“One can furnish a room very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting it in.” - Francis Jourdain, 1876.
Last night, I was binge-watching a show where the insides of celebrity houses were portrayed, and a significant similarity between most of the houses struck me hard. Many of these popular figures showed an inclination towards a clutter-free monochromatic look when it came to their homes. The clean and crisp looks of their houses’ interiors made them look beautiful, spacious, and aesthetically rich.
I wondered what were the keys to the aesthetic richness of their houses.
As the ideas dropped slowly, I sat with my laptop to research it. Do you know what I found familiar in these celebrities?
They all opted for minimalist house designs.
What does a Minimalist House Design Mean?
Architects and interior designers carefully design minimalist house interiors to match the ideologies of minimalism. The concept of minimalism is heavily based on keeping the bare minimum, which adds value to life and self. Some of the critical features of a minimalist house design are as follows:
Minimum Furniture
One of the most essential parts of a minimalist house is having bare minimum furniture inside. We all have that one piece of wardrobe or ancient chair in the house that has been there for generations. Although it possesses sentimental family values, it is of no use in the current scenario. You need to get rid of it immediately because if you keep holding things back, your house will be in a mess soon. A minimalist house design will never have excess furniture in it. A minimalist house interior looks spacious for keeping the furniture to the minimum only.
Less Decorative Pieces and Wall Art
The more decorative pieces are there in a house, the clumsier will be the look of it. Then again, too much wall art could also clutter the space. Interior designers often try to use minimum decorative pieces and less wall art to make the space look cleaner and more comfortable. It is also a way to have a low-cost minimalist house design.
Use of Monochromatic Tones
A minimalist house design will always include monochromatic tones. Be it the wall color, wallpapers, couch, or bed; monochromatic colors look the best to keep alive the minimalist as well as the aesthetic look. Subtle colors like beige, grey, white, and pastel greens are often preferred by people and designers who support minimalism. There is another side to choosing monochromatic tones as well. It makes the rooms look bigger and at the same time cleaner.
Clear Floors
Another basic feature of minimalist house designs includes clear floors to move around freely. Once again, it makes the interior look spacious and clutter-free. It also means no rugs or carpets on the floor. A room with less furniture and more floor space often heightens the aesthetic beauty of the area. It looks much more elegant than a stuffed drawing or dining room. Even if the room is of a smaller dimension, clear floors will never make you feel stuffy or claustrophobic.
Sleek Lighting
A minimalist house interior will never have an elaborate chandelier over the dining table or drawing room. Instead, it will have minimalist lighting that will make the overall look simple yet elegant. With the sleekest choices in the frame and warm tubular bulbs, your indoors will be the perfect example of a minimalist house design.
Hidden Spaces for Everything
There is a common misconception that minimalist house interiors have little space for anything. This is a wrong idea. No matter how minimal you have become in your thoughts, you still need enough space in the house to keep your belongings. In a minimalist house design, such extra places are not all over the area. Rather, they are there but hidden away from the eyes of the people. There are often storage spaces below the stairs or under the bed to get everything inside.
Popularization of Monochrome Minimalism
All-white or monochrome minimalism has suddenly become a favorite for most of the B-town celebrities these days. This is the most preferred one amongst the common man and head-turners, mainly because of the perfect blend of color and texture. White enhances the beauty of the interiors, making them look clean and crisp. It is also budget-friendly and cost-effective, which is why it has become the absolute favorite for many who want to get that elegance, keeping in mind the country’s economic suffering.
B-Town Celebs with Minimalist House Designs
Kiara Advani
Her south Mumbai home is a concoction of modern and old-school minimalism with a touch of white and some shiny accents. She preferred textured white walls, which gave her minimalist home design a contemporary touch.
John Abraham
His 4,000 square foot “Villa in the Sky” penthouse in Bandra has an actual minimalist house interior. With a heart-stopping view of the sea from all the rooms, Abraham’s Mumbai-based architecture firm has played the right cord with this penthouse, calling it a perfect minimalist décor.
Jacqueline Fernandes
Her Bandra apartment is supremely spacious and dominated mainly by the color white. The white interior of her minimalist house is splashed here and there with minimal colors to break the monotony and a lot of greenery, further highlighting her ideologies of being a minimalist.
Masaba Gupta
Her Juhu home is almost synonymous with a minimalist house design because of the explicit use of the color white everywhere. Be it the walls or couch or cushions or the curtains, she has kept everything white just as a contrasting feature to her colorful personality. In one word, her home is another word for elegance.
Are you planning to shop for your new house interior or re-design your old one?
Take a moment to re-think about your choices.
Choose simplicity over anything else and see the elegance coming your way.
