Sustainable practices, such as simple lifestyles and minimalist living, are gaining popularity worldwide because issues like climate change and global warming are gaining traction. Even in the real estate industry, Minimalist house design has been trending over the last few decades. However, Minimalist interior decor actually has its roots in an architectural movement that occurred during the 20th century. Continue reading to understand exactly what Minimalist interior design is, its features, origin and benefits, and explore tips to design Minimalist interiors for your residential spaces.
What is Minimalist Interior Design?
As the name suggests, Minimalist interior design is a style that embraces minimal decor and ornamentation in buildings, and instead encourages simple lifestyles. Featuring open floor plans, clean lines and monochrome or neutral colour palettes, the style encourages the inclusion of items that are absolutely necessary and functional. Rooted in the architectural movement of Modernism as well as Japanese Zen philosophies, Minimalist interiors aim to help enhance the feeling of peace in interior spaces.
Origins of Minimalist Interior Design
Minimalist house interior design has its roots in the architectural Modernist movement of the early 20th century. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, buildings used ancient historical styles as the principal concepts and featured heavy ornamentation. From the late 19th century and early 20th century, architects began exploring buildings with simpler forms that were stripped down to their bare essentials. Likewise, the interiors also consisted of only the essential items and decor.
From the 1960s, Minimalism also spread to other sectors like fashion, art and graphic design. In the 21st century, issues like global warming are growing, making people more eco-conscious. Thus, Minimalist home design today serves as a way to promote sustainable living by utilising objects that are absolutely necessary, making it a popular design style across the world.
Features of Minimalist Interior Decor
Contemporary Minimalist interior design generally has the following characteristics:
Open Floor Plans
Open floor plans have free-flowing layouts with minimal interior partition walls, which align with the principles of Minimalist and modern interior design. These plans allow flexible and multi-functional usage and are enhanced by maximising natural light into the interior spaces. Such plans also make spaces seem visually larger, which is particularly beneficial in small houses.
Neutral/ Monochromatic Colour Palettes
Light and neutral shades of grey, white, brown and soft, earthy colours are used in Minimalist modern interiors. Generally, a monochromatic colour palette is followed across the house, creating a uniform aesthetic. Apart from enhancing Minimalist principles, such colour palettes make spaces look and feel brighter, airier and more spacious.
Form Follows Function
Louis Sullivan, one of the pioneers of Modern architecture, was famously quoted as saying, “Form follows function”. This became one of the most important principles of Modern and Minimalist interior design. All elements in this style are designed to maximise functionality and have clean, straight lines with simple, geometric shapes.
Limited Items
Minimalist home decor follows prominent Modernist architect Mies van der Rohe’s principle of “Less is more”. Instead of filling a space with multiple unnecessary decor items, it encourages investment in a few pieces that are functional and may have multiple uses. This approach also supports sustainable building practices and mindful consumption.
Modern Materials
Materials like steel and concrete were recent developments when the Modernist movement occurred, and thus were widely used. Even today, these materials—along with expansive glass panels—are preferred in Minimalist house interior design as they help create clean lines and raw aesthetics. Steel and concrete structural elements are often left exposed with simple finishes like paint or polish.
Why Opt for Modern Minimalist Interior Design?
Minimalist style interior design offers the following benefits:
- Easy Maintenance: Since very few interior elements are incorporated into spaces that feature this design style, they are extremely easy to clean and require little to no maintenance.
- Enhanced Well-Being: Lesser clutter and brighter spaces aid in creating peace and tranquillity. Mental and physical health benefits, such as better sleep cycles and improved moods, can be observed in users of such spaces.
- Sustainability: Minimal room design focuses on using very few decor and furniture items, typically made of natural materials. This reduces human consumption and promotes eco-conscious living.
Tips to Design Minimalist Interiors
You can use the below Minimalist interior ideas and tips to create a simple, functional and beautiful home:
Minimal Does Not Mean Boring
Modern simplistic interior design can often result in monotonous and cold-looking spaces. To avoid this, you can use subtle accents (such as a feature wall or abstract artwork on one wall in every room) that showcase your personality. You can also use textural variations (such as exposed brick walls that are painted white or textured plaster walls) that add visual interest without being too prominent.
Minimise Clutter
Use the 90/90 rule to prevent clutter. Ask yourself- “Have I used this item in the last 90 days and will I be using it in the next 90 days?”. If the answer to both these questions is no, then you can avoid keeping the item in your home. For example, Minimalist bedroom decor includes only a bed with modular storage solutions and maybe bedside tables and a workdesk.
Maximise Natural Light
One of the core aspects of Minimalist room decor is natural light. In small homes or tight urban plots, you can use innovative elements like skylights and light funnels to increase the amount of light in the interiors. You can also use lighter colours and reflective finishes (such as electrical fittings with smooth brass or copper finishes) to enhance the light quality.
Add Softness With Fabrics and Greenery
To prevent spaces from looking too industrial, geometric or cold, you can introduce softness by using fabrics and indoor plants. Use natural fabrics such as wool, cotton, silk and khadi for curtains, cushions, carpets and upholstery in Minimalist living room design to ensure that sustainability is retained. Apart from small pops of colour, avoid using very bright or dark colours for these elements.
Getting the Best Minimalist House Design
Minimalist interior design is an approach that promotes eco-friendly living as well as simplicity. However, such design must be done carefully to avoid spaces that look boring or cold. With a team of architects who are experts in the field of design, Brick & Bolt has completed 10,000+ homes that fulfill unique customer desires. The company also collaborates with the top Minimalist interior designers in the country to ensure perfect finishes in its building. Its guarantee for supreme quality and absolute transparency have made it a leading design-build company in India. To get the best Minimal house design and construction, get in touch with Brick & Bolt today!
Apoorva H P Achar