Despite the drift towards maximalism, I still have minimalistic elements that I will probably adopt for a while in my home. While I like to have variety at home, minimalism still allows for the right things to be highlighted. Minimalism also makes day to day tasks in a small living space more manageable. Here are some of them:
- Neutral colours for furniture. Furniture generally is expensive to replace and is a long-term investment. However I also see neutral colours being popular for a while. Of the busyness in my home, neutral colours for my furniture (i.e. grey, white, beige) helps to bring balance. Many of those neutrals are also great at radiating natural light. The same also goes for my living room curtains for radiating light, not to mention a Scandinavian look too.
- My Kitchen table with minimal decor. Most photos in interior design magazines show dining tables staged with vases, plants, candles, not to mention dinnerware on the table too. Perhaps my decor from Scandinavia could make for great photo-shoots. However in reality, my dining table is often used as a desk during the day and for dining in the evening, complete with a candle and minimal clutter. Table decor can unfortunately get in the way during the day. When a space is re-arranged daily, it is also difficult to appreciate decor when it is always moved. There are always other areas to place decor permanently.
- Breathing space underneath the daybed. It is tempting to allow books and journals to sit underneath it as it technically isn’t in the way or visible when sitting on it. However it is noticeable by the eye in other areas of the room. Breathing room underneath it also makes the place appear bigger and highlights more surface area of my thick rug.
- The coat rack limited to only a few items. Perhaps the latest trend was to display your outerwear items (hats, jackets, bags, etc.). However when a space is very small and open plan, you don’t necessarily want those items to be overly dominate. For that reason, I try to only hang up the items that I need in that month and store away the other items.
- Open space for height in the walk-in closet. Originally I had boxes stacked nearly floor to ceiling in my walk-in closet. I also previously had a fabric wardrobe where boxes were stacked on top of it. When I however reduced the height of stacked boxes, the room suddenly appeared more spacious. I do however hang a paper/sphere lantern along with a mini-faux green wall and light to further highlight the ceiling height.
