Less is More – Minimalist Interior Design Ideas for Your Home
Minimalist interior design has been one of the staple interior design styles for over a decade. Minimalism has gone through a century of evolution and is gaining popularity as of late. To some, it's nothing more than a set of cold white-box rooms – a boring style with no inherent aesthetic qualities. However, there's so much more to minimalism apart from clearing out your space and decking your walls in a palette of plain white. Therefore, you will need to truly understand its essence to appreciate the art of minimalism.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo da Vinci.
While embracing minimalism might not be for everyone, it is always nice to appreciate the beauty of simplicity and the meaning behind this interior design genre.
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What is a Modern Minimalist Interior Design?
Modern minimalist interior design is essentially a form of art that promotes extreme spareness and simplicity. The arrangements of functional furniture, geometric shapes, clean-lined objects, space-saving elements are all recognisable features of the minimalist interior design.
A modern minimalist interior design can transform any Condominium or HDB into a cosy and lively space. Although being two different interior design styles, the modern minimalist design share plenty of similarities with Scandinavian interior design. The "less is more" principle still applies in such combinations, embracing simplicity as its norm and mantra.
How to Achieve a Minimalist Interior Design?
You'll need to adopt a careful and precise restraint on your interior design choices if you are looking to achieve a minimalistic look for your abode. A minimalist interior design is one that only consists of the bare essentials, you have to be willing to let go of the extras and be prepared to redefine what you consider as ‘essentials’.
The minimalist interior design is great for small spaces! Achieving a minimalist HDB or Condominium space requires you to focus on creating a serene and uncluttered home. You'll have to truly embrace the idea of letting every detail "breathe". Simultaneously, everything should exude some warmth and beauty instead of being an all-white, cold and sterile environment that can be soulless and dull at times.
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For a unified and clean look, the dominant colour palette in a minimalist home design should be a neutral monochrome tone to create bright, airy and elegant spaces. A two-toned colour palette is commonly used, where a mix of subtle colour choices are added as accents to incorporate homely vibes and keep the space dynamic.
When everything else is subdued, multiple textures in the form of textiles like rugs, carpets and throws bring in added vigour to your minimalist home design. You will likely see lots of layered woven textures mixed with iconic mid-century ideas. Check out our room-by-room guide that will show you the art of minimalist interior design:
The Minimalist Living Room
One thing that makes a minimalist living room stand out is the modern feel it exudes. That's why you'll often find pieces of modern chairs and stylish sofas and armchairs. What's more, the layout is almost always smart and airy, without being too bold or rich. As expected, the idea is to establish a simple yet cosy appeal. The primary essential furniture in the living space and patterned rug complete the look of this space.
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One of the ways to personalise your living room is to mix it with industrial-style accents. The unmistakable industrial feel includes slender modern seatings with metal light fixtures and a plush rug. Focus on the contrasting neutrals and add some white and black pops for a complete industrial minimalist interior design.
You can bring some bolder colours as accents, but the clean-lined look should remain as your primary goal. You cannot deny the use of clean design lines in Minimalist interior designs, they have smooth and functional design sensibilities that create airy and uncluttered spaces.
Another mix of styles involves the use of luxe materials like velvet, hides, and marble. Moreover, you'd want to bring in a few mid-century furniture pieces. Use some bold tones to contrast the rest of the neutral minimalist interior design. That way you'll establish a simplistic but chic living area where you can read your favourite magazines or newspapers.
In minimalist interior design, it's a great idea to mix soft lines with a casual contemporary vibe. This modern minimalist interior design uses deep comfy seatings with a functional storage coffee table. You can add the standard neutral cushions and rungs with a piece or two of simple art in wooden frames. Ideally, you'd want to stick to the neutrals and light wood hues to establish a relaxing, functional feel.
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The Minimalist Bedroom
When you think of the bedroom, it's probably the place where you spend most of your time when you're home. That's why it's vital to make your rest coves relaxing and tranquil. Meanwhile, the goal is to establish a genuinely minimalist and uncomplicated vibe with some modern accents. You can quickly achieve this by implementing fewer but more unique furnishings.
Like your living room, you can choose to go the industrial route by adding a striking bed. You can pick one with a frame to make a statement and complement it with a stylish headboard. You can mix the industrial light fixtures and the contrasting black and white colours with a neutral palette. Playing with textiles like adding soft grey pillows, blankets and rugs will add vigour and a new dimension to your minimalist HDB interior design.
