Minimalism in the interior – a lot in small

Recommendation points

• A bit of history
• Main features and characteristics
• Colour
• Finishing
• Furniture
• We decorate to a minimum

Do you think that every object in the house should carry exclusively functional load? Don’t like all kinds of “curls”, wood carvings, stained glass windows and lush stucco? Do you prefer monochromatic finishes and laconic forms? Then your ideal interior style is minimalism..

This style of interior design, which is very popular all over the world, got its name from the Latin word minimus – the smallest, which immediately informs about its main feature – brevity and striving for simplicity.

Professionals argue that today it is minimalism in the interior that takes the second place in popularity among Russians, yielding only to the recognized leader – the classics. Why is this laconic style of interior design so attractive? What features caused its wide distribution? And how to create a minimalist interior in your apartment without turning it into a sterile cold and uncomfortable home?

Strict forms of furniture, minimum decor, plain walls and ceiling – this is how the principles of minimalism in the interior are implemented

A bit of history

The moment of emergence of minimalism as a separate design style is known for sure – the 40s of the XX century. But experts still argue about what exactly became the impetus for the birth of such an extraordinary direction in the design of premises..

It is generally accepted that minimalism arose on the basis of the principles of functionalism and Soviet constructivism. Yes, all these styles have a lot in common, so you can confidently talk about continuity and development. And yet, there are also a number of differences that have allowed minimalism to stand out as a separate design direction..

The second version says that painting, and more specifically the work of Kazimir Malevich, became the ancestor of minimalism in interior and architecture. Of course, one has only to see his famous paintings “Black Square” (1913) and “White on White” (1918) only once to understand – here he is minimalism in action!

And finally, according to the third theory, minimalism in the interior arose out of necessity – at the beginning of the twentieth century, during the industrial boom, a large number of rural residents moved to cities, who, due to poverty, settled in unimaginable cells. How far is it to exquisite jewelry and decor! A bed and a table – that’s the whole interior. So the emergence of minimalism can be explained not by fashion, but by an urgent need. In addition, in the 1920s and 1930s, quite well-off young people often chose a minimalist interior in protest against bourgeois society and the so-called “philistine psychology”.

It seems that all of the above phenomena led to the fact that by the 40s minimalism was finally formed and began to be very popular with designers all over the world. Taking something from artists, something from the founders of constructivism and functionalism, listening to modern trends that call to be content with little, minimalism deservedly took its place in the list of the most popular interior styles.

“White on white” in the interior? Why not, minimalism claims

Main features and characteristics

So, if you briefly describe all the main features of minimalism in the interior, you get the following list:

1. Complete absence of decor, ornaments, drawings, patterns, and so on.
2. The minimum amount of furniture and accessories, only everything you need to sit down, lie down, eat, cook …
3. Simple shapes, straight lines, no unnecessary bends – everything is extremely laconic.
4. Only gray, black and white – monochrome scale, interior, similar to a sketch drawn with a simple pencil.
5. The walls can be completely unfinished. What for? Brick and concrete are good on their own.
6. Lighting is either natural or hidden. No chandeliers with pendants or floor lamps with textile shades.
7. Textiles are used only in the bedroom and only on the bed.

The ideal minimalist room is an almost empty room with plain walls, with a lone sofa in front of the TV.

The picture is too gloomy, isn’t it? It seems that it is simply impossible to live in such a “naked”, empty room, not decorated with any decorative elements. It’s not even an operating room, but some kind of casemate! That is why, if you would like to decorate the interior in a minimalist style, designers advise not to go to extremes and try to give this, in general, a very attractive design direction, a little coziness and home warmth..

Colour

Is it really only black, white and gray? In general, these colors have many shades and the same light gray, a soft shade can be quite warm and cozy. But, if you really want to add some colors to a minimalistic interior, it is better to choose one color – blue, red, green, even yellow – but let it not be too much, just one bright detail or piece of furniture. In any case, the bright color should be diluted with the same calm white and gray scale..

In minimalism, it is customary to use contrasting combinations:

1. White and black.
2. Brown and beige.
3. Blue and light blue.

Dark furniture against the background of light, neutral walls will look especially impressive in such an interior..

By the way, minimalism has nothing against natural wood and stone, so that all shades of wood can be fully present in the interior..

This white living room with black furnishings doesn’t look too boring thanks to its warm natural wood laminate flooring

A bright blue, quite cozy living room with a fireplace. Meanwhile, the minimal amount of furniture, the strict shape of the armchairs, the absence of stucco molding and patterns on the walls indicate that this is, of course, minimalism.

The walls can be painted in different colors, which will make the interior more “lively” and original. For example, in this bathroom, against the background of one rich black wall, snow-white plumbing looks especially stylish

Finishing

As mentioned above, the decoration in minimalism, pardon the tautology, is minimal. The walls need to be plastered, if you really do not want to admire the brickwork or bare concrete, and paint. You can, of course, choose a wallpaper for painting, also without a pattern, and paint it in the shade you like.

Stucco molding, of course, is categorically not used in minimalism, as well as columns and cornices, traditional for the classics. And it is also better to refuse arches – straight door and window openings will look more organic.

