A Minimalist’s Guide to Apartment Living
Have you ever heard of Minimalism? It’s become the newest lifestyle trend, with its origins as an art movement that began in post–World War II Western art, it has evolved more and more into life philosophy than just a means of self-expression. Its appeal made its way into architecture where it became popular in the late 1980s in London and New York. Today many people shape their apartments to be more minimalistic in order to abide by the philosophy or for more practical reasons. Like personal finances.
When you’re looking to make your apartment more minimalist, the idea is to create more space, reduce clutter, and make organizing and cleaning a lot easier. In the end, what remains in your home are the essentials and anything you consider to be must-haves. In a nutshell, minimalism is all about quality over quantity.
Not sure what to eliminate and what to keep to make your apartment more minimalist? This guide is for you.
Creating a minimalist living room
If you were to prioritize one room in your home when striving for minimalism, then it has to be the living area. This is where you spend most of your active hours when you’re at home. It is also the place where your family and friends gather to relax after a long day. The last thing you want to see here, therefore, is clutter that makes it look like a teenager’s bedroom.
To begin with, get a minimal couch with a simple design and neutral-colored textiles. Depending on the size and shape of your living room, explore the different couch styles including L-couches, round sofas, and armchairs. You could also choose to invest in recliner models that convert into beds especially if you’d like to add sleeping spaces to your apartment.
Once you’ve chosen your preferred couches, it’s now time to move to the next crucial item – the coffee table. As a minimalist, you don’t want anything that looks overly fancy or too colored. Your ideal coffee table should be simple but classy and its colors and style need to support your décor and color palette.
Another essential living room component to think about is the TV stand. Without this piece of furniture, your living area will most likely look incomplete. Like the coffee table, ensure that your stand has a neutral color that fits in nicely with your décor. You can also consider getting a multipurpose piece that holds more than just the TV to include books and flower vases.
Creating a minimalist kitchen
Let’s face it, only a few places in your apartment clutter faster than the kitchen. This comes as no surprise, though, given that this is the most functional space of your home. To reduce clutter in the kitchen means getting rid of anything that you rarely use. This includes the small appliances you bought impulsively after coming across an enticing ad on your Instagram feed. Can you remember the last time you used that rice steamer or onion slicer? Probably not. If you’re serious about minimalist living, these should be the first kitchen items to put away, seriously!
From here, you can decide to give your kitchen walls some love with a fresh coat of paint. The choice of colors depends mainly on your overall décor and color palette for your apartment.
There are also a few other simple touches that can significantly improve the elegance and coziness of your kitchen. For example, you can replace your sink tap with something classier like a chrome-coated faucet. Additionally, keep your countertops clutter-free by storing anything that you don’t use often in the closet.
Creating a minimalist bedroom
Your bedroom is another important space in your apartment. If you are to sleep better and enjoy more productive days, you need to improve how you feel whenever you’re resting here. A great way to achieve this is to eliminate needless elements so that the environment is a lot more relaxing.
For starters, get a storage bed with additional space for storing your clothes and bed linens. Concerning the color and design, the rule is the same as with all other items in your apartment. Go for neutral but fashionable color and style that match seamlessly with your overall décor.
Another key item to add to your bedroom is the nightstand. With this, you can choose to go the traditional way by having it match your entire bedroom style of furniture. For example, if you have a brown mahogany bed, then the nightstand maintains the same color, design, and finish.
Finally, for your bedroom lighting, use good-sized sconces with stylish and not-so-usual designs, but remember to keep it simple and not too distracting. The idea is to have items that create a relaxing atmosphere for more quality sleep.
What other steps are you taking to achieve minimalism in your apartment living? We’d love to hear about your experience.
