Loved by the top interior designers in Singapore, minimalist furniture selections place an emphasis on functionality and simplicity.
Strong, clean lines and flat surfaces combine audaciously to create a piece that focuses on only the essentials. You would be hard-pressed to spot gaudy-looking furnishings or highly intricate decorative details that serve no purpose.
Following the mantra of "less is more," minimalism demands that you eliminate items that bog down and detract from the overarching tone of the room. This includes any furniture that you choose.
Rather than having furniture that occupies a significant amount of floor space, for instance, opt for something that utilises wall space instead. Need a bookshelf? Install a built-in cabinet on the wall for storage.
In the spirit of going clutter-free, you also want to choose a built-in cabinet with doors and enclosed racks to conceal your personal belongings. This is a great idea when aiming for minimalism, as the cabinet merges seamlessly with the walls and ceilings to create a feeling of openness.
Essentially, incorporating minimalism into your home interior design boils down to the purity and simplicity of the shape and form, with a focus on comfort and aesthetics. The right décor choices can result in a room that features an abundance of space, light, and air.
Living Room
The living room lies in the heart of your home. Contemporary and minimalist design tend to emanate an air of unstated class. The right design elements can transform any room into a bright, uplifting space that your family and guests enjoy spending time in.
Neutral tones like black, white, grey, and beige are some minimalist staples for decorating a living room. Splashes of vibrant accents such as green, orange, and red can lend a colourful punch to a neutral colour palette while retaining the minimalist style.
Darker furniture brings depth to a small living room. Prominent decorative elements such as a tall floor vase can juxtapose perfectly against the brusque white walls and high ceilings commonly featured in loft apartments.
Throw in a rug for a hint of comforting orange colour to complete the room's colour scheme.
When applying minimalism to your living room design, you should have everything planned out to the finest details. That way, the essential concepts of rigidity, openness, and functionality can radiate through the furniture's décor.
Ample lighting is imperative for a hospitable living space. Spacious windows allow plenty of light into the room, making it appear larger to the eye. Also consider hooking your television set onto the wall and installing fitted cabinets. These in-built solutions can save you significant living room space.
To this end, you want to prioritise items with clean, reflective surfaces. Whether it is the cupboard, sofa, chairs or coffee table, the core of minimalistic style furniture lies in their geometric figures and smooth outlines.
Bedroom
The perfect bedroom design features a minimalist palette of calm, warm shades. Grey and white tones with hints of beige and lavender create an understated elegance in your bedroom.
The bed in minimalist style boasts a crisp form. A wide, king-sized mattress that sits perfectly atop a wooden bed frame is generally the look you want to go for. Flank the bedroom centrepiece with functional bedside tables on each side and an ambient table lamp for an understated cosiness.
Built-in wardrobes and mounted fixtures like the mirror, as usual, help free up floor space for a clutter-free environment. Keep these items, including your curtains or blinds, simple.
An overly minimalistic palette can sometimes look quite bland. Imbue a dash of personality into a potentially boring space by placing a massive pot with lush greenery in a neutral corner of the room and a solid accent carpet on an arid area of the floor.
The perfect minimal bedroom is warm and inviting, with only as much furniture as you need. Appearance wise, incorporate a sense of symmetry into the place by applying the trademark clean lines, modest silhouettes, and luxe bedding.
Bathroom
Minimalism in the bathroom is marked by a sense of calm and cohesiveness. Therefore, you want to integrate restrained tones and limited accents into your furniture design and décor. To this end, a white toilet bowl and basin are perfectly complemented by a stone tile finish.
Given that the bathroom is where all your toiletries and makeup usually go, ensuring the right storage solutions is crucial to maintaining a minimal space.
Wooden chests of drawers that feature clean, sleek lines and a built-in roller system can look neat and not overload the room. Alternatively, consider a mirror storage unit that allows you to combine your mirror with wall storage cabinets.
The purpose of having ample drawer cabinets is to ensure all your bathroom essentials, including body and face towels, can be stored neatly and kept out of sight. The number of bath accessories you have lying around should also be kept to a minimum.
Much like everything else in a minimalistic interior design, the items in your bathroom should be spotless and have distinct shapes without any unnecessary ornaments or striking colours. The aim is essentially to create a décor that utilises as narrow a range of colours and hues as possible.
Kitchen
A kitchen designed for minimalism should represent cleanliness and order. Common materials used for the kitchen include natural marble, wood, and brick, with glass and metal accents as the featured finishes.
As always, the essence of minimalism is to convey radiance and airiness, so you want to employ a clean black and white colour palette with bursts of vivid colours reflected through your kitchen appliances like an orange coffee machine and funky dinnerware sets.
Do away with superfluous motifs and designs, as they do not fit into the concept of minimalism. Instead, keep the colours in your kitchen down to neutral shades and accent tones.
As in any other room, get rid of redundant clutter by removing unnecessary items.
Having well-crafted kitchen cabinetry and ample smart storage solutions is integral to putting away all your kitchen utensils like cutting boards and ensuring that surfaces are kept organised and clutter-free. Consider utilising kitchen organisers to maintain orderliness.
As with most simplistic pieces, your storage cabinets and furnishings will ideally feature simple shapes, clean lines, and warm accents in the name of minimalism.
The sleek minimalist culture does not mean you should be a stick in the mud in your design approach. Experiment with unique elements that go beyond the scope of simplicity and put a personal spin on it for your very own brand of minimalism.