The ideal floor covering for a minimalistic interior is a self-leveling floor or a plain carpet without patterns. Soft carpet will help soften the monotony of unadorned walls, and self-leveling floors are becoming more and more popular today due to their functionality and durability..

You can use both laminate and linoleum in such an interior, but without a pronounced pattern. A good imitation of a plank floor or wood will work best. But artistic parquet is already too sophisticated for minimalism, leave such a floor for the classic style of home decoration.

Light gray carpet on the floor and a snow-white ceiling – a traditional decoration of a room with a minimalist interior

Minimalism dictates the rejection of unnecessary decorative elements, because the ceilings in such an interior are devoid of any decorations, the lighting is usually built-in, the lamps are hidden and are not striking.

The space should be as open as possible, so, having chosen minimalism as the style of the interior of your house or apartment, you should think about combining several rooms – zoning in such an interior is achieved by using glass partitions and different finishing materials.

And one more important point – the absence of decorative elements forces us to pay special attention to the quality of the finish – wood and stone must be perfectly processed, and the walls must be impeccably smooth.

In such an interior, the slightest flaw in the finish will immediately catch the eye, therefore, the quality of work and materials should be given special attention.

Furniture

As mentioned above, there is not much furniture in a minimalist interior. The problem with storage places is solved by using built-in wardrobes with facades “disguised” in color and wall decoration.

Since there is so little furniture, it must take on several functions at once – you can store things in the drawers under the bed, and in the niches of the sofa hidden from prying eyes, the bar can hide in the dining table, which in turn will be expanded to receive guests … The main principle of minimalism is “much in small”, so furniture should be as functional as possible.

All furniture in a minimalistic interior is distinguished by simple shapes – right angles, wooden armrests, the absence of plastic lines and smooth curves. Cushions on sofas are rectangular, armchairs – preferably in the shape of a cube, upholstery – plain, light or dark – depending on the selected wall color to create contrast.

There is no place for a massive wall or an elegant slide in a minimalist living room. Better to prefer these open shelves and a low TV stand

It is worth noting that in minimalism, all furniture is most often slightly lower than usual, apparently, in this particular feature, the influence of the most famous and popular minimalist design direction – the Japanese style – manifested itself..

Glass shelves and racks, mirrored doors of built-in wardrobes and low coffee tables will organically fit into such an interior..

Minimalism can also be used to equip a children’s room. A minimum of pieces of furniture will leave space for games, and kids will be able to make a “creative mess” here on their own

We decorate to a minimum

And yet, it is clear that sterile minimalism in its most radical manifestation looks too soulless and it is impossible to live in such an interior. Therefore, we will try to dilute the strict laconicism of minimalism with decorative elements, while trying not to deviate from the basic principles of this style..

So, if you decide to decorate a defiantly “bare” floor with a soft carpet, give up too bright, “patterned” oriental style carpets. You can choose plain carpets with fluffy pile, mats, laconic rugs.

In this bedroom with a white bed and mirrored wardrobe, minimalism has been softened by fluffy white rugs that adorn the self-leveling floor. And fresh flowers in a simple glass vase were the final touch that completed the transformation of the room into a cozy bedroom.

It would seem that it is not such an original sofa with simple stripes of blue and green colors on the upholstery and ordinary wooden armrests. And how bright it looks against the backdrop of pale walls and white cabinet facades!

Textiles are practically not used in minimalism – only in the form of bed linen and upholstery of upholstered furniture. However, windows can and should be decorated with light, almost invisible curtains, and for contrast, hang heavy curtains on the sides. Widely used in a minimalist interior and vertical blinds, as well as Roman blinds – simple and functional.

Monochrome bedroom, small and very calm. Its main decoration is heavy curtains with intricate drapery and a bedspread with lighting at the head

It is also possible to “dilute” the coldness of minimalism with the help of individual decor items, for example, vases, figurines, mirrors in a simple frame, abstract paintings. Just remember – one bright design element in one room is more than enough and you can’t get carried away, otherwise your interior will turn from an example of minimalism into a collection of separate, unrelated objects.

A somewhat gloomy bedroom in gray and black tones, isn’t it? A little coziness was added to this room by lamps with textile lampshades on the sides of the bed, a bright pillow and an additional lighting system built into the set of cabinet furniture

To make this living room more cozy and bright, the designer decided to paint one of the walls blue, decorate the gray sofa with bright pillows with ornaments, and the emptiness of the room was somewhat smoothed by a green tree

In a minimalistic interior, a clock may also be present, only modern, wall-mounted, electronic. In general, this design style is “friendly” with household appliances and electronics, which makes it related to high-tech.

Minimalism in the kitchen is laconic facades, built-in appliances, simple chairs and a monochromatic tabletop, can be made of metal

And, finally, two more important points: firstly, minimalism does not tolerate clutter, so get ready for the fact that you will have to clean up in such a house often – the slightest layer of dust on the shelves will catch your eye. On the other hand, it is much easier to clean in an almost empty room. Secondly, a seemingly minimalistic interior can eventually cost quite a lot – when there are few items, each of them should be a kind of masterpiece, perfection, and therefore will cost accordingly.