The modern minimalist movement is still in full swing, with many homeowners updating their spaces in favor of uncluttered, simplified and contemporary designs. If you’re planning a full-fledged remodel or simply want to update your living room furniture, minimalism is a trendy yet timeless way to go. From contemporary furniture to minimalist décor, let’s take a look at several ideas for achieving a modern minimalist look in your living room.
1. Reduce Clutter
The first step in designing any minimalist space is to remember the main tenant of the minimalist movement: reducing clutter! The idea is to remove items that are not essential to the space, and only keep the pieces that serve a purpose. Before bringing in new furniture to create a contemporary minimalist look, start by eliminating clutter. If you never use your love seat, get rid of it. If your wall décor is just there to fill an empty space, leave the wall blank instead.
2. Find Purposeful Décor
Creating a minimalist room doesn’t necessarily mean you have to remove every bit of décor. You still want to design a space that’s visually pleasing and reflects your personality. So, try to minimize the décor and ornamentation of the room in a way that still allows expression. For example, instead of a cluttered wall of picture frames, highlight a single oversized canvas photo in black-and-white.
It also helps to find objects that look good and serve a purpose, in keeping with the minimalist style. Purposeful décor might be a bold light fixture, a cozy textured rug or even a wall-mounted planter for herbs or succulents.
3. Choose a Simple Color Palette
It may seem obvious, but make sure to simplify the room’s color palette as much as possible. Avoid wall colors that are overly bold or bright. In general, go for softer, neutral colors in either warm or cool tones. Gray, white and cream are great places to start.
4. Know When to Go Bold
Many minimalist room designs can benefit from a touch of boldness. The hard part is knowing when to go bold. The key is a touch of bold color, and not overdoing it. If your mostly white living room feels blank, the simple addition of a charcoal gray rug or dark-colored contemporary coffee table will help breathe life into the design.
5. Go for Smaller Furniture
For true minimalism, go small when it comes to choosing your furniture. Choose a simple, modern sofa or love seat that’s only as big as you need it to be. In fact, if you only need to seat 1 or 2 people on a regular basis, simple yet comfortable accent chairs are a good minimalist alternative to a traditional sofa.
If you don’t need a huge coffee table surface, opt for a miniature side table (even a repurposed stool works great) or folding tray table. Rather than setting your TV on an oversized entertainment center, mount it on the wall or use a small stand.
If you have a larger family or need the extra seating space, many modern living room sets have a minimalist style while offering the comfort and size that you need.