Minimalist Decor – Guide to Simple, Meaningful Style

Decorating your home can be a fun and interesting pursuit, but it can also start to feel overwhelming when you feel like you’ve got to fill up all the empty space.  Minimalist décor is an easier way of decorating a space that is faster, cheaper, and can actually make your home feel bigger.  Let’s talk about how to do this for your home.

Minimalist décor is the use of minimal decorative pieces in a room. From houses to apartments, bathrooms to kitchens, there are many options in minimalist décor. Styles are unlimited, including boho and eclectic, and for special occasions, minimalist décor can make decorating cheaper and easier.

Have you got a new space to decorate, but don’t know how you’d like to do it?  Are you looking to fill up the empty spaces, or create a comfortable space?

What is Minimalist Décor?

Décor can consist of materials, lighting, textures, colors, forms, and symmetry according to Arts and Design professors Feorovskaya, Chernova, Kravchenko, and Petukhov of Far Eastern Federal.  Minimalist décor is decorating a space with minimal accessories and décor.  It’s making a room feel bigger with less stuff, based on the “less is more” minimalist approach. 

Minimalist Décor Based on Home Size

The size of the home can have a huge effect on the décor that fits as it can make a home look nice or it can make it feel crowded.  Taking size into consideration is important when trying to achieve a certain look, like minimalist décor.

Minimalist Décor for Houses

When it comes to minimalist décor for houses, it’s dependent upon the size of the house.  But from tiny homes to mansions, minimalist décor for houses is about uncluttered, necessities, and minimal decorations to optimize the space.  Using natural materials, natural light, and optimal storage will keep clutter to a minimum and make any home feel like a bright, open space.

Taking size into consideration is important when trying to achieve a certain look, like minimalist décor.

 Minimalist Décor for Apartments

Given their smaller size than houses, apartments can be easier to decorate in minimalist fashion.  Minimalist décor for apartments is still about the necessities and an uncluttered space.  Some apartment managers have restrictions on what you can and cannot do in terms of painting and decorating, so always check apartment guidelines before painting or drilling holes!

Minimalist Décor for Rooms

Bathroom Minimalist Décor

A bathroom is a space for personal care and relaxation, but don’t we all want a bathroom that looks nice?  Bathroom minimalist décor consists of soothing wall colors, natural or soft lighting, an uncluttered vanity, a simple mirror, and perhaps some wall art that contributes to a relaxing space. 

Simplicity, clean lines, and a clutter-free environment characterize minimalist bathroom decor. It emphasizes a functional and calm space that promotes relaxation and a sense of relaxation. Neutral color palettes, simple and clean lines, minimal accessories, empty spaces, and natural lighting can be characteristics of a minimalist bathroom.

 Living Room Minimalist Décor

As a space for family gathering, relaxing, and watching tv in some cases, the living room should be comfortable.  Living room minimalist décor, or keeping the accessories to a minimum, keeps the focus on the people inside rather than the stuff in the room.  Use décor that fits with your family as well as the activities for your living room.

Bedroom Minimalist Décor

The bedroom is a space for rest and relaxation, so the décor should fit with just that.  Bedroom minimalist décor includes the things that contribute to restful sleep and an escape from the everyday.  Choose neutral colors with accents in your favorite color, comfortable bedding and pillows, and soft lighting for reading and relaxing.

Kitchen Minimalist Décor

Preparing food shouldn’t take a lot of decorations, so kitchen minimalist décor is limited to just a couple of fun things that bring you joy and are your favorite things.  Keeping accessories on the countertops to a minimum but including a chalkboard with the dinner menu or grocery shopping list can make it more comfortable and usable.

Minimalist Wall Décor

In the minimalist world, wall décor is really not that important.  In fact-even textured walls are considered wall décor!  There are no rules when it comes to minimalist wall décor, just keeping it to the minimum that you like.  Whether it’s a single minimalist painting on a wall or a collection of simple line drawings, wall décor is better with less.  Less decorations=less clutter.  It also means less time spent cleaning and dusting!

Minimalist wall décor can be anything from paintings, drawings, or photographs to a mirror or carving.  Decorating your home isn’t about filling up every available space, but using pieces that mean something to you and your lifestyle.  So what’s your style?  Let’s look at some options.

