The Minimalist Vocabulary: How To State Your Style in a Few Words3 min read

You all loved our Minimalist Guide to a Clutter-Free Home, so we thought we’d circle back with more design tips to help you make the most of your home, with as few things as possible. Think of it: ample space to move around, only a few surfaces to dust, and just one or two things asking for your attention – in every single room.

To help you speak minimalism more fluently, we’ve come up with a list of six words to incorporate as you decorate your space.

Mindful

The intention of the minimalist movement is to avoid interruption. Rooms shouldn’t disrupt your thinking; they should give it space to wander, focus and relax. Think of the room that causes you the most stress. Is it your kitchen? Your bedroom? Your living room? Part of the reason it gives you tension may be because it has too many things going on. Perhaps it’s cluttered or messy or disjointed. The first thing toward recreating this space is to find out how it makes you feel now, and how you’d like it to make you feel after you are done. Then start with a blank slate.

Purposeful

Before you begin your minimalist design, answer this question: What is this space for? Then consider the fewest amount of things necessary to achieve that aim. A living room requires seating and a place to put a book or a lamp. A bathroom requires soap and towels. Pare everything down to its basic purpose and recognize the desire to fill in gaps with unnecessary things. And resist it.

Harmonious.

Once you’ve determined your basic needs, sink into how to make them sing well together. Remember, your canvas should be as neutral as possible, and your basics should fall into place within a few notes of each other. Textiles should blend with the walls, wood floors should match wood chairs, and they all should feel in tune.

Understated

Minimalist style lets each piece speak for itself. Furniture and colors are chosen based on their contribution to the whole. Only one or two pieces can “shout” in a room – a bold blue chair against a blank wall, a pair of dark vases in a white room, a lush green plant cascading in the corner. These rooms are contemplative spaces and can change the mood of anyone who enters them, usually by toning them down.

Edited

This is the last word on the list, there simply to remind you that designing, like writing, is a process. Sometimes it’s easier to throw it all together and then take out the pieces that don’t serve the larger message. Other times it’s better to start with a clean slate and only add the sentiments that are worth repeating. The point is to pare down to your favorite, most meaningful pieces, even as they change over time.

Clean

This is the beauty of minimalism. This style is inherently clean. Clean lines. Organized shelves. Folded blankets. These rooms are a stark reminder of how freeing it is to walk into a clean home with little else to do but enjoy it.

We know something about that feeling, and how to make it happen. Here’s how we can help