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Thursday, March 21st, 2019
Fashion, art or interior design, the world today is all about showcasing your personal style. We’re now in an age where identities are shared on social media and digital photography seems to be everyone’s hobby. Individual identities are now being embraced and accepted so you have a leeway on how you would want your home to look.
Creating your home’s style is not all about living alone, being with your significant other or living with your whole family. All these factors can contribute to the style and layout of the house but, of course, at the end of the day, the homeowner tends to show his or her artistic side.
Don’t go for the looks that you see in magazines. Those are lovely to look at but there are other things that you need to consider such as practicality and functionality.
Yes, it’s not all about aesthetics.
So when you’re finding a balance between all the elements that you use in your habitat, which style do you think would suit you best? Minimalism or maximalism? Or do you favor any style in between?
Defining Minimalism
Minimalism is thisUniversal Furniture Living Room Drink Table.
Minimalism centers on empty spaces, lots of straight lines, patterns, neutral colors, some pop of bold hues, decluttered spaces, and simplicity. It means getting rid of visual noise with only the practical and useful things left.
Minimalists know how to effectively use storage units. It is not equal to having zero stuff. Minimalism only means getting organized and putting away things that are not in use and having them close by if they need to be accessed now and then.
Minimalist rooms often feature light colors or neutrals as a color palette. It’s common to see white walls with just a few wall décor. The furniture in the rooms is also basic which means there is no bulky stuff.
Plain and linear is the name of the game where adornment is kept at a bare minimum.
The bedrooms are also dressed simply with just one bedside table or a pair that’s linear. There could be a simple area rug with few books, clothes, shoes, bedding options, etc.
Living a minimalist lifestyle could also mean being able to live with less. It means owning only the stuff that the person values (so this is different for each person). What could be minimalist for a family may not necessarily be so for a single person.
Minimalism also means not being obsessed with material things or consumerism.
The Meaning of Maximalism
The Flexsteel Living Room Leather Three-cushion Sofa is perfect in a maximalist home.
Maximalism, on the other hand, is the very opposite of minimalism. This does not mean that you embrace clutter or chaos, though.
Maximalists go for bold hues, patterns, and textures. There is so much room for creativity since you have the freedom to set up a house that’s brimming with life.
Maximalist homes are dynamic and intricate. You will find an abundance of choices. The surfaces are covered with useful as well as decorative objects. Your guests will not run out of options for seating and lying.
Depending on what activities the homeowner wants to hold, no maximalist homes are the same. If one is a voracious reader, then you could find a home that’s filled with line upon lines of shelving units. If an artist owns the home, then the space could look like a studio.
Every inch of the home is utilized and there might or might not be a theme.
Could You Be Both?
You could be somewhere in between these styles. For a lot of homeowners, it might be close to impossible to maintain a totally minimalist environment especially when they have kids and pets.
For most, they just allow their living environment to grow and be as opposed to planning everything to look like a hotel room or an exotic habitat.
Tags: maximalism, maximalist design, maximalist elements, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist design, minimalist elements
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | Comments Off on Maximalism or Minimalism?
Monday, August 15th, 2016
Artistica Dining Room Delilah Side Chair 470-020
An uncluttered home with but a few functional furnishings is often referred to as a minimalist space. The removal of unnecessary stuff is necessitated by this theme or, more so, a way of life.
An example of minimalism is exhibited where the kitchen and dining areas contain just the essentials – a dining table (that’s free from clutter), appropriate chairs, counter stools, step stool for children, and appliances such as a coffeemaker and a microwave.
This kind of setting may be easily devoid of fun, life and character if you lose the important elements that would make it stand out. If you’re ready to take the plunge and live with just the bare essentials then, first, learn the benefits of a minimalist setting –
Minimal Stress
Did it ever occur to you that clutter is a kind of visual distraction? Anything that presents in your line of vision can potentially catch your attention so you might as well set up a clutter-free environment.
A home with minimal to zero clutter has a calming effect, thus, you would feel less stress.
