Minimalism furnishing: renouncing decoration and superfluous furniture – The art of minimalism

Minimalism Furnishings – Who doesn’t know it: personal or rather impersonal belongings pile up at home. There is no more room on the shelves, in the cupboards or on the windowsill and you sit in your own home, look around and ask yourself: do I even need this? This is where the art of minimalism comes in. Decorating in the style of minimalism can rid your apartment or house, and most importantly, your life of unnecessary clutter. What minimalist furnishing is all about, what this style of furnishing is all about and above all how you can best implement it in your own four walls, you can find out here! Back to the overview here: Interior Styles.

Minimalist furnishings: Basic principles of minimalism

To design your home according to the ideas of minimalism you have to understand its history and its origin. Basically, less is more. Furniture is chosen with care and contrasts with the ever-increasing consumption. In doing so, detaching yourself from your belongings brings complete peace of mind and frees your thoughts.

Minimalism as an art movement: art and furnishings are close together

As a counter-movement to the painting of abstract expressionism, minimalism emerged in an artistic context in the 1960s in the USA. The artists were concerned with schematic clarity, logic and depersonalization. Their sculptures consisted of simple geometric basic structures and stood in contrast to Western traditions. At the end of the 1970s, minimalism finally found its way into architecture and living spaces.

Japanese minimalism: tradition of reduction to the essentials

But the traditions of minimalism have been around much longer than its name. In Japanese culture, minimalism is not a trend, but rather an attitude to life and has been for hundreds of years. The reduction to the essentials and the conscious renunciation in order to create space for these essentials play a central role. At the same time, the simple lifestyle and the few possessions are by no means a disadvantage: quite the opposite! The exterior is also reflected in the interior. If one lives in a clear and orderly space, this creates room for completely different things in the head and frees body and mind.

Living in minimalism: “How-to” with furniture & decoration

Who wants to come home from a long day at work to an untidy apartment riddled with chaos? The first step to minimalist living is decluttering. While it’s hard to part with possessions, even if you’re terribly reluctant to part with your belongings, we have the right method for you. In the end, it’s worth the effort: only those who can part with the old will be able to step into a simpler and more relaxed life.

Tidying up with Marie Kondo: “KonMarie Method” – Instructions

Japanese lifestyle expert and bestselling author Marie Kondo knows how to properly declutter without parting with happiness. She has developed a method in which it is about parting with the things to which you have no emotional connection or do not trigger a sense of well-being in the apartment. On the other hand, you keep the things that bring you joy and learn to appreciate them even more.

Collect all the objects and sort them. Now take one object after the other in your hand and ask yourself: Do I feel joy with this object? Does it awaken positive feelings in me? If not, it goes away – if yes, it may be kept.

Tip: Mucking out using the basket method

Grab a basket, make a tour through your apartment and you will notice several things that you probably do not need or have never used. Fill the basket little by little with these things, it is full that was enough for the day. After just one week you should notice how big your living space actually is and you will feel freer and more organized.

Living room: tips on wall colours, furniture & decoration

Everything has its use – unnecessary furniture and objects are omitted. A particularly simple interior is in demand here, furniture with clear lines. But simple doesn’t mean that you can’t live stylishly or elegantly at all: a minimalist interior can be classy at the same time without being obtrusive.

Are you interested in furniture and interior design? Then be sure to check out our Interior Brand Guide with over 30 trendy, luxurious and above all fashionable interior brands!

Wall colors: Natural tones are in demand – Bright and quiet living

What is allowed and what is not allowed on the walls? For your minimalist living room, you can’t go wrong with light and calm colours. Stick with light natural tones like calming beige or soft sandy colors. You’ll also get it right with black and white or grey. The light and soft colours will make your home look bigger and visually more inviting to your guests. Be careful not to overcrowd your walls. The more free walls, the better! This way, your one corner of the room really comes into its own and can shine for the whole room.

