The 1960s was a decade of cultural development and experimentation. There were new movements in music, film, and politics. One of the least-appreciated innovations of the 60s was minimalism
Beginning in 1965, people began embracing minimalism when building homes and other goods. This often involves using natural materials and simple designs.
Minimalist designs have undergone a revival in recent years. More people are opting to forego extravagant decorations and features in favour of the bare necessities. Perhaps you’re one of these people, but you aren’t sure how to start going minimalist. We’ll talk about some current minimalist trends and how to embrace them here.
Use Neutral Colours
If you want to build your minimalist style from the ground up or want a foundation to start from, try painting your walls. While minimalist style isn’t made or broken by one detail, neutral colours are standard. Neutral shades include white, grey, beige, and light blue.
Neutral colours offer many advantages. They match almost any furniture, and studies show that people feel more relaxed around them. This makes neutrals the perfect choice for living rooms, bedrooms, and studies. Discover the versatility and beauty of MAS Paints decorative finishes available in any color of the Natural Colour System (NCS).
Cut Back on Furniture
Appearing to use as little as possible is key to minimalism. The movement is all about embracing the essentials, so your design should emphasise open space.
You don’t need to take all the extras out of your home but space them out enough that nothing looks cluttered. A hallmark of minimalist spaces is a clean interior, and spacious areas give off that feel.
Natural Materials
Minimalism can, in theory, be combined with any style, but the traditional approach calls for natural materials. Natural materials still leave you with many options. Everything from wood to glass, and most metals count as natural materials. Adding a few plants might not hurt, either.
You can add decorative elements to your furniture and still be minimalist. Most people with wood furniture in their homes stained the pieces or bought them stained. Staining makes the wood cleaner and smoother, which improves the look and feel of the space.
Simple Geometry
Spacing furniture out is one way to make a room look spacious, but there is more. Using straight lines and basic geometric shapes makes things feel more organised.
The patterns create a sense of purpose as if everything in the room was put there for a reason. It also doesn’t hurt that our eyes seem to love looking at patterns.
A Guide to Embracing Minimalism
People are embracing minimalism in larger numbers as of late, and it’s starting to shape our culture. Perhaps you want to practice minimalism, too.
We’ve discussed some of the basic tenets of minimalist design here, but minimalism is a well-established philosophy with a history that spans almost sixty years. You should have no trouble finding sources if you want to do more research.
You can learn more about design as a whole by reading our blog. Perhaps you’re looking for a different design trend to adopt. We can tell you about some other popular options.