Of course, the notion of mid-century vibes may feel much more inviting. If you want to make your minimalist bedroom exude luxe vibes, focus on woody tones and earthy colours. Also, don't forget to pair the natural tones with the typical minimalist bright whites as a foundation.
This Scandinavian-style minimalist bedroom idea also brings in lots of casual-chic vibes, looking simple and being extremely convenient. A wooden side table, a warm-toned rug and standard fixtures will complement the clean lines for an overall minimalist feel.
Focus on a bold blue statement wall. Mix it with bright yellow and white details like wall art, a night lamp and an alarm clock. Finish the symmetry with a round-shaped side table, white bedding and a grey headboard.
The Minimalist Dining Room
Most of the time, a minimalist interior design uses a few statement pieces for an area. The dining room can benefit with chairs of clean lines and a stylish chandelier. Still, you can go further by adding a mid-century dining table along with chrome-base seatings.
Wooden tones will perfectly blend with the overall airiness. Add some abstract pieces of art and a greyish rug to complete the mid-century minimalist interior design.
Perhaps, a traditional minimalist dining area may be a more practical solution. After all, that's probably the best option for an open-concept dining room. You can try adding elements that go with the interior theme while adding character to the overall space. Simply bring in some minimalist furniture, including upholstered chairs and a modern wood table. Perhaps, you can also use a bench to add some visual interest.
Don't forget the traditional off-white lunar chandelier and some greenery to accentuate the light and cosy atmosphere. Light fixtures add personality that is a nice addition to a minimalistic space.
If the space allows for it, you can also add a complementing rug and some contemporary abstract art. You'll immediately feel the sense of comfort in the chic yet simplistic dining area.
Arguably, wood is a timeless material that you'd always want to implement in a modern minimalist interior design. You need just a few rustic and organic elements to give the minimalist dining room warmth and cosiness. Let's not forget the upholstered chairs, plants, and neutral rug to complete the contrasting look.
The Minimalist Kitchen
A stylish kitchen is often the highlight of a house’s interior design. The minimalist kitchen is a popular option that many homeowners will easily select, as its primary purpose is to give off the reassurance of practicality. Hence, the modern minimalist interior design for the kitchen usually offers an all-white design palette with pops of other colours as accents.
Usually, you may use some light wood accents, but it's not necessary. After all, the idea is to keep the overall look clean and straightforward. Alternatively, you can mix white cabinets with black appliances for a more contemporary feel.
A minimalist kitchen from Tampines Street 21
A minimalist kitchen doesn't necessarily have to be entirely monochromatic. At times, all-white may seem to be too cold and dull. You can tweak white with a tiny pop of other colours and details to help brighten and liven up the atmosphere in the kitchen! Focus on the kitchen’s focal points with some dimmed lights. The contrasting hues will do the rest.
If possible, create an open-plan HDB kitchen that complements with the minimalist interior design theme.
The Minimalist Bathroom
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Simplify your bathroom with a minimalist interior design. The bathroom shown here uses a monochrome white and grey colour scheme with a mix of tiles and textured wall designs. Everything else is kept subtle in the bathroom, with elegant marble textured wall tiles and a terrazzo vanity countertop that adds character to the bathroom. The modular vanity unit comes with handleless cabinets that adhere to the minimal theme.
The minimalist interior design theme matches very well with small spaces, so it is great for your HDB or Condominium bathrooms which tend to be limited in space.
HDB Minimalist Interior Design Portfolios for Inspiration
Minimalist HDB interior designs are becoming more and more popular in Singapore because of a lot of apparent advantages. People are now shifting towards a minimalist lifestyle so as to become more sustainable and live a more mindful life. However, sometimes achieving a minimalist interior in your home may be easier said than done. For such individuals, we will go through a few of our design portfolios that can act as inspiration. When you see some design concept materialize in the form of a picture, you can better understand its motives and implement it in your home according to your preferences. So let’s go through three of our amazing minimalist interior design portfolios.
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Often a minimalist interior design is thought of as being a bit dull and boring as there is little to no ornamentation and only the basic elements are present. However, this 4-room HDB flat’s design shows how you can achieve the minimalist design theme while still making it look vibrant and aesthetically pleasing. We will go through the rooms of this flat to see how the design theme is implemented in each of these rooms.
