Minimalist Home Design: 7 Tips to Achieve a Minimalist Look

Whether you’re planning to build a custom home or undertake a major renovation, you may be wondering about a minimalistic home design. Before you embark on your minimalistic design-build or remodeling project, it’s important to understand the key design elements and features involved in the style. This will help you fully conceptualize the design and bring your desired aesthetic to life. Read on to learn more about what minimalism is and how you can use it in your house design.

What Is a Minimalist Home Design?

A minimalistic home design takes on a “less is more” approach. This applies to the architecture, floor plan, interior design, and décor. The overall design is very simplistic, sleek, and modern. The colour palette is typically limited to between one and three different shades. Accessories are used sparingly and what little décor is added often emphasizes texture more than patterns or colours. Natural lighting, white space, and functionality are also key in a minimalistic house.

What Are the Main Elements of Modern Minimalism?

The following are the primary elements of modern minimalism:

1- Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans combine individual rooms into one expansive space. Rather than having walls or dividers separate your kitchen, dining room, and living room, open floor plans only enclose bathrooms and occasionally entry ways. Modern minimalistic homes have open floor plans because it optimizes the flow of the entire main floor and maximizes natural lighting.

2- Highlight Architectural Features

Instead of focusing on the décor, minimalist style homes highlight architectural features. This can include high ceilings, structural posts, and fireplaces. For example, a simplistic modern home may have a great floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace as a main focal point. The goal is to create a visual impact without relying on accessories, fixtures, or decoration.

3- Bare Walls, Big Impact

Having walls covered by plants, pictures, or other wall decorations detracts from the simplistic of a minimalistic home. Bare walls allow you to create one statement piece without diverting your attention elsewhere. As an example, you could highlight a custom geometric light fixture in a bedroom, living room, or dining room. You might also consider turning a bare wall into the focal point by painting it a contrasting colour, such as a black wall in a white bedroom.

4- Quality over Quantity

Having a less complex design with fewer decorations, accessories, furniture, and wall art allows you to prioritize quality over quantity in your renovation or design-build budget. This means you can purchase higher-quality materials, finishes, hardware, etc. You also have more money for personalization, such as customizing cabinets, kitchen countertops, kitchen islands, and more.

4- Quality over Quantity

Having a less complex design with fewer decorations, accessories, furniture, and wall art allows you to prioritize quality over quantity in your renovation or design-build budget. This means you can purchase higher-quality materials, finishes, hardware, etc. You also have more money for personalization, such as customizing cabinets, kitchen countertops, kitchen islands, and more.

5- Monochromatic Palette

Monochromatic colour palettes use various shades of the same colour. Using light and dark shades of one base colour creates contrast and adds depth to the overall design while maintaining simplicity. For example, a monochromatic bedroom may have cream walls, beige hardwood, ivory bedding, and tan furniture.

6- Showcase Only What Matters

There are certain furniture pieces that are essential to the space, such as coffee tables and sofas in a living room, a bed and dresser in the bedroom, and a dining table and chairs in the dining room. These are the items you can showcase or lightly decorate. For example, adding flowers and books to your coffee table or a vase and decorative bowl to the middle of your dining table.

7- Stick to Symmetry for Wall Art

Modern minimalist interior design embraces symmetry rather than asymmetrical décor. As an alternative to a gallery wall of art, you can select one large artwork as a statement piece. This art can blend in with your monochromatic colour scheme or add a singular pop of colour to the space. For example, you may hang a large print featuring a modern black and white painting or a geometric gold metal sculpture.

8- Highlight Unique Home Features

If you’re building a custom home, you have the opportunity to include a completely original feature in the architecture, layout, or interior design. If you’re investing in a full house renovation, you may consider leaving an already unique characteristic of the home, such as a grand staircase or fireplace. Having these distinctive features adds personality to your minimalistic home.

9- Bring Nature Indoors

Natural textures, colours, and decorative elements pair perfectly with a minimal design. The neutral colours combined with the natural lighting create a calm and inviting atmosphere. You can mix more than one or two natural tones into the same space without it becoming overwhelming or altering the simplistic aesthetic. For instance, you can use tan, taupe, and sage in your kitchen or living room fixtures, and finishes while maintaining a minimalistic appearance.

9- Simple Comfort with Pillows

Creating a minimalistic interior design doesn’t mean you can’t make the space comfortable. You can use pillows and throws in your living room, bedroom, or recreational room as simple accents. Remember to stick to natural or monochromatic tones that align with overall aesthetic. You can also play with different textures, such as using hand-knit blankets or velvet throw pillows.

10- Abundance of Natural Lighting

Natural light makes an open concept floor plan feel even more spacious. Having an abundance of sunlight streaming in can also add warmth to the space, making it feel cozier. To bring more natural lighting into your minimalistic custom or fully renovated home, consider large bay windows, glass pane doors, sky lights, and floor to ceiling windows.

11- Make a Statement with Furniture

If statement art or architecture isn’t for you, you may consider statement furniture. Examples of statement furniture include soaker tubs, oversized couches, and custom light fixtures. These types of furniture add interest and personality to rooms with monochromatic colour palettes, limited décor, and bare walls.

12- Single Colour Scheme

Singular colour schemes are ideal for simplistic designs. You can choose a bold or a neutral colour and pair it with a white base. For example, you may have a black and white living room, a navy and white kitchen, or a sage and white bathroom. Use textured accents such as pillows, throw blankets, rugs, or furniture to develop more depth in the design.

13- Clear and Clean Surfaces

Choose furniture with simple, sharp, and clean lines rather than complex shapes. For example, you could put a simple rectangular glass coffee table in the living room. Keeping your tables, counters, and dressers clear of excessive decor and everyday items is also key to marinating a simple design. Including sleek and uncluttered surfaces in your design can enhance the natural lighting and spaciousness of the whole room.

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