Neat, sterile, angular. Traits of the city, both modern and minimal.
Although it spans outside your window, its mood can permeate your home. Bring the outside in by incorporating smooth surfaces and hard materials. Make your apartment embrace the mood and feel of the city with these tips.
Finding the Proper Space
A sandstone town house or terrace house are no place for this endeavor, unless stripped out and fully redesigned. A modern style needs a modern building. Less brick, more stucco, an open-floor plan instead of interior walls everywhere, high ceilings and large, tall windows welcoming the light in.
Having enough space to showcase this style is important. Compromises can be made, however. You don’t have to move into some abandoned car factory, just make sure your home is somewhere on the contemporary architecture spectrum.
Think of The Clutter
If you are messy and leave things lying around often, your mess will stick out like a sore thumb in this style apartment. But even if you aren’t messy, clutter can become a problem when paired with the minimal and modern.
Less furniture means less storage space, resulting in a headache for you unless you are well organized. Use your kitchen cabinets and closets to your advantage by using them as extra storage.
Concrete And Wood
Image Source: GoHaus
While exposed concrete ceilings are best suited for such interior design, there’s only so much of the city you can take in. Your apartment is still your home and the minimal style and comfort are not mutually exclusive.
It’s best to leave the concrete for the walls and ceilings and use hardwood for the floors. Natural colours and long grain patterns like European oak or acacia wood flooring fit the bill perfectly. If you want to find out how to install engineered hardwood, there are tons of guides all over the web to help the DIYers and money savers.
The Furniture Choices
After choosing a shade of white for the walls, you’ll need contrast. Dark colours are ideal for the heavy, stained pieces of furniture. Straight angles are part of the style but making an exception isn’t such a bad idea.
A waterfall coffee table with its irregular, bark margins can really stand out in a good way. Blends of wood and cast iron or steel are also a great fit for tables and bed frames. Look for hand crafted furniture made from walnut or teak that will embody the modern feel and last a lifetime.
The Artwork
White, bare walls make for the perfect canvas. You can choose to hang up pictures and posters but keep the frames simple. There’s no room for intricate ornaments with the minimal style. Lively colours here and there can complement the, otherwise sterile, view.
If you are really adventurous, you paint directly on the white walls to add minimal designs or a touch of contrast colour on one wall. Shades of black and grey underline the duality.
A Touch of The Industrial
Image Source: Contemporist
While metal furniture elements are welcomed, you can take this a step further by exposing the pipework. As long as it’s not in the way, shades of copper and silver tracing the walls, from one room to the other, can really add that extra touch for a truly minimal and modern home.
Main Image Source: HomeDsgn