There are no rules when it comes to minimalist wall décor, just keeping it to the minimum that you like.

Minimalist Décor Styles

 Modern Minimalist Décor

If you’re a fan of the modern look, then you like functional accessories, practical furniture, and clean lines.  Modern minimalist décor focuses on natural light, architecture, and an uncluttered comfortable space.

Boho Minimalist Décor

Boho minimalist décor incorporates natural textures, a little color from accessories and comfortable pieces, and natural light.  Plants are also a big part of the boho style, adding nature and a little color.

Natural Minimalist Décor

Natural minimalist décor focuses on natural materials, natural light, and nature itself.  Use natural wood, comfortable fabrics, and neutral colors for a natural feeling space.  Embrace nature with plants and natural materials for your perfect natural minimalist decor.

 Warm Minimalist Décor

If you like cozy and comfortable, there’s warm minimalist décor.  This look is about essential furniture pieces with neutral colors, then adding cozy blankets and comfortable pillows to soften the space.  Choose warm colors for accent pieces like a red painting, an orange pillow, and a yellow accent wall and it will feel comfortable and warm.

 Farmhouse Minimalist Décor

If you’re a fan of farm life, you’re most likely a fan of farmhouse minimalist décor!  Using natural aged wood, a chalkboard sign, and a few pieces of wall art and accessories that feature farm animals (roosters are quite popular) can make a fun, functional farmhouse themed room.

Eclectic Minimalist Décor

You don’t have to have a specific theme to decorate a room, you can incorporate different things that make you happy.  Use your favorite abstract painting, a single pretty-framed mirror, a plant, and a special accessory to bring different themes into a room for a little fun.

Occasional Minimalist Décor 

 Minimalist Wedding Décor

When you think about a wedding, what do you picture?  A bride, a groom, a cake and a bouquet.  With minimalist wedding décor the focus is on who really matters-the bride and groom.  When there’s less decoration, less bells and whistles, it’s easier to focus on the people getting married.  Think of all the money saved as well-weddings aren’t cheap!

 Minimalist Christmas Décor

Christmas is a fun and bright time of year with sparkly lights, Christmas trees, decorations, stockings, and presents-but it’s so short lived when you think about it!  With minimalist Christmas décor you’ve got the basics-a decorated tree with lights and presents and stockings, and none of the clutter and things you’ll have to take down after the New Year anyways.  Save time and space with less Christmas décor!

 Minimalist Birthday Décor

Birthdays come every year, and only last for a day (unless you’re celebrating your birthday month!) so decorating everything can be a lot of work for something short lived.  When you go minimalist, decorating for a birthday is quicker and easier (and cheaper!).  Minimalist birthday décor may include a few balloons and a sign, but it’s about the celebration-not the décor.

In this helpful video, learn 10 minimalist home décor tips to create a simple yet warm and welcoming home:

Related Insights

How can I decorate my home like a minimalist?

Decorating your home like a minimalist is actually pretty easy to do.  It’s not about quantity-but quality.  Use neutral wall colors like grays, whites, and browns with minimal texture or patterns.  Keep the wall hangings and accessories to a minimum.  Consider using a single bright color accent like a painting and a throw to add interest and tie the space together.

Is minimalism going out of style?

Minimalism has been around for several decades now, and people choose this lifestyle and aesthetic for different reasons.  It’s not going out of style-in fact, it’s been gaining more traction over the last few years due to concerns about sustainability, economic issues, as well as switching focus to the things that really matter (not stuff!) as reported by Amber Martin-Woodhead of Coventry University.

Minimalist Decor Room Preferences from Real People

I asked family and friends which room in their home they’d most like to use minimalist décor. Here is what they shared and what I learned from the poll, and the percentages of their responses.

Other Resources:

• Minimalist House – The Keys to a Calm and Inviting Space
• Minimalist Home Decor – Less is More for Your Home and More
• Minimalist Interior Design – The Joy of Visual Simplicity

Minimalist décor is great for any size space and any budget.  It’s easy to save money and maximize space with the minimalist aesthetic.  What could be more satisfying than beautiful simplicity?  In which room in your home will you use minimalist décor first?