handed with color. Instead, focus on light, soothing colors such as white, beige, gray, or soft pastels. Also, pick one prime color and utilize this throughout a space to give a feeling of consistency and simplicity.
Layer a room with different tones of the same color across your wall paint, furnishings, linens, flooring, tiling, rugs, and more, and you’ll create a relaxed look and feel in your property.
Don’t Try to Fill All the Wall Space
The minimalist look is about giving spaces some breathing room and not giving the eye too much to try and focus on. You, therefore, need to keep your walls a little free of adornment. Rather than filling all the wall space with gallery walls or other displays, simplify by leaving plenty of white space to give an elegant and upscale look.
Choose a few standout pieces that can take center stage on walls and act as a focal point. You might choose a striking artwork, hang a gorgeous antique rug or hanging, or use a built-in fireplace to draw the eye and add warmth to a room, literally and metaphorically.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Possessions
As you can imagine, it’s vital not to clutter a minimalist space with too much “stuff.” Channel your inner Marie Kondo and her strategies for reducing clutter to help you eliminate unnecessary possessions throughout your property. Ask yourself if you truly love each item and whether they’re functional.
A minimalist home is one in which the emphasis is on quality over quantity, so look for ways to pare back your belongings and showcase your favorite pieces rather than thinking you need lots of different ones to create a memorable effect.
Let Architectural Details or Other Features Stand Out
It’s also helpful to look for ways to enable already-there elements to stand out in different zones of your home to draw the eye and grab attention for all the right reasons. Let one factor be the star of the show in a space, especially architectural details or other gems. For instance, perhaps you have stunning wooden floors, gorgeous beams or crown moldings on the ceiling, or paneling on the walls.
There might be a window seat you can dress up prettily or a staircase that’s hard to miss, among other things. Many homes also have standout features like a show-stopping bathtub or unique vintage tiles, or some fun arched doorways or beautiful barn doors. You can also add things to bring some pizazz to a space, such as by incorporating a well-designed smart ceiling fan or a glittery chandelier.
Ensure There’s Plenty of Natural Light
Another great way to ensure your home creates a minimalist vibe is to set it up to boast plenty of natural light. This will also help to stop it from seeming too cold or austere. Hopefully, your property already has plenty of natural light you can take advantage of due to multiple large windows that let the sunshine in. If so, don’t dress them with curtains, blinds, etc., that are too heavy and block out too much light. Gauzy curtains can be a perfect solution to give privacy while allowing light to filter in.
If your place doesn’t have the level of light you’d like, it’s worth investing in adding more or wider or taller windows to get more of a feeling of expansiveness into your place. Installing skylights in darker parts of your home can help, too.
Other tips for setting yourself up with a minimalist home are keeping furniture lines clean and simple, choosing hand-crafted pieces that will last a long time, and warming up spaces with lovely textures.
Decorating in a minimalist way takes some time and effort to get right, but as you can see, it’s quite a straightforward style to choose and doesn’t have to be too challenging to implement.