From the color scheme to the décor, we tell you how to decorate a minimalist living room so that it is cozy and comfortable.
Despite the fact that laconic interiors have been at the peak of popularity for several years, it is not always clear how to apply these ideas in an ordinary apartment and combine them with everyday life. In this article, we dispel myths and tell you how to competently decorate the interior of a living room in a minimalist style. We also show photos of beautiful interiors.
Style markers
Minimalism originated in the United States in the 1920s as a protest against the ostentatious luxury and pretentious lifestyles of the upper and middle classes. By the 1960s, the movement, which was originally called minimal art, had developed into an independent style that promoted elegance and simplicity.
Today, the direction is known all over the world and confidently holds at the top of design trends. If you want to decorate your living room in this style, it is important to understand that it is not just a set of rules and canons, but a whole philosophy. And in order to feel comfortable in a neutral laconic interior, you need to separate it.
The main features of minimalism:
- Less is more. This simple rule is the basis of style, but it does not mean that you need to get rid of your favorite things. The philosophy of less is more is related to conscious consumption and rejection of visual noise. Each thing in the room should have its own function and its own place, each item is in the interior for a reason. Be guided by this principle when planning your living room and choosing furniture.
- More air. Space, air, and light are important for this direction, so the best solution for a minimalist interior is an open plan. Inside the room, delicate zoning methods are used: decoration, color scheme, location of furniture. The fewer piers and blind partitions there are in the room, the better. Often, the kitchen-living room is decorated in the minimalist style or the living room is combined with the bedroom to create an open common space.
- Natural materials and colors. Nature is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, harmonious color combinations, and combinations of textures. Eco-friendly materials, natural textures, and natural shades make the space cozy. And you don’t have to limit yourself to gray and brown: you can be inspired by the colors of the forest, the ocean, and the mountains. In addition, natural colors and textures look noble – the interior will look more expensive without additional effort.
- Functionality. If we give up the things we don’t need, then the rest of us have to solve all the problems. Therefore, minimalism uses multifunctional furniture, transformers (especially relevant for small apartments), and well-thought-out storage systems.
- Emphasis on textures. Even the most standard shade of beige will reveal itself differently on a smooth painted surface, textured plaster or light panels. Minimalism combines cold and warmth, soft and rough textures: for example, you can put a marble coffee table on a carpet, separate a dining room with wooden furniture from a seating area with a glass partition, etc.
As in any modern direction, there are no clear rules. Below in the photo are minimalist living rooms that look completely different.
Minimalist living room design ideas
Let’s take a closer look at how to implement minimalist ideas in living room design and create a stylish interior.
Colours
The palette is based on discreet colors. Most often, light natural shades are taken as a base: gray, white, ivory, gredge, beige, sand.
They visually make the space larger, emphasize bright details and go well with any other colors. Some people prefer deep dark shades: for example, brown, gray, sometimes black. You can build a palette based on them, but only if the room is spacious enough, there is a lot of light in it, and dark tones balance light shades.
It is in minimalism that monochrome interiors are very popular. They use only one color, but in different variations. For the base, those that have many shades are best: for example, the same gray or beige.
Whether you use one or more colors, the neutral base needs to be diluted with something so that the living room doesn’t look too boring. The smaller the accent, the brighter the color will fit. For example, for furniture, it is better to choose deep muted tones: purple, gray-blue, brown, wine, and green. And for little things like an accent pouf, decorative pillows or figurines, more saturated colors.
Finishing
In the living room, you can use any finish – there is no high humidity or dirt.
The main condition is that the materials must be of high quality, environmentally friendly and durable. It is better to invest more money in finishing at the initial stage than to make repairs in the short term.
Laminate, engineered board, vinyl quartz, parquet are suitable for flooring. A classic herringbone will look interesting – it will add vintage notes that look very stylish against the background of a modern minimalist environment.
The ceiling is usually made simple and bright: it can be a stretch canvas or just a painted slab. To zone a spacious kitchen-living room, you can use decorative ceiling beams or a two-level structure.
Minimalism involves a restrained wall finish, so patterned wallpaper is not suitable. Use matte or semi-gloss paint, decorative plaster, wood panels. To keep the surfaces from looking empty, you can highlight the wall behind the TV or emphasize the dining group. But there should be no sharp contrasts – visual integrity and a cozy enveloping feeling are important for a laconic interior.
Furniture
All furniture is functional and simple in form. Smooth lines, streamlined silhouettes, smoothed corners – the living room should be stylish and at the same time dispose to relaxation.
The focus is on the sofa. It can be both a rich color (for example, olive, orange, pistachio, blue) and to match the finish. In the second case, the accent is textured upholstery or a beautiful shape of furniture. Modular sofas are ideal for minimalism: they look very modern, while you can assemble a model according to your requests. In addition to the seats themselves, a bed, ottomans, drawers, shelves, etc. are added to the modular system. Opposite the upholstered group, as a rule, a TV or a decorative fireplace is placed.
In a minimalist living room, it’s important to think about storage systems. They should be diverse (for books, small things, documents, dishes, etc.) and for the most part closed. But solid blind cabinets look unaesthetic, so add a couple of shelves or an open shelving unit to have dynamics in the interior. For convenience and beauty, illuminate the shelves with an LED strip.
Decor
Minimalism in the interior of the living room is manifested primarily in visual purity.
This does not mean that décor is forbidden, but it should not be excessive and pretentious. When choosing accessories, follow a few criteria:
- Uniqueness. The décor should be piecemeal, ideally, it should exist in a single copy. If it is not possible to buy exclusive handmade items, look for original things in regular stores and avoid mass production. For example, put one beautiful vase on top of the dresser instead of placing the same items all over the room.
- Unity. All decorative items should be in the same style so as not to stand out from the general mood. If you are not sure that you can perfectly combine jewelry from different stores, use products from the same brand or even from the same collection.
- Moderation. The most important thing is not to overdo it with jewelry. To create coziness in the room, beautiful decorative pillows on the sofa, a discreet carpet, a vase or a candlestick, a couple of paintings are enough.
Lighting
A lot of events take place in the living room: people relax here, communicate with friends, arrange holidays, eat. Sometimes they work or sleep.
Therefore, it is important to think about a variety of lighting that takes into account all these scenarios. Need:
- Main light source.
- Local lighting of specific areas.
- Additional lighting: for open shelves, reading space, desk, if there is one.
Lamps should not be too massive and pretentious. Recessed spots, LED strips, small shades on a cord or track are ideal. You can use the chandelier as an accent, but it should be concise and not too large.
Not only the appearance is important, but also the location of lamps, switches, sockets. Everything should be placed with ergonomics in mind. Ideally, it should be possible to change the light from any part of the room without taking unnecessary actions. For added convenience, use smart switches, a common control unit, or voice assistants.