Upped Appeal
Just imagine the look of a cluttered home compared to a minimalist space. The homes with just the necessary furniture and nice artwork are the ones that are more appealing. If you want to increase the value of your home – visually at the very least – then have a minimalist theme.
Easier to Maintain
Of course, it is a lot more difficult to clean up if you have more stuff. You need to vacuum and sweep and polish more often. Just imagine how much easier your life would be if you have less furniture and appliances to clean each day.
You don’t have to be an extreme minimalist. You can have a couch, loveseat, coffee table, a TV, and some lamps in a minimalist living room. There could even be less, say, a couch, a chair or two and a coffee table to complete the setup. The bedroom, on the other hand, can have a bed, dresser and a nightstand.
Rid of Knickknacks
A minimalist home has clean surfaces to boost. Don’t expect to find stacks of books or a collection of knickknacks in such a home. What you’d be able to find are accent decorations such as a simple flower vase. Should you ever find a desk, all you’d see there is a framed family photo and nothing else. A tasteful artwork could also hang on one wall to complete the minimalist look.
Quality Is Emphasized
A minimalist home is all about having just a few good things that you use often and also love. Keep that nice table and other essential furniture pieces such as a sofa, a pair of chairs, and a small cabinet.
Conquer One Room at a Time
It would be difficult to transition from a different theme and immediately embrace minimalism. You can begin with just one room initially then move on to the next, and so forth till you are able to conquer your entire home.
Now, more often than not, the biggest contents of a room are the furniture piece so you should always begin simplifying by checking your current furniture. The fewer large pieces you own, the more potential you have of setting up a minimalist home.
Look Up
Instead of looking for more stuff that would occupy floor space, look upwards. There is plenty of space up there to accommodate additional shelves and hanging racks.
Since you’re clearing away stuff, make sure that the ones you don’t use go inside tall, narrow cabinets and drawers. A bookshelf can double as a DVD rack.
Tags: declutter, decluttering, decluttering advice, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist design, minimalist elements, minimalist interior design, minimalist interiors, minimalist lifestyle, minimalist living, minimalist space, tips
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
Friday, May 6th, 2016
The soft, clean lines of the Century Furniture Bedroom Upholstered Panel Side Wings 849-170W make this piece the perfect set for your minimalist dwelling.
Simplifying one’s life is not an easy task. Not a lot of people would delve into it and would go out of their way to change other people into their simpler way of living. In the process of learning minimalism, though, you will learn that the little changes you make in terms of habits, attitudes, even your environment, can have a huge impact in you as an individual.
Every Little Bit of Happiness
Minimalism can begin with these simple steps –
BLOG 8. Hooker Furniture Home Office Saint Armand Peninsula Desk 5600-70424 is a home office piece that you cannot do without.
Minimalist Furniture
What makes a minimalist setting stand out despite its absence of frills and bulky stuff is its simple elegance. The creation of a minimalist space is not difficult. All that it requires is knowledge in balancing certain interior design ingredients.
A Good Command of Harmony
A space that does not have too many items in it requires stricter design rules. You have to be more careful of elements such as proportion, balance and harmony. The furniture that you choose should be in proportion with the rest of the room’s contents. This means that no single thing in a room should be too big or too small.
Quality First
Minimalism speaks of quality before quantity so invest in high quality furniture, lighting and accessories. Look for unique finds and take time to shop around. Plan every piece that you will include in your home. It could be as little as the frame of an artwork or the richness of the fabrics.
Calming Palette
There are, of course, minimal spaces that showed color but, as a whole, if you would review the concept of minimalism, it should be simple and down-to-earth. As much as you can, stick to neutrals and calming hues. Any color that depicts the beauty of nature is highly recommended.
The Winners Only Bar and Game Room Black Cushioned Barstool DDT245024E eats up just a portion of your dining or kitchen space.
Tags: furniture, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist elements, minimalist interior design, minimalist interiors, minimalist lifestyle, minimalist living, minimalist style, tips
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
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