I once worked with an interior designer who I’m pretty sure had kenophobia. For those who don’t know, kenophobia is when someone fears empty spaces. Imagine that – an interior designer who fears empty space. He felt the need to fill any and every available space. I seriously mean like every space, which resulted in his projects feeling cluttered. Minimalism certainly isn’t for everyone, but there is certainly an element of elegance that is present in minimalism.
The idea of elegance is quite ambiguous. So when I refer to elegance, I mean something that is simple but well-designed. I envision a space that mainly highlights items that produce a profound, yet not overly-dramatic moment to a space. In order to achieve this gracefulness that I’ve described, restraint has to be part of the design process. Minimalism is such a well match to elegance. The act of having few items adds emphasis to those items and it underscores what is actually important in the space.
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When embracing minimalism, it obviously makes sense to pair down what you have. If you know anything at all about me, you know that I am 100% obsessed with KonMari. Learn more about KonMari here. Decluttering should take place first so that you can whittle things down to the essentials. Also, one more tidbit about decluttering is that when you have less, you have less to clean and tidy. As a busy, professional parent, that’s a total win in my book!
Mastering minimalism is all about mastering form & function. The two primary elements that make a minimalist space work is the space itself and lighting. Many people assume that minimalism results in a cold, sterile feeling environment. However, it doesn’t have to be like that at all! When it comes to decorating your place, don’t skimp on things that build comfort like rugs, throw pillows, blankets, linen … you get the picture. Understand that creating an elegant and simple home is pointless if you don’t feel comfortable in it. In the spirit of minimalism I’m going to keep this post short and sweet!