Starting with the living room, we can see a highly organized minimalist interior that is devoid of clutter. There are only the basic elements present that add functionality to the space. However, the choice of colors, furniture, and lighting all add a wow element in this minimalist space. The sofa has a dark gray color but does not comprise any patterns to stay in line with the minimalist theme. This dark sofa contrasts perfectly with the white walls. There are two coffee tables in the center but their sleek design does not create any clutter or mess. The floors showcase light beige marble tiles in contrast with the dark wood media and accent wall. In this living room, we can only see one family portrait on a wall and a few plants, other than those there is no decoration. Modern lighting in the form of spotlights and indirect lighting help enhance this minimalist living room’s appearance.
The trick to keep in mind while designing a minimalist home is to ensure that there is no clutter in any room and everything is kept minimal and organized. This should be ensured in all the rooms, even the kitchen. In fact, the kitchen is a place that calls for an even more organized and clutter-free environment so that you can improve your efficiency while working in the kitchen and make your experience enjoyable. This also means that there should be enough storage in the kitchen so all accessories and extra stuff can be stored there to create a spick and span, clean kitchen.
The following kitchen interior design portfolio shows what a minimalist kitchen should look like. Usually light colors are used in minimalist kitchens, however, you can add a few colors of your choice in the cabinets and walls to add your unique touch to it. In this kitchen, the lower cabinets and backsplash are all white while the upper cabinets are a beautiful contrasting light wood colored. These cabinets allow plenty of storage so that the counters are clean and well-organized. There is also enough lighting in the room which is essential in a minimalist interior.
A similar kind of color theme and design style is carried in the bathroom as well. A minimalist bathroom should also ideally include enough storage so that all the toilet accessories can be stored inside it resulting in a clear and uncluttered vanity and shelves. The same has been done in the following bathroom design. It is a small bathroom, however, since it is designed in a minimalist style, it looks quite appropriate. Firstly, white color is chosen that creates a spacious and airy environment. The shower area has glass partitions that help increase the overall spacious perspective of the bathroom. This bathroom ensures storage in the form of a sink vanity and upper cabinets behind the looking mirror. These allow for maximum items to be stored inside to result in a neat and clean area. The mirror and upper cabinets have wooden accents and detailing that help add a texture and color in the otherwise bland white interior. You can also add green planters to give a refreshing ambience in such a space.
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Now let’s take a look at another amazing minimalist interior design portfolio where you can see a functional space with minimum furniture and elements. However, the rooms have been designed in a way so that they do not look dull, rather they appear full of life. This has been achieved by using a mix of contrasting colors that add texture and depth in the space to create an interesting atmosphere.
The minimalist living room of this 5-room HDB in Singapore is small but spacious. We can see two beige sofas that offer the required functionality along with a sleek coffee table. Other than those, there are almost negligible furniture pieces in the room. The TV has been mounted on the wall with no console underneath. True to the minimalist style, the room does not feature any patterns on the sofas or the curtains; instead of the curtains are simple window blinds. Since there are less elements in the room, some high and low perspectives are created through the use of contrasting colors. Therefore, we see white walls contrasted with dark wood, paneled structures. Similar, the beige sofas and hardwood floors complement each other in contrast with the dark accents of the room. This helps create a minimalist space that does not appear dull at all.
For the bedroom, you can also choose a similar minimalist theme but you will have to add in certain design features to make the bedroom’s ambience relaxing and calm. For inspiration, consider the following bedroom interior design of the same 5-room HDB. The room has been designed minimalistically with minimum furniture pieces. We can only see a bed in the center of the room with no bedside tables. However, the bed’s headboard comprises a paneled structure that has one open shelf that can be used as a bedside table. Moreover, the paneled structure also comprises hidden storage compartments that allow for all extra items to be stored inside. Similarly, the bed also features hidden storage underneath. All this storage ensures a clean and tidy bedroom. Similar to the living room, there is a mounted TV on the wall with no wall ornamentation or TV console. Even the windows in the bedroom are devoid of any curtains or blinds; frosted glass is used to provide privacy from outside. All these structures can give a cold and detached feeling. For this, you can use comfortable, plush bed linens to create a soothing ambience. Furthermore, you can opt to add thick velvet curtains in such a minimalist bedroom to ensure a much more cozier atmosphere.
