Minimalist spaces are instantly recognisable for their crisp, clean, clutter-free and monochromatic look. The de-cluttering of space helps to de-clutter the mind and to create a sense of visual calm. However, some minimalist designs do run the risk of feeling a little soulless. To avoid this, and to ensure your minimalist-designed space also has a welcoming feel, there are a few small touches you can make. Whether it’s a kitchen, bedroom or living space, here are some ways to add warmth and colour to your minimalist rooms.
• Combine different shades and textures
When using a monochromatic colour palette, a great way to bring warmth to the space is by incorporating different shades and mixing textures. For instance, the use of linen wallpaper and soft wool fabrics and rugs in the bedroom adds soothing warmth. In the bathroom, the texture and grain of tile patterns can add visual interest while still maintaining a neutral colour palette, while wood accessories can soften stark, white or concrete elements.
October 16, 2018
Whether it’s getting advice from a professional organiser or self-help books on decluttering, we're seeing more homeowners embracing the minimalist approach in today’s space-starved homes.
But if you don’t quite fancy living in an empty-looking, whitewashed box just yet – fret not! Blending the unfussy aesthetic of minimalist spaces with sleek contemporary themes, the modern-minimalist style is the perfect balance between clean-cut and chic. Here, we take a look at 8 local homes that have nailed this easygoing [and timeless] look down pat:
1. Yes, it’s light, bright and almost [all] white, yet this cosy, welcoming 4-room flat manages keep things from looking too stark thanks to a clever use of pale woods and muted hints of colour [like greys and terracotta reds]. Another trick? Utilising glass panels to visually ‘expand’ the space, giving it an ethereal, spacious feel.
Interior Firm: Authors Interior & Styling
2. It may be clean and uncomplicated by design, but this sharp, sleek home doesn’t simply fall back on flat whites to achieve a minimal effect. Glossy marbled finishes add a hint of pizzazz, alongside bold strokes of black and a ‘criss-crossing’ ceiling feature to create structure. Meanwhile, neutral shades and woods are used in the bedroom for a warmer look.
Interior Firm: Design 4 Space
3. Sometimes, the modern, minimalist look is not about using the right colour or design, but simply learning how to 'scale down' on the amount of built-ins – and furniture - you have, just like what this simple but decorated apartment has done.
Interior Firm: Charlotte's Carpentry
4. Give an otherwise cold, clinical looking ‘minimal’ apartment a classier feel by using the right lighting and complementary colours! Here, warm cove lighting and honey-hued wood grains cast a golden glow on the entire space, giving the condo unit a sophisticated, upscale look - whilst retaining an uncluttered air.
Interior Designer: AC Vision Design
5. Making the most of this apartment’s narrow, elongated shape, an open concept layout is adopted to allow more light to filter through. Though white walls and closed built ins were used to create a sense of ‘airiness’, we like that it’s balanced with a dose of darker wood finishes for visual contrast. For instance, the wooden slatted panels – which also act as a focal piece separating the study from the communal area.
Interior Firm: erstudio
6. Patterns aren’t just for colourful, eclectic spaces; they can work just as well in a modern, minimal home too! The key is to use subtle shades that take attention ‘away’ from visual motifs, whilst injecting some fun and variety. Take notes from this HDB flat, which keeps patterned surfaces [like its rugs, tiles and feature walls] understated through complementary hues of beiges, creams and greys.
Interior Firm: Tid Plus Design
7. Woods and whites? A natural combination that can’t go wrong. Here, both elements are used in equal measure to create a clean, contemporary home that doesn’t fall short on functionality. But what makes this apartment different, is that it incorporates a touch of the old-school as well – retro iron grilles are installed on the windows [and as a partition] to give the ultra-modern home a unique twist.
Architect: LLARK Architects
8. In this stylish apartment, multiple themes [mid-century modern, industrial, Scandinavian] pair surprisingly well together, thanks to a focus on keeping details and designs to a minimal. The result? A current, contemporary looking abode that’s unfussy yet functional.
Interior Firm: The Local INN.terior
Creating that modern minimalist look is not as easy as one think. Now if you are collecting your keys soon, we can help you match with interior firms who can help design your home the way you have always want it to be. Request for a quote today and we will send you a personalised list of 5 firms that fit your renovation requirements and budget.Meet interior designers. Enjoy perks. Get quotes from reliable interior firms, recommended based on your requirements. Enjoy perks as part of the Qanvast Trust Programme. Get Free Quotes
Minimalist House / 85 Design
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Architects : 85 Design
- Area of this architecture project Area : 100 m²
- Completion year of this architecture project Year : 2018
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Brands with products used in this architecture project
Manufacturers : Antcons, Moc Lang, The Rain
Text description provided by the architects. On the morning of the end of 2017, I suddenly received a phone call from a Vietnamese girl in Australia. She is a landscape architect and is currently working for a large Australian landscape design company. She shared that her parents in Vietnam were planning to build a new house for them and her brother to live. Since her parents have been building the house many times but they have never felt satisfactory, this time she wanted to find a good design consultant to design a new home that suits the needs to use and is aesthetically pleasing. Through careful study, she came to us, she liked the way we did through our projects posted on ArchDaily. We exchanged a lot of ideas and had many common points: Everything is really simple, clean, with more areas for green space.
In Vietnam, the planning of the residential area is mostly divided into 5mx20m. Because of the relatively small area, most investors rarely sacrifice the space used for trees and light. But for us, those green spaces are almost mandatory to put on design in all projects. We understand that: Light and trees are extremely important to each of us. Despite the small area, we always try to persuade the investors to apply to their project. In this project, we designed quite simple.
1st floor: The first space before entering the house is a welcoming hall and also a small motorbike garage, after the door is the living room, and then the kitchen and dining room. One bedroom is located at the end and is separated from the kitchen and dining room by a small garden. This garden has created the wind and light for all space of the 1st floor and is also the space for reading books and relaxing of the family.
2nd floor: We spend most of the space on the 2nd floor as the common living area, reading room, and worship room. In Vietnamese culture, these spaces are extremely important. The remaining area is one bedroom and toilet. All these spaces are directed towards the green space of the small garden between the house.
In the design and construction process, the most difficult for us and her is to convince her father. Her father is quite conservative with views of old building thinking, while our ideas are quite new to him. We had to work together to persuade him many issues during the construction process. Many times, he was very upset because, in his view, we were designers but interfered so much in the house he would later be staying with. However, we remained persistent in persuading and calming his stress. And as far as the end of the project, when the house began to show, as he shared: he gradually got a different view of the project as well as about us. He said there were some things he was not satisfied but if he continued to build another house later, he would still find us.
When completing this project, she was from Australia to Vietnam to be able to, by herself, choose the furniture as well as build the indoor plants. Because her expertise is the landscape architect, so it can say that: She is also an important contributor to this project. We feel very pleased about the cooperation as well as the results of this project.
About this office
Published on August 02, 2018