How To Bring A Minimalist Aesthetic To Your Home In The New Year

The dawn of a new year is often accompanied by the desire for change. New Year’s resolutions and a renewed mission of self-improvement are common goals, as is the hope of creating a neater, cleaner look for your home. For some, this can even mean transforming the house from its current design into a sleek minimalist aesthetic. 

To give your home a minimalist look in the new year, start by getting rid of clutter and unnecessary objects. Do a deep clean of your home, and consider painting your walls a soft Earth tone. Avoid too many bright colors and aim for clean lines by removing objects from shelves. Use natural materials like wood and stone, and incorporate a sleek houseplant.

Minimalism is a lifestyle and a design aesthetic. You can approach this “less is more” concept in all sorts of ways, but there are several tips to make this transition more seamless. If you are looking to purge your belongings and start fresh with a beautiful, clean new look, read below for the best ways to give your home a more minimalist look.

13 Ways To Transform Your Home Into A Minimalist Aesthetic

1. Get Rid Of Clutter

The first step to becoming a minimalist is to get rid of all your clutter. The entire concept of minimalism is to keep only the necessities and embrace the “less is more” mentality. Clutter has no place in a minimalist home.

Once the holidays are behind you, it’s time to clear out all your non-essentials. Create junk and donation piles to make downsizing quick and easy. You don’t need to get rid of items that hold significant sentimental value, but anything you don’t absolutely love and require should go.

2. Do A Deep Clean

One of the most desirable attributes of the minimalist aesthetic is how clean everything looks. This vibe doesn’t come across, however, if your home is dirty. Once you finish removing all the clutter, the next step to creating a minimalist aesthetic is to clean your home from top to bottom.

Deep cleaning your home will brighten the space, make everything shine, and prepare it for its new look. Once you thoroughly clean the home, you are left with a blank canvas to arrange as you like.

3. Swap Out Old Furniture For New, Sleeker Models

Minimalism isn’t only about getting rid of unnecessary objects. It’s also about placing the right objects in the home, and getting rid of the wrong ones. Selecting the right furniture can make or break your attempt at achieving minimalism in your space.

To achieve this, get rid of old, oversized furniture and opt for new, sleeker models with angular designs. Scandinavian brands are known for their minimalist appeal, so consider narrowing your search to companies that offer designs in that style.

4. Paint The Walls Neutral Colors

Color is another way you can achieve a more minimalist aesthetic in your home. You might think the only way to achieve a minimalist look is to get rid of furniture and all non-essential decorations. While this helps, it’s equally vital that you choose a neutral, minimalist color palette.

Consider soft natural colors like whites, creams, and light grays and blues. Avoid anything too flashy, and use matte paint rather than glossy varieties whenever possible. Earth tones can go a long way in helping you achieve your perfect minimalist design in the new year.

5. Bring Tidy Plants Into The Home

Minimalism includes adding the right objects to breathe new life into a space. There are very few items you can add to a room that bring a room to life than a live plant.

Plants play a huge role in achieving the perfect minimalist look in a home. In particular, well-manicured plants with interesting structures are particularly ideal. Leafy bamboo, tidy succulents, and monstera are just a few larger plants that fit perfectly in a minimalist home. Live plants add color and an organic element to minimalism, helping prevent a room from feeling too bland or sterile.

6. Keep Countertops Clear

One way to help achieve the “less is more” concept of minimalism is to keep countertops relatively bare. If your countertops are where you keep knick-knacks, appliances, and random household objects, then it’s time to find a new home for these items.

Clean countertops with very few objects on them are the perfect way to give your home a more minimalist look. By clearing your countertops, you can make the rooms in your home look cleaner and larger.

7. Create Clean Lines

One of the main design principles behind minimalism is the concept of clean lines. This can range from an uncluttered dining room table to a sleekly designed couch. The idea is that clean, uninterrupted lines convey an image of order and calm. Clutter, on the other hand, represents chaos. 

As you try to achieve the minimalist look in the new year, look around and find places where you can create clean lines in your home.

8. Create A Focal Point Rather Than Scattered Knick-Knacks 

Everyone has objects that hold meaning, and as we grow older, this collection tends to increase. While you don’t need to purge all your sentimental objects to achieve a minimalist look, you might want to consider storing the vast majority of them.

Knick-knacks and random decorations that don’t serve a functional purpose have no place in a minimalist home. While one or two of these sentimental objects can likely stay, consider packing the rest and safely storing them elsewhere.

9. Utilize Natural Light

Natural light plays a significant role in minimalism. The goal is to use natural light as much as possible, minimize harsh overhead lighting, and avoid unnecessary lamps. In your pursuit of minimalism, do your best to maximize the natural light in each room. Remove heavy drapes and consider switching to sleek blinds or natural-material sheer curtains. 

10. Build Additional Hidden Storage

One way to help make minimalism easier is to add additional storage space in your home. With extra storage space, you can box up all your knick-knacks and appliances that you don’t use often, leaving less clutter on your counters and shelves. Choose places out of sight to build your additional storage, like closets and your garage.

11. Choose Natural Materials Like Stone, Wood, And Bamboo

In addition to soft Earth-tone walls, incorporate objects made of natural materials to achieve a minimalist aesthetic. A combination of wood and stone, and even bamboo and natural fabrics, can bring understated, organic elegance to your space. While some metallic furniture can also work, you should avoid too many shiny and plastic pieces.

12. Keep The Essentials When It Comes To Art

Many people feel the need to fill all the blank space on a wall. Minimalism, on the other hand, embraces empty space. To achieve this aesthetic in the home, showcase only your favorite pieces of art. 

One painting on a wall is sufficient. If you are a fan of sculpture, consider displaying only your absolute favorites so they can become focal points rather than get lost in a sea of other artwork.

13. Don't Over Use Bright Colors

While there is nothing wrong with adding a pop of color to every minimalist room in your home, you must resist the temptation to overindulge in bright colors. Get rid of loud wallpaper, colorful throw pillows, and throw rugs with busy designs. 

Final Notes On How To Bring A Minimalist Look To Your Home

There are all sorts of great reasons to give your home a minimalist makeover in the new year. This design style brings in more natural light, makes your home look larger, and helps you purge unnecessary objects. To achieve a minimalist aesthetic, you must first declutter and then deep-clean your home.

Consider painting the walls in neutral Earth-tone colors and swapping out oversized, plastic furniture for sleek Scandinavian pieces made of natural materials. Display only your favorite artwork, making it a focal point rather than letting it get lost in an overdecorated room. Incorporate tidy houseplants to help prevent your minimalist space from looking too sterile.

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• Seven Characteristics Of Organic Modern Design
• 10 Characteristics Of Scandinavian Design