Why minimal design

It can be applied to anything from art and lifestyles to architecture and interior design. Minimalist interior design is very similar to modern interior design and involves using the bare essentials to create a simple and uncluttered space. It usually combines an open floor plan, lots of light, and functional furniture, and it focuses on the shape, colour and texture of just a handful of essential elements.

There is no excessive ornamentation and decoration. Instead, the few details that are used are uncomplicated and blend harmoniously into the setting. This might be in the form of a single artwork adorning a living room wall, or a beautiful vase on top of the dining room table.

Even the art is simple in composition. The clients have extremely active lives and need their home to be restful, not stimulating to the eye. While minimalist architecture also aims to condense content and streamline form and structure, it has a complex language on its own. Weinreich of Lilian H. Weinreich Architects. Illustrating aesthetic restraint—a key concept in formal simplicity and architectural minimalism—Weinreich renovated a Central Park South home built on "principles of ergonomics, functionality and sustainability.

Simplicity in design and uniqueness in resolution are key to this alteration. Along the same line of thinking as Weinrich, the idea of "essential" is imperative to minimalism as Jennifer Tulley of Jennifer Tulley Architects explains: "Minimalism is an approach to design where the elements of the structure are simplified to their essential components. Nothing is added for effect. The design thrives on the beauty of the forms and the materials used to create the forms, " she says.

This is where the use of light, form and beautiful materials is so essential. The craft of the construction is incredibly important since you cannot add trim to cover misalignments. Tulley also prioritized storage for a quiet and calm San Francisco kitchen, a key tool for maintaining a minimalist living space while meeting realistic functionality concerns for the typical homeowner or family.

Tulley added an open box shelf to visually unite the column and wall and provide storage for her clients. The idea of uncluttered and clean space is truly a driver behind the minimalist movement, and the desire to seek and adapt its principal ideas in interior design.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Featured Video. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSpruce. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. It means communicating as much as possible with as few elements as possible. We can strive toward it, but even the most minimalist design could be reduced further.

None of this should be taken to mean that every design should end up being minimalist. Different design styles set different moods and invoke different emotions in your audience. Ornamentation works when it has a solid foundation to sit on. Minimalism is reducing your work to the essential and using less to do more.

In order to do minimalism well you need a strong understanding of basic design principles. When you master minimalism you master design. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.

Download a free sample from my book, Design Fundamentals. Believe it or not I actually thought of that while writing the post. I could have gone with the first paragraph in the summary and left it at that.

I did cut quite a bit out while editing. Must say a great article,very well written and explained. Infact the initial 2 paragraphs are very much needed as they explain the idea of space so very well that it connects to a wider audience. Had the start be only technical then it would be very boring. Thank you. I really like the additions of the quotes, you added in this article. Maybe it help, a lot of people to create minimalism designs.

In my eyes this is really the hardest target of a designer. Thanks Erni. I like the quotes too. If you click the link right above the ones at the bottom there are more good ones.