The homify guide for choosing minimalist furniture

Where do you expect to place your minimalist furniture if that room is chock-a-block with other pieces? Start clearing out space, and we don’t just mean moving out big, chunky items. Paper piles, car keys, shoes strewn on the floor, empty mugs, sunglasses… these have a tendency to appear at random in a home, adding to the clutter. And when it comes to minimalist homes, clutter is a big no-no. 

First on your journey to embracing the minimalist design look and feel is a clean slate – literally. Ask yourself what can be eliminated from the room/home, what can be stored out of sight, and what items aren’t needed – organise according to priority. 

Bear in mind that this is a continuous process that needs to be repeated often. Take a look at your living room, bedroom, study, or any other room where you want to have minimalist furniture, and repeat the above process in case clutter sneaked up on you. 

To make sure your surfaces stay clear, give everything a special spot and stick to it.

Yes, we know we’re supposed to talk about minimalist furniture, but your room’s colour palette is also important for the minimalist style. Subdued hues are the key term – colours like dove grey, mocha beige, and eggshell white show up in numerous minimalist homes, and there’s a reason for it. 

These tones form part of a clean, fresh-looking style, and inspire a sense of calm. Would you look at a room splashed with candy reds and daffodil yellows and feel tranquil? Neither would we!

But just because your new minimalist rooms shy away from bright hues, doesn’t mean they have to be bland or boring. Because although the room’s main colour palette needs to be subdued, undertones of vivacious hues can ensure a striking touch. Think about how yellow touches give white paint a warmer and creamier appearance, or how blue undertones ensure a crisper look to that neutral palette. 

Thus, if you want to bring in a splash of colour in your minimalist room, choose solid pigments that are easy on the eye and gel well with the neutrals, like earth-tone browns, natural greens and blues, etc.

What can make the minimalist style tricky is how few pieces you actually have to work with. Whether it’s a side table in the minimalist bedroom or a sofa in the minimalist living room, each piece really needs to be considered carefully before it enters the room. 

Remember: your end goal is to furnish a space that will be comfortable for anyone to spend time in. That’s why we recommend going with quality over quantity and investing in classics that will: 

a) stand the test of time (and trend); and 

b) continue to spark your interest.

Choose well-made pieces that are built to last and will withstand daily use – your minimalist furniture still needs to be practical, after all!

Simplistic furniture with clean, simple lines is ideal for minimalist rooms. Shy away from ornate pieces and busy patterns.

Dining room tables, your bed, those slim credenzas you wish to add to the hallway… never opt for furniture that doesn’t have a modern vibe or that is ultra traditional. 

The same goes for the décor: for a minimalist bedroom, rather decorate your bed with a few simple pillows in subdued tones instead of stacking it with various scatter cushions, blankets and quilts in a multitude of colours.

Although you don’t want your entire minimalist room to scream for attention, there needs to be one furniture piece that stands out. But don’t think that this minimalist furniture piece can have busy patterns or overly decorated designs – keep it slim and simple, as stated in number 4.

How about choosing a dining room table in a stunning thunderstorm blue? That is sure to grab everyone’s attention upon entering the space. Or install an eye-catching light fixture, or lay down an area rug that becomes the focal point of the otherwise minimally decorated room.

With the minimalist design, focus is more on open space than pieces. And since open-floor plans are popular, that makes a minimalist living room/kitchen/dining room even easier. 

With an open-floor minimalist room, you want neutral walls to make everything look bigger and brighter. And since those slim furniture pieces won’t take up much space, they will help save up even more legroom. 

Just keep in mind that every piece of your minimalist furniture should have plenty of space to stand on its own without being cluttered with other décor and furniture items.

It’s quite easy ending up with a minimalist room that seems cold and bland, yet there’s one way to remedy this: texture! 

Bring in some charm, comfort and visual warmth with knitted throws, beaded pillows, thick rugs and velvet décor. The same goes for your sofas, tub chairs and window treatment. 

It’s usually advised that you restrain yourself when picking out textures, but if the rest of your minimalist room and furniture pieces have been chosen well, one may go a bit wild with these sensory touch points – as long as they’re in similar hues. 

homify hint: If you have a white base in the room, opt for similar beiges, greys and earthy tones that you’d normally see together in nature. Generally, the colours that mix well are the ones Mother Nature already blends together outside.  

Now, from one less-is-more look to another, let’s see how easy it is to Welcome Scandinavian beauty into your bedroom.