“Minimalism,” such a vaguely familiar term, it’s synonymous with words such as elegant, simple, unadorned, plain, or easy. It’s tempting to think of minimalism in such light, but by the time you finish reading this article, you will find clarity on the real meaning of what it entails to become that of a minimalist.
And where best to showcase minimalism but inside the comforts of your humble abode, within the spaces wherein friends, families, and guests. A private area where everyone is encouraged to lounge, socialize, and relax. The classic living room, the place of “welcome” in the “welcome home.”
Here are the factors you need to consider in achieving a minimalistic living room:
Simplicity
Excess is no longer equivalent to abundance; too much is, in fact, just too much. How about too little? Well, minimalism belittles not “too little.” Think of it this way; a typical living room may have a television set, radio, wall clocks, personal computer set, calendars, and a wired telephone. Many and bigger means better, right?
Well, all of those listed items can be replaced by a tiny device, a mobile phone. If you anticipate a guest who doesn’t have a mobile phone, then maybe have an extra unused one or an iPad/tablet for your guests.
Function
Your living room is a function room. Everything that’s placed inside must serve a purpose other than just aesthetics. After all, it’s where lounging, creativity, socializing, or just simply a little getaway space. Putting a vase for fake flowers would be counterproductive when it comes to functionality. Placing an object that occupies space, accumulates dust, and is prone to accidents and damages would be more liability. Your living room needs to be functional.
Space
They say that a melody is about the rests in between the notes. Your living room space must have enough room to create a harmonious breathable aura. A spacious arena clears a cluttered mind. A living room needs just a good amount of space, too crowded, and it will feel like a storage room, too spacious, and it will feel like an empty storage room. Just enough, just the right amount, just flawless.
Stimulation
A stimulus inspires action or reaction. It could be a book, television, a board game, or a painting. The living room itself is a catalyst for stimuli, letting anyone who enters think, ponder, question, react or act. Minimalist stimulation could be just a simple sculpture, a painting, or a design.
Comfort
The essentials are most indispensable. Air Conditioning, you may have one that is energy-saving and environmentally helpful. Make sure that your AC is always clean and have it checked by a reliable air conditioning company. Something to sit on comfortably or lie down on would be consistent with the theme of lounging. Pillows, blankets, and comforters are add-ons that you may keep away from sight and offer when needed. The Internet is also essential to be updated on personal businesses or social responsibilities.
Illumination
When it’s already dark outside, a cozy lamp that sets the mood would suffice. Or a fireplace that would keep everyone warm, dependent on which state you’re in. When it comes to lighting in a minimalist living room, it is also best to design your living room so that it may absorb as much natural light as it can get, for this would not only be energy efficient and environmentally friendly but also it gets you and your family and guests much closer to nature while being indoors.
Cleanliness
Cleaning is always a given, regardless of which part of the house it is. To reduce cleaning time and maximize other avenues for productivity, it is best to make your living room time consciously designed for easy cleaning. This means to rid away unnecessary objects that only accumulate dust but also contribute less to the functionality of your living room as a whole.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics can be minimalist, too—no need to adorn your living room more than what’s necessary. Redundancy is vital. If you have a family picture and a family portrait, such duplicity is tantamount to repetition. The point is to showcase your family. Showing it twice defeats the purpose of the first one. Not only does it occupy more space, but it also makes your living room a shrine for family pictures. Keeping it simple and direct to the point will still get the job done.
Flexibility
A living room is not just limited to such; it can also be whatever room the occupants wish it to be. A dining room, a bedroom, or a fitness room. It is, first and foremost, a room, capable of any kind of room that it needs to be. Being a minimalist is not to squander a good space, so in effect, not limiting the potential of your living room is quite useful to yourself, family and guests.
Location
In designing the living room, you must prioritize easy access to all other rooms and exits. Though it’s possible, no one stays for long periods in the living room; at some point, you’ll get hungry, or thirsty, or need to heed the call of nature. To put your living room in a strategic place where all other rooms and exits are just a few steps away would significantly affect anyone when it comes to comfort.
Minimalism is not a room or the number of objects, and it is not even a painting or a sculpture. Minimalism is a concept. Efficiency does not mean being equipped with many things, but rather to lesser things that produce the same results. It is a revolutionary concept in response to the fallacies of the previous generation. But this does not mean that we criticize them, but rather that we have learned from observing them.
To minimize the exuberance of vanity and excess, to stand by philosophical advocacy claiming that more does not mean merrier or that plenty is not synonymous with better. A concept in which that stands behind the thought that simplicity is indeed beautiful.