Now let’s have a look at the kitchen of this 5-room HDB. This unique kitchen will show you that you can even achieve a minimalist appearance in any room if you want to use a dark color palette. A minimalist room usually features a light, pastel color palette to give the illusion of a neat and tidy space. A darker color palette can make the interior appear cramped and untidy. However, if done right, you can use a dark color for your minimalist home and make it appear strikingly elegant and true to its minimalist nature.
For inspiration, consider the following kitchen image. As you can see, black color has been chosen for the cabinets, shelves, and the backsplash. However, different patterns and textures are chosen that help create a flow and continuity between the members. The lower cabinets are all plain and matte whereas the upper cabinets and backsplash are glossy with black marble pattern and texture. To further highlight these dark elements, LED strip lights are added under the upper shelves. The floor depicts a lighter gray shade in contrast to the black dominant color. Again, the cabinets ensure lots of storage to leave the counters neat and clutter-free. This shows that you can easily use a darker color in a minimalist interior.
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So far we have discussed those HDBs that had smaller rooms and which adopted the minimalist interior design style for smaller spaces. However, this next 5-room HDB portfolio that we will be discussing has a much larger covered area, making its rooms relatively bigger and spacious. For such bigger rooms, the minimalist approach can be tweaked to add in certain elements and features to keep everything in cohesion in the space. Now let’s see that in action and get inspired if you also have bigger rooms to implement minimalist interior design themes in.
Take a look at the minimalist living room in this 5-room HDB. At first sight, we can easily see that the living room is quite big and spacious. This gives us more leverage to add in personalized elements and ornamentation. The furniture pieces are kept minimum in this living room with just one L-shaped sofa and a very small coffee table in the center. In a smaller living room, the windows are covered with blinds, however, you can add layers of curtains in such a larger living room as shown in the picture. Since there are no other furniture pieces, you can decorate walls with a few wall hangings, otherwise the room would look too empty. As seen in the image, there are multiple wall hangings on these walls that give the room a more filled look without taking away the minimalist essence.
The kitchen and dining area of this 5-room HDB has an open-concept layout where again you see minimalism in action. The wise choice of colors that include white and dark brown contrast with each other to add depth into the space. Spotlights and hanging inverted lamps create a modern and trendy look which further enhances the minimalist theme. Since this area is also quite spacious, one complete wall adjacent to the dining area is covered in a colorful wall hanging. This wall would otherwise have been left empty in case of a smaller room but the spacious room allows for some decoration and ornamentation to be placed.
A closer view of the kitchen shows how the contrasting colors of white, dark brown, and black accents are used in this minimalist kitchen to create a fun and interesting atmosphere. Spotlights, track lights, and accent lighting further does the trick of enhancing the kitchen’s appearance. This minimalist 5-room HDB kitchen also features a kitchen island and plenty of cabinets in which accessories, pots, and utensils could be stored to ensure that the counters remain neat and tidy.
Lastly, we take a look at this 5-room HDB bedroom that has been designed in a minimalist manner but appears warm and cozy. As discussed earlier as well, a bedroom should be designed in a way so that it helps you relax in a tranquil and comfortable environment, where you can leave all your worries behind and get recharged for a new day. Therefore, in a minimalist bedroom, make sure there are not only all the functional elements but also furniture pieces and other accessories that make it a relaxing abode.
For inspiration, consider the following bedroom for which hues of beige have been selected for the interior. The bed is a simple platform bed that has been upholstered to give a comfortable vibe. There is no headboard behind the bed, rather the wall has been partitioned in two distinctive structures with a light accent in between. This creates a dramatic and exotic ambience in the room. Furthermore, instead of bulky night stands, floating wooden shelves have been installed on both sides of the bed to serve as the nightstands without them being too big or cluttery. Comfortable and plush bed linen further ensure a cozy environment. The bedroom window is covered by blinds; however, you may wish to add curtains for an even more relaxing ambience.
Final Thoughts
The idea of "less is more" has undoubtedly evolved into something that only true connoisseurs will appreciate. Minimalist interior design was once a symbol of simplicity and practicality. Now, it offers so much more, as many designers and homeowners tend to blend in accents from other design styles too. As minimalism is all about keeping things simple and understanding your true essentials, you can experiment with different elements but not go over the top with any angle.
Undoubtedly, this places minimalism in an entirely different light, and it's safe to say it's a truly delightful and pleasant one.
To find out more about other interior design genres, you can check out our design portfolio and renovation packages.
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