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Wednesday, October 24th, 2018
Notice the straight and simple lines of thisAmerican Leather Bedroom California King Bed MEN-BED-CK.
Minimalism is a word that is recently taking the world by storm. This carries with it a lot of ironies since it means living in a stressful world but with less stuff.
Books, documentaries, and podcasts have all been raving about minimalism and how it can actually alter the life of someone who is willing to free-fall.
A lot of minimalists swear by the philosophy of living a life that’s free from excess and worldly possessions. They testify on how having less stuff actually gave their lives more meaning.
It’s No Fad: The Benefits of Minimalism
You may think that minimalism is just a millennial fad but it is a lot more than this. When done with the right reasons, it is a means to make your life more significant.
So what are the benefits of living a minimalist life?
First, those who sign up to live a minimalist life get rid of their financial worries. They also get rid of all forms of clutter in their lives. They learn how to classify the things that they really need from the things that do not add value to their existence.
Minimalists also spend more time on experiences and less time in the acquisition of material things. Eventually, they feel a lot happier and freer.
Minimalism Means Green
Minimalists also sign up to become green enthusiasts. In fact, sustainable living or green living is equated to minimalism. Green living means buying less and having less waste.
Minimalism also means seeing consumerism for what it is. This has contributed to the issues on earth’s climate and other such problems. If you want to live ethically, then minimalism is the best way to go.
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So how do you begin living a minimalist life?
First, learn to reduce, reuse, and recycle. You must say no to excessive purchases. You must also promise to decrease the amount of waste that your home produces. And you must swear to recycle and reuse stuff. Composting is something that you also say yes to.
As a minimalist, you must also unplug. Save energy and money when you unplug those electronic devices that consume electricity even when they are just plugged.
Assess your possessions. Find something that you will keep (this is typically something that you will use in the next three months). If you pick an object that you won’t use continuously in the next three months, then it’s okay to finally let go.
This 90-day test is far from easy, though. For instance, you may not use your book collection in the next three months but this does not mean that you should let throw or sell them straightaway.
Another tip here is to live in a smaller place. More probably, you won’t need a big apartment with less stuff. Plus, studio apartments and condo units are a lot cheaper than renting a huge house. Tiny homes are quite popular these days so it’s time to join the bandwagon.
Smaller units also require fewer utilities. Just compare the heating needs of a bungalow with that of a studio apartment.
Another step in minimalism is to buy fresh food weekly. Always buy in bulk so that you’d save more.
Own less furniture, clothing, and appliances, too. This means owning the pieces that are right. Always prioritize quality over quantity.
Buy a laptop that will last a number of years; this has to be a piece that won’t have you worried that it could break down any time. As for clothing, buy the pieces that will also last many years. These are the staple pieces such as a pair of jeans, a few shirts, and a pair of boots.
As for furniture, find the pieces that have multiple uses (e.g. an ottoman that is also a storage unit).
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist, minimalist design, minimalist interiors, minimalist lifestyle, minimalist living, minimalist space, minimalist style
Posted in Green Living, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | Comments Off on The Holistic Minimalist
Thursday, April 12th, 2018
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Have you ever wondered how minimalism actually began? Visually, it is a simple theme but it can also still be charming and full of personality. If you want to learn how minimalism actually began, you would be surprised to know that there are many versions. One of these versions is during the 20th century Modernist movement. This movement brought about the use of new materials like steel, concrete, and glass.
There are others who believe that the roots of minimalism started much later in the ‘60s and ‘70s. These were the decades when Ellsworth Kelly and Donald Judd ruled with regard to painting. These revolutionary painters deviated from the Abstract Expressionism to embrace an even more extreme use of geometric shapes.
The timeline for this style may be blurry but it is a theme that continues to charm many homeowners. It has become influential in the fashion industry, architecture, art, interior design, and even music. It is fairly common for people to go gaga over Zen-like spaces nowadays. These spaces are light-filled and airy.
Do not think of minimalism as an era such as Midcentury or Modernism. Modernism is reductive but minimalism is a lot more than this. This is all about creating a precise moment, experience or feeling.
If you want to pull off this look in your own home, then consider these five keys –
Neutral Hues
Minimalist interiors are clean and simple. Your color palette of choice must carry through to your theme. This is the perfect time to use a monochromatic palette. If you don’t want your home to be too stark, then consider the warmer colors.
You have to learn to use variety when you’re designing a space using neutral hues. It is important to add just enough so that there’s variation. You wouldn’t want to have a homogenous-looking space or, worse, a house that’s too boring it can’t even be called a home.
Pick a single shade and establish this as the dominant base color for a room. You can then pick the coordinating secondary hue and then the third color as accent.
