We love boho. We love minimal. We love neutrals. But, we are all prone to a cluttered home. Life gets busy. Or we accumulate things because our society is easily susceptible to consumerism. Whatever the circumstances, it can be incredibly freeing to embrace a minimal approach to our home decor and interior design. This process is meant to reduce the clutter that so easily entangles our homes. When we strip back our decor room by room to the essentials—plus a few character pieces—we create a calming, meaningful aesthetic. Here's a few things to consider and some tips to help.
Reasons for a Minimal Home:
1. Reduction of Clutter
Clutter in a home takes away from the central focus of a room. Imagine your cluttered room is your mind. The piles of paper, shoes left around the house, dirty dishes in the sink, etc. are like the chatter of multiple thoughts crowding your mind. When your mind has too many things to focus on, you become stressed or anxious. This idea translates to physical spaces. If we take care of these small bits of disorder in our home, it gives us space to breath and think clearly.
2. Calming & Peaceful Atmosphere
Pick & Choose:
With a tidy home, we now have the space to choose which pieces of decor we want to keep, and which we'd like to get rid of. A great question to ask when choosing decor is "Does this bring me joy?". There's a lot of stuff we may have inherited or accumulated over the years, but it doesn't mean we have to keep it forever. Some pieces of furniture or decor may have sentimental value and that's important to keep in mind when going through this process. Minimalism doesn't always mean getting rid of everything and living in a dull, sterile white environment. We like to lean towards intentionality. Thus we choose to keep the decor that brings us life, and let go of things that don't. Sell your excess furniture or donate it to a non-profit like the GoodWill.
Fresh Coat of Paint:
Now that we're being intentional, a huge part of the room aesthetic is the wall color. A new coat of paint can significantly shift the feel of a room. Lean towards neutrals like white, gray, beige (or even a greige). Some of our favorites are Sherwin Williams "Agreeable Gray" (greige) or "Alabaster" (white/beige) for walls. Ceiling paint we've worked with Sherwin Williams "Pure White" (can also use as a wall color). If you need a splash of color, a dark green can definitely sooth any room — try Sherwin Williams "Fresh Balsam" for that.
3. Choose Decor You Love
When a room is tidy and is purposefully designed, it becomes more apparent the types of decor that fits in your aesthetic. Perhaps your living room now only includes a couch, coffee table, TV, and a few lamps whereas before you might have tried to fit more seating in a single room. Shelves only contain a few books or a couple photos whereas before they were overflowing with photos and collectibles. The coffee table now only hosts your favorite book plus a vase of flowers whereas before it was a pile of magazines you never read through and a couple candles and some books and... the list goes on.. Reduce the clutter, choose your favorites.
If you need an accent piece, look for an intriguing painting/print to hang on the wall. Or consider an accent throw blanket to drape over a chair or your couch. Good Merchant Co has a minimal floral throw blanket that can work perfectly for these situations. A simple vase with some faux florals can also do the job. Whatever it is that adds another layer of depth to your chosen furniture, make sure it's something you love!
4. Enjoy Your Life!
Embracing minimalism in your home doesn't need to be all-encompassing. If you've worked through redesigning a room in your home, take time to enjoy it. Live your life! Go for a bike ride. Make dinner with friends. Read a book. Minimalist interior design is a tool to create a calming space to return to. When we're intentional, we can balance between having a peaceful home and living a full life (which can often be messy)!