Minimalist Interior Design: The Official Guide

Minimalist interior design is something that many of us have sought after for years. But temptation always gets in the way. Some of us are obsessed with on-trend colour schemes that have to be updated on a 3-year-cycle. Then there are those of us who feel the need to buy more and more ornaments until our homes are in utter clutter chaos. Not forgetting us over-thinkers. We try so hard that our homes look more like bare student accommodation rather than the cool Scandi look we were originally going for.

Although minimalism and functionally are one of the same, minimalist interior design can be achieved in many other ways. Whether you want to stick to two-toned rooms or embrace Japanese interiors rather than Scandi, this blog will help you to find what you’re looking for.

Stick to no more than 2 basic colours

The easiest way to achieve stylish minimalist interior design is to keep it simple and to not try too hard. Scandinavian and Nordic styles have been doing this for years. One of their secrets is to stick to white walls and choose one extra colour. To have more than two basic colours is a big no-no. Minimalism is all about being strict with yourself and not getting carried away with too many ornaments and décor. Keep it simple and brief.

One of our customers, artist Stormy, posted this photograph of her dining room. She's really got the two-colour combination just right. She's stuck with black and white throughout the room (we’ll let them off for the green plants and brown table) and added our vintage The Straits of Dover wall mural as a small feature wall.

This is another great example of a two-toned room. The shade of terracotta blends gorgeously with the white interior. The beauty of this white room is that it really is a blank canvas. If you decide to change the terracotta theme, all you need to do is buy a few new room accessories to completely alter the design. No need for painting the walls or changing the carpet. Simples!

Japanese wabi-sabi minimalist interior design

Simple interiors don’t always have to be based around Scandi or Nordic design. Another great alternative to achieving minimalism is opting for the Japanese look.

With designs stemming back for thousands of years, Japanese home styling is steeped in ancient tradition. It's primarily based around clean and uncluttered spaces that revel in an appreciation for nature’s beauty. Unlike Chinese feng shui routes, Japanese interior design embraces wabi-sabi: finding beauty in imperfection. Instead of striving for pure perfection, adore rustic, unsophisticated and sometimes, unbalanced beauty.

This zen room depicts all these factors. The traditional Japanese Woodblock Print of Pheasants wall mural represents nature's beauty. Although there is a balance of colour and lack of clutter, there are definitely wabi-sabi vibes: no balancing drawers on either side of the sofa and the hanging lights are placed at the side rather than in the centre of the room. Like Scandi and Nordic interior design, the wabi-sabi technique is effortlessly stylish.

To top off your Japanese wabi-sabi look, find décor which revels in beautiful imperfection. We think that this rustic desk would look ideal with our black and white wallpaper.

These wabi-sabi style plant pots from Garden Trading would be great additions to a Japanese style home. They are uneven and imperfect, but altogether chic and utterly gorgeous.

Marble minimalist interior design

Although opting for white walls is the usual answer to minimalist interior design, don’t be scared of stepping out of the safety zone. As long as your décor isn’t too overbearing and clashing, a statement wall mural can fit in well. The beauty of marble wallpaper feature walls is that they embrace the wabi-sabi approach. They are not symmetrically balanced, are naturally formed yet extremely beautiful.

This calming Blue Marble Effect wallpaper is the cherry on top in this white and blue themed room. The choice of décor has been tastefully chosen to reflect the shades in the natural marble pattern: they’ve really stuck to the two colour rule.

One of our favourites from our beautiful marble wallpaper collection is this popular White Marble wallpaper. It looks fabulous in customer Sofia’s home. We love how she has only selected a part of the wall to install her fabulous mural and has left the remaining walls white. Her Scandi style chair, basket and white storage units are simple, classic and fuss-free.

Strip back to the bare essentials

Part of minimalist interior design is to strip back your home to its bare essentials to reveal the true essence of architecture. One way of doing this is to chip off that suffocating plaster. Find the hidden treasures that lay beneath.

pin

This stunning home is a perfect example of using modern, geometrical shapes whilst still embracing the original features of the property. Exposing the bricks on part of the wall is classic, tasteful and you wouldn’t dream of nailing pictures onto it. The brick is enough: no fuss needed.

Yet, the idea of grabbing a chisel is daunting for many of us. Rather than finding a sound red brick wall, we’re more likely to discover corrosion and damp. Do you want to know the easy option? It’s brick effect wallpaper. The trendy Brick Wall wallpaper used in this room provides some texture and adds a splash of colour. Not only that, it avoids finding any hidden disasters. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss!

Don’t be afraid of concrete effect walls

Are brick walls not your idea of minimalism? Would you like a more subtle texture-effect wall? Then a concrete wallpaper could be for you. Often we think textured walls are a mistake when it comes down to minimal design. However, wallpaper, textured plaster or concrete are all allowed. It’s all about balancing out those décor choices. This raw Texture of Plaster wallpaper is a great choice in this on-trend room. The wicker hanging chair, palm leaf plants and selection of black and white cushions and rug work perfectly.

This Hanging Plant Pot and Longworth Chair from Garden Trading are gorgeous. They are effortlessly cool and give that laid-back vibe that is quintessentially Scandi.

Geometric minimalism to create structure and purpose

pin

Another way to achieve minimalist interior design is to opt for geometric designs. They create a sense of balance that is pleasing to the eye and is great for those who love structure and organisation.

You can either plan your décor in geometric layouts, buy functional furniture or install a patterned wallpaper. The apartment above has used both. The geometric glass bedroom wall, bannister and feature wall work wonderfully together.

We have an eclectic range of stylish geometric wallpaper. True, this on-trend Polygon Pastel wall mural uses more than one colour in its design. Yes, it is breaking one of the rules, but we will let this one go. After all, the shades are extremely subtle and don’t overpower the rest of the room.

We think this Pepper Sq Arc Coffee Table has perfect geometric elements that would look amazing in the room above. It is both functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. If you're handy with a paintbrush, why not create your own geometric décor by upcycling preloved furniture? We adore this dusty pink cabinet and like most furniture in minimalistic interior design, it has a purpose as well as being aesthetically pleasing.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Nicky Cash • Done up North (@doneupnorth) on Oct 1, 2019 at 12:01am PDT

Light-drenched Scandinavian wood-panelled walls

Last, but certainly not least, let's take a look at Scandinavian interiors. It's one of the simplest ways to achieve the ideal minimalist look. The mix of white, grey and cream shades often seen in Scandinavian design always create that clean minimalist look.

Rather than opting for plain paint, light-drenched wood-panelled walls can add a subtle sense of character to a room. Not only that, minimalist room ideas, like white walls, can make small rooms appear much larger than they are. That's why minimalist design is great for those who live in tiny apartments or homes with limited space. We think this Scandi styled White Wood wall mural would be perfect for opening up any room. Although not made with real wood, this wood panel mural still has the same effect as the room below.

Don’t be afraid of nailing up frames of simple works of art. When creating a wall gallery, choose the same frames containing similar shades of colour, art or photography. We absolutely love these on-trend abstract prints from RocketJack. Pair the four frames together or opt for just two. Either way, you'll create a striking feature wall that injects personality without creating a mash of clashing colours on the wall. Keep it minimal. Keep it simple.

Whether you’re excited to start planning a Japanese wabi-sabi or a two-toned scheme in your home, we hope you have gained some inspiration from our minimalist interior design advice. Leave a comment below to give us your own minimalist style tips or which parts of the blog stood out to you.