Materials: Furniture for the casual look – wood, concrete & metal

Besides wood, metal is often an important material – also for the floor. Make sure that everything in your living room furniture has a use. It’s about aesthetics and functionality at the same time. Here are a few ideas on how you can furnish your living room in this style:

• A glass table provides simple elegance and offers visually more space
• A side table is ideally perfect for further storage
• A simple sideboard with doors can be used to store small items
• Baskets or light wooden chests offer a nice place for bedspreads
• Use the dining room table also as a desk

Deco is allowed: tips for minimalist decoration with vases, cushions & co.

It’s about doing without superfluous decoration, but that doesn’t mean that the little houseplant that otherwise brings you joy has to go. Keep it simple, especially ornate or decorated items are a no-go. Again, pay attention to natural elements, it helps:

• A plain vase with reeds or dried pampas grass
• Unadorned fruit bowl
• Monochrome candlesticks in clean lines
• Cushions and blankets in earth colours

Kitchen, bedroom, office: order in all rooms

In the other rooms of your home, the motto is also: simple, clear and above all functional. Closed cupboards and doors offer a lot of storage space – the key to order and a minimalist apartment is a proper method of storing things.

Bedroom: bed & wardrobe – functionality meets design

The bedroom is meant to be the place to relax, but more and more often items that don’t fit elsewhere are stored or put away in the bedroom. Often, huge piles of laundry pile up here as well, making you feel like you’re sleeping in the laundry room or utility closet. Here, the feeling of free space and room is important – a simple and slim bed with dynamic lines as well as a functional wardrobe with many drawers is already sufficient in the bedroom. So that it does not become too cool, a colourful accent may be set with a simple picture or a beautiful houseplant.

• Bedroom furnishings

Office: Tidy up your desk and keep it clean – Tips & Tricks

The desk is often used as a storage place for small items such as keys, wallets or magazines. However, this not only makes it harder for you to work and makes you unfocused, your documents also sink into chaos after a while and you need a long time to work your way from one paper to the next. Put an end to this: get yourself enough folders and pen holders, sort everything immediately into drawers and binders when you’re done with something or no longer need it. For small items like chewing gum, keys and wallets, it’s best to have a small storage box.

As a desk, in order to maintain the minimalist look, a monochrome (light) table with slender legs and wooden elements such as wooden legs or drawer handles is best. Important: no massive tops or extravagant squiggles.

• Office furnishings

Kitchen: cabinets and storage with system

In your kitchen, it’s best to store like with like. Go for a uniform food storage and keep pots and pans all in one place. Each area should have its own drawer or cabinet door. As much as possible, make sure to leave the countertops clear and keep the kitchen equipment down to the essentials. Depending on your needs and life situation, not everyone needs a microwave, blender or toaster. Work out your own system in the kitchen and choose your kitchen utensils wisely.

• Kitchen furnishings

Family and minimalism: also possible with children?

As a single person or as a household without children, it is naturally easier to keep things tidy and not to accumulate too many things. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t live minimalistically with children. There are little tips and tricks on how it is possible to live in a relaxed and liberated environment, even with the family.

Children’s room: avoid chaos and create storage space

Toys and small items can be stored in beautiful baskets every evening. Otherwise, accessories and small items can again be stored in plain white chests of drawers or light wooden chests. Storage space is always the magic word. Toys and craft items should be able to disappear quickly, but still be accessible to the kids. Boxes and baskets are always an elegant solution.

Getting kids excited about minimalism: tips

Living minimalist is actually nice for kids too. There is plenty of room to play and let off steam and the little ones learn to keep things tidy at an early age. If a new toy is on the wish list, you can motivate them to sort out or give away something old for it.

Tip. The Kardashians & Jenners have mastered the style of minimalism, especially in their home decor. Check out our article on Kendall Jenner’s House Tour and get inspired by the minimalist ambiance.

Top 5 tips to live minimalism in your everyday life

To help you keep minimalism in your home we have some quick tips for you at the end to keep peace and quiet in your home:

• See if you can eliminate a similar item in new purchases
• Before each purchase, think carefully about whether and for what purpose you need the article.
• Always store and stow things in the same place
• Label your boxes and folders
• Before buying new: lend, exchange, repair