How do you get a minimalist look?

Question

I really love the minimalist feeling and look but can never get it right! What are they key elements?

Answer 1

The basics of minimalism are clean, contemporary lines.  Pieces are almost artistic in their layout and few pieces are necessary.  There is no clutter.  Color can be what you wish it to be but not busy and detailed. The designer at a contemporary furniture store can help you put your look together.  Start there.

Answer 2

Get rid of anything useful that you own and become a boring person.  Then buy a few totally useless decorative items.  Bob's your uncle.

Answer 3

if you can't figure it out yourself, you are not one......

Answer 4

chuck out all your junk lol

Answer 5

Paint the walls white and use contemporary/modern furniture without busy patterns. Place a couple of large, interesting accessories in the room, like a sculpture. You can go wild with color in the artwork on the walls.

Answer 6

Empty your house!

Answer 7

Chuck everything out and get some white paint.

Answer 8

Well, minimalist means kind of stark or bare. I kind of went with that approach in my living room when I remodeled my house.

First, the floors are hardwood, which works well as a start. Then, I got a 42" LCD TV that I put up onto a stand that suspends the TV about 4 feet high in the corner of the room (on black stilts). I then added a black open framed stand with glass shelves to hold the cable box, surround sound receiver, and surround sound center channel speaker (all black).

For the rest of the surround speakers (black Klipsch Quintets and Klipsch KSW-12 subwoofer), I placed the subwoofer behind the TV stand in the corner of the room, so you can't see it. For the four satellites (front and rear), I got black tubular speaker stands, with the front speakers placed on either side of the TV stand and the rear speakers on the two opposite corners of the room.

For lighting, I went with brushed stainless steel tubular track lights, one for over some leather theater seats on the right and over the leather sofa on the left. This allowed me to aim the spotlights in different directions to highlight certain specific things in the room (I mostly aimed them at the walls for reflective light). I also added a stainless steel ceiling fan with wooden blades and a single white alabaster globe as the light source.

For a coffee table, I put down a rug with simple geometric shapes in about 3 colors (rust, maroon, and cream) and put a wooden chest that kind of looks like a steamer trunk in front of the sofa. I have a similar smaller chest as an end table next to the sofa.

The only thing on the walls is a three-piece acrylic painting (stretched canvas, not framed) of three palm trees - one in each piece - along an empty beach. A couple of the spotlights are pointing down to it to highlight it.

For window treatments, I went with faux wood 2-inch horizontal mini blinds with vinyl roller shades behind them (it's a southwest facing picture window and the roller shades really block out all the light).

And, that's it. No unnecessary cabinets full of trinkets and nick-nacks. Mostly bare walls. An open-shelved equipment rack for the TV and sound equipment. And, small satellite surround sound speakers and hidden subwoofer. It's actually a very cool and sophisticated looking room, especially without all the clutter you normally see in a living room.

Answer 9

Hello!

Me too - I always started off well, but then the junk collected! lol. The first thing that you need is good storage space with doors on the front that you can shut everything away in. These storage spaces MUST be the same colour as the walls - then they will blend into the walls and make the room look bigger. Also, have light coloured walls, these will make the room look bigger. Don't have patterned carpets or walls - too busy! My front room is black and white and chrome - with a couple of rich red items in for a splash of colour. But the main key is good storage and as least junk as possible I'm afraid! lol

Good luck

Answer 10

paint everything white and throw out your furniture.  

Answer 11

you start by getting rid of everything that is neither useful or beautiful around your home