What is Minimalism Design?

Minimalism Design first became popular in Japan during the 1980s originating. The design style soon spread around the globe allowing people an escape from the overstimulated urbanizing world into a place of Zen right in their own home. 

Although many believe Minimalism Design is easy, it can be quite tricky to get right. But don’t worry, I’m here to help! Following Japanese Zen philosophy, when designing a room with minimalism you want to make sure you are only using the necessary components in order to complete the simplicity aspect. You want to reduce the amount of clutter from the room to the point that the objects that remain, serve a specific purpose. Famous German architect, Mies van der Robe, once said, “Less is more.” 

Robe also said, “God is in the details” so you want to do as much as you can with as little as you have. This is where it can get pretty tricky, and a lot of people end up with a room that feels bare and cold. Textures, tones, lighting, and space are all very important when planning out your minimalist design.  

When designing a minimalist room, you want to use only a few colors that are several shades apart. Colors to consider are whites, blacks, greys, or creams; anything with a neutral tone. Once you’ve decided on a color base, you can start to add textures and patterns into the design that provide complementary hues in order to add some warmth into the room. 

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s home is the perfect example of a minimalist design. They are one of the world’s most famous couples, both have huge followings, their faces constantly plastered all over the media. Due to this overstimulated lifestyle, it makes sense that they would design their homes in a minimalistic way. Look at these two photos taken from inside the West’s home. The couple used a variety of textures and tones with the same calming aesthetic.

Like what you read? Come back Sunday for my next blog post!