Hey! My name is Erica and I live alone in Sydney, Australia. When I moved into my current home, I was shocked to find that some of the rooms hadn't been touched since the 1990s. It was like walking into a time machine and it made me want to cry. I called my friend who is an interior designer and he helped me to work out how I wanted each room to look and which features I would like to remove or add to the space. I am really pleased with the results and I would like to offer you some tips on how you can create the perfect interior.
2 Ways to Add Some Personality and Flair to a Minimalist Style Room
Trends come and go in the interior design world, but minimalism is one that doesn't seem to be going anywhere in a hurry. This design concept, which eschews clutter and excess for simple, clean and harmonious living spaces, is incredibly popular in today's busy world. One of the primary principles is that homes don't need to be filled with things that aren't functional and only serve an aesthetic purpose.
While minimalism is admirable and can certainly make a home feel more spacious and less messy, it can also leave rooms feeling a little stark and impersonal. You may like the idea of minimalist design but also want a little personality and flair in your home. Here are two ways that you can do this without compromising the overarching concept of minimalism.
1. Add patterned fabric blinds
Blinds are one of the most commonly used window dressings when creating a minimalist style decor. They're functional, practical and low-maintenance, and they generally don't have any superfluous or decadent flourishes that will detract from the clean lines and sleek finish of a minimalist room.
They are also an excellent feature to take advantage of if you'd like to add some unique flair to an otherwise neutral space. Instead of simple white, grey or black blinds, you can choose blinds with a decorative pattern on the fabric. This could be as simple as a soft botanical print or as bold as a vibrant floral or geometric design. Look into getting fabric blinds if you want something subtle but with some personality.
2. Capitalise on essential textiles
Whether it's in the bedroom, lounge room, kitchen or bathroom, textiles provide you with an excellent opportunity to personalise a minimalist space. Because textiles, such as towels, rugs, cushions and blankets, have functional roles, you're not adding unnecessary adornments that will negate the fundamentals of minimalist design.
Colour and pattern in either soft or bold applications are a great way to use textiles to add some pizzazz and visual interest. You can also use texture to add a more understated variation to a neutral or monochromatic colour scheme. Materials such as leather, faux fur, wool and coarsely woven cotton all provide visual contrast that helps add warmth and character to a room.
Both of these ideas are an excellent way to bring some of your own personality into a design style that can sometimes feel a little clinical in its purest form. As a bonus, these ideas are also easy and inexpensive to implement, which means you can change them without hassle as your tastes evolve over time.