Central Furniture
Furniture pieces are the most important elements in a minimalist space. These rooms should be built having function in mind. Make your furniture the focal point. Do this by including a lot of negative space. The fewer pieces to draw the beholder’s attention from the furniture, the more prominent this piece becomes.
Since the furniture is a key piece, you should choose the one that’s worth looking at. Do not be afraid to invest in quality items. While you’re considering both quality and aesthetics, you should also remember that minimalism is also all about streamlining and natural materials.
Fuse Textures
With only a few elements to work with, you need to know which pieces can do a double-duty (pieces that are both functional and visually pleasing). As far as the look of the room, you should consider adding enough variety and your secret weapon here is texture.
Texture is all about visual weight. This is also how space feels and looks. It’s not all about the patterns of the rug that’s considered texture, it is its plushness or softness. The texture is the contrasting point in your space.
The Inconspicuous Storage
Minimalism is also about keeping clutter away and stuff out of sight. If your home now has this lived-in appeal, then it is also probable that you’ve accumulated plenty of stuff. The minimalist space could also become such – but this is one thing that you have to be careful about.
Let hidden storage units become your best friend. Experiment with a few pieces of storage units such as a drawer or some shelves. Set up an organizational system for your entire home.
Pick Accents with Care
Lastly, choose your accent pieces wisely. Don’t be fooled into thinking that minimalist spaces have no need for accessories. The key here is to master the placement of each piece. The best pieces to begin with are the nightstands, bookshelves, and dining tables.
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist design, minimalist interiors, minimalist space
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Interior Design Themes | Comments Off on Functionally Minimalist
Monday, August 15th, 2016
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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 »
Thursday, June 16th, 2016
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Modern design embodies a lot of elements which is why it is not easy to define it. In the most basic terms, though, this is the reflection of modern art movements inside homes. There are different central features and design themes that can be considered modern.
Modern designs were society’s objection and rejection of the ornate styles like Renaissance, Gothic and Victorian. Furnishing designs that you could include are Art Deco, Mission Style, and Shaker.
Modernism Means Clean, Straight Lines
Modern design – since it was designed to become the antithesis of complex themes, heavy textures, wood tones and carvings – is supposed to have nothing but linear designs. If anything geometric is to be placed, then it has to be controlled and scarce.
Modern furniture and other design components include clean lines with no frills. It differs from contemporary design which can include sweeping lines and curves. The lines in modern design are more crisp and sharper.
Materials that you could pair with your furnishings include oversized tiles, sanded wood flooring with minimized grain and smaller shelves and bookcases. The open space layout is most welcome as is the lack of molding and trimming on doors, windows and walls.
Say Hello to Metal
Stainless steel and chrome are two of the biggest elements used in modern design. In fact, a modern home would be less, well, modern in the absence of metallic pieces. Stay away from traditional metals, though, such as wrought iron. Instead, go for the cleaner, most polished metals.
For your home to be considered modern, be sure to use a lot of stainless steel and chrome. Have the exposed chair frames and table legs covered with any of these two metals.
Chrome is also used extensively in other home components such as doorknobs, faucets, lamps, cabinet handles and railings. It is known for its polished beauty and a slightly blue undertone.
Less Is More
Modern homes are also minimalist homes. The basics of being a minimalist are the absence of complex details, less color, and just the right amount of textiles. Even in the absence of a lot of things, it is safe to say that minimalist homes are well-planned homes. They are actually comfortable since all are streamlined for efficiency.
The minimalist and modern approaches share one other great aspect – zero-clutter. Clutter could mean different thing to different people but if you want the modern design, then just retain the essential pieces. This means saying no to pottery, vases, trinkets, and a lot of throw pillows.
Necessities are books, keepsakes and electronics. While these are still needful, they are almost always kept out of sight through proper storage.
Modernism Is Bold
Many homes designed in modern styles make use of neutrals, black and white. Yet this does not mean that you should shun using brighter colors. You can break the monotony created by the neutrals by setting up focal points. The primary colors are often used sparingly.
Hang a colorful wall art, a bold-colored sofa, brightly-colored pillows, or an accent wall.
Modernism, Modern You
In essence, all the things that you see in modern design are the result of modern thinking. Modernists were allergic to excessiveness, too much intellect, and cultural norms. They wanted to push off boundaries with regard to creativity and culture.
The modernists’ movements also included saying no to organized religion and the belief in a god. To them, modern norms had to be created and more suitable norms be instilled, hence, the birth of futurism, cubism, Neo-Dada, Bauhaus, abstract expressionism, and others.
To the world they shouted – Make It New. So, are you ready to apply what you have read?
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Tags: bold, bold design, bold interiors, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist, minimalist design, minimalist space, minimalist style, modern, modern design, modern interior design, modern interior design tips, modern interiors, modern style, modern theme, modernism
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes | No Comments »
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