Get rid of the superfluous to see the main thing - the credo of the minimalist style in the interior. Minimalism is not a design austerity, but a well-balanced balance of weights, on one side of which is utilitarian functionality, on the other - elegant beauty and comfort. Asceticism is unpretentiousness, indifference to details. Minimalism is exactly the opposite. To be admitted into a minimalist interior, all materials and objects are subjected to strict judgment and careful selection.
For other connoisseurs of interior shades, the ingenious simplicity of the minimalist style will give odds to pretentiousness art deco, and baroque pomposity.
The philosophy of minimalist design is based on the priority of free space in everything: in the interior, in the head, in life itself. Therefore, the readiness to free your mind and apartment from all that is superfluous is the starting point for subsequent transformations.
Features of the style of minimalism
The phrase “this style is for bold and extraordinary people” has become almost a tradition when it comes to the next style of interior design. But in the address of "minimalist" people, these words have the right to be said with a special emphasis. Before renovating an apartment in the style of minimalism and outwardly starting to live “at a minimum”, such people experienced their own internal worldview revolution, adopted a new standard for the ecology of life. To understand how difficult this step is, try, for example, removing a wedding service given by your mother from the living room or throwing away a sweater bought during romantic meetings in Paris, worn out, but so dear to the heart.
The art of living is simply not so simple.
Without aiming at the deep ethics of minimalism, let's start by sketching the main features of this design style:
- Spacious rooms or conditional division of the premises into zones.
- The predominant colors are soft, natural, sometimes monochrome. White and black, gray, sand.
- Lines and silhouettes are straight, strict, concise, with a hint of a slight bend.
- Functional furniture in a minimal amount.
- No frills or embellishments: no details, just pure rationality.
- The lighting is soft and diffused. The absence of pronounced, bulky lamps, chandeliers.
- The windows are large, rectangular in shape, adding space and light.
Important! Minimalism like design style does not tolerate clutter and disorder even in details: all things and objects must be strictly in their places. But, you see, resisting the temptation to attach various small things to free wide surfaces is a task for the strong in spirit.
Color design
The minimalist color palette is predominantly light, with contrasting shades of gray and brown. The combination of black and white is a characteristic technique for minimalism, but still the dominant color is white. It prevails both in the decoration and in the color of the furniture. Non-aggressive color accents are acceptable in the form of lamps, paintings in a minimalist style, book spines on the shelves in the living room, when decorating walls or decorating the ceiling and spatial partitions.
Paintings on the walls in the style of minimalism are also distinguished by conciseness of details and are most often made in only two or three contrasting colors.
Renovation of an apartment in a minimalist style: materials and finishes
Not every renovation with a limited budget is minimalism, not every half-empty living room is minimalistic.
Renovation of a room in a minimalist style involves the use of materials that are unpretentious in maintenance and operation:
- a rock;
- tree;
- leather;
- linoleum;
- laminate;
- plastic;
- tile.
There is no strict binding to the natural origin of the finishing materials used in the repair, but synthetic materials must be of high quality and safety for health. Glass and metal are often used.
Walls are usually decorated with wallpaper. Wallpapers in the style of minimalism are distinguished by a restrained rhythm of the print and calm shades: gradations of gray, beige, white. It can be either plain wallpaper without a pattern or wallpaper with a discreet, as if indistinct abstract pattern. Relief is allowed.
The use of textured plaster or large tiles in their light version when repairing will also support the rigor of the minimalist design. Painted walls are also ideal.
Minimalism in the interior obliges the ceilings to be also restrained and plain. Both simple, plain ceilings and multi-level ceilings are acceptable, with pronounced tiers that play a role in the zoning of the room.
Wood, linoleum, laminate, tile are suitable for finishing the floor in the living room and in any other room. Podiums and steps on the floor are used to simulate the living space.
Furniture
Furniture in the style of minimalism meets its main rule - the search for a golden mean between the extreme simplicity of design and functional comfort. But consumer goods and serialization are not friends and comrades of minimalism. Furniture should be simple, but not cheap in appearance, concise, but satisfying all the needs of the inhabitants of the apartment.
The minimalist living room is dominated by upholstered furniture: a low roomy sofa, poufs instead of armchairs. The upholstery on them can be both leather and textile, in harmony in color with the tone of the wall decoration.
Modular walls, wall cabinets, wall shelves and light racks are chosen from cabinet furniture. Built-in wardrobes are also popular. Furniture surfaces can be glossy or glassy, which will add a sense of extra space to the living room and create the illusion of “invisibility” of the furniture. No decorative excesses are allowed in the design - curlicues, murals, artistic overlays, complex fittings. Silhouettes of pieces of furniture have strict geometric shapes. Everything is clear, simple, concise.
Often a living room in this style implies combination of kitchen area, dining room and recreation area. The space of the room is divided according to its functional purpose using design techniques such as partitions, zoning using lighting devices, and different wall designs.
The living room is kept in light colors: white, cream, gray. A popular color scheme for minimalism is a black and white combination.
Important! The main aspiration of the minimalist style is the creation of a multifunctional interior. The main design tactic is a combination of rational simplicity, practicality and elegance.
Lighting in minimalism
An important role in lighting a minimalist home belongs to natural light. In support of the overall design idea of the predominance of free space, windows should be large. Undoubtedly, a winning option - panoramic windowsenveloping, for example, the entire living room.
Curtains on such windows are unobtrusive and delicate: light transparent tulle, weightless organza, Roman or Japanese curtains. Acceptable colors - as in all "minimalistic" situations - are options for white, gray, brown.
Artificial lighting in the style of minimalism can be represented by:
- built-in spotlights, emphasizing the multi-tiered ceilings;
- LED lightsdelimiting functional zones;
- hanging lamps on an adjustable cord;
- table lamps;
- stylish strict floor lamps.
The light should be soft, diffused, create a single visual direction with the entire interior. For this, built-in or track LED lamps are used, "belonging" to the plane of the ceiling or other interior structures.
Minimalism and decor
Decor in minimalism is not welcome. But sometimes, in situations where unsuccessful attempts to recreate a minimalist style have led to the fact that the apartment resembles an emasculated operating room, a picture or two can save the day.
The decor can be represented by several expressive details:
- sofa cushions;
- curtains or curtains;
- paintings;
- glass, ceramic or metal products.
But these items do not have the right to compete for attention, but must faithfully serve a single interior design. For example, an abstract painting can anchor the overall color palette if it uses shades of the selected color. Futuristic posters, black and white photographs or paintings just leaning against the wall are the most used accessories for a minimalist style.
Conclusion
There is an opinion that minimalism in the interior has a strange feature - the ability to sort of displace the person himself, dissolve him and depersonalize him. When renovating, you should keep this in mind, and while simplifying your life in accordance with the preferences of minimalism, it is still important to preserve the imprint of your personality and not turn the utilitarian component of this design style into cold pragmatism.
