I have been a great fan of minimalism since my youth. On the other hand, who wasn’t? You’d be surprised, my friend, but many of my well-to-do friends when buying a new house are prone to include thousands of decorative items that are far from being necessary in the course of their lives. I wanted to remind you of basics of minimalism and maybe change your mind if you are one of those who find the principle “the most is the best” working for him. In minimalism it is rather “the less is the best.”
Minimalistic style in the interior and otherwise design took its start since the legendary Bauhaus theorists ideas influencing minds of the first rate architects nearly hundred years ago. Pioneers like Mies van der Rohe and Walter Adolph Gropius strove to the more practical and simple approach which resulted in minimalism interior design propagation all over the world. In a nutshell, minimalism got rid of all the superfluous unnecessary details in interior decorating, leaving only the most urgent and immediate stuff.
To this day chief characteristics of minimalism interior design remain austerity, coldness, deepness and masculinity through the lines and shapes. It is also characterized by the simplicity of the furniture being used. Minimalistic interior design comes handy in our age of ever-shrinking spaces. You don’t want to fill in your living space with unnecessary ornaments and excessive massive furniture characteristic of more classic traditional approaches to design.
Color and lighting schemes
The color scheme in the minimalistic setting must be of neutral hues and tones. Shades of gray and various greenish undertones are normally used in minimalist interior lighting. Certain amount of light brown shades could work, too. The lighting follows and it is normally of diffused quality, run through the silks and thick glass in order not to intimidate inhabitants and visitors of the interior. The important thing to remember about lighting as applied to minimalism interior design is that the light has to come from many sources, rather than from the only one dominating source. Forget about chandelier and put instead all kinds of modest lights around walls.
Windows and floor design as applied to minimalism
Windows should be designed so as to let the natural sunlight in, but diffused through the sick glass. The floor is normally varnished or painted in neutral shade. Forget about using carpets or rugs. Also, this style requires the use of ceramic tiles that mimic parquet in bathroom and kitchen.
And last but not least, the furniture. You are smart enough to guess- when coming up with your minimalistic design scheme – throw your furniture or… don’t bring it in from the start.
