Your house is outdated and it is time for a makeover. The question on your lips is where to start? Clean walls, empty counters, and uncluttered corners all make up the trend of minimal accessories. It’s a great trend in interior design and it’s fabulous!
Starting a huge design overhaul can be daunting. Have you considered that your home may just need a mini-makeover? Here are some quick tips to update your accessories to give your rooms a fresh, updated look.
Minimalism and Home Decor
The ongoing trend of minimalism is no longer considered the “new” thing. Minimalism is here for the long haul, so if you love it, it’s time to jump in!
As we emerge from the pandemic, it is clear that we all need to be immersing ourselves in cleaner surroundings. Perhaps that is why minimalism, a trend which really gained a lot of traction about five years ago, has now captivated the world.
One thing to note: minimal does NOT mean small. It means less.
Because you will be using and installing less items, those items may actually need to be larger in scale than items you are replacing.
Keep countertops clean. This means any accessories should be limited and minimal. This is especially true for kitchen counters. Keep it simple.
What can you do to bring this look to your kitchens and baths?
- Clear off all counters and give them a solid cleaning.
- Repair any chips or imperfections.
- Refresh paint above backsplashes as needed.
- Choose only one or two substantial accessories for the corners.
Pro hint: If you have three exposed corners, accessorize only two. If you have two exposed corners, accessorize only one.
Bookcases: The Clutter Magnet
Bookcases are a big culprit when it comes to hoarding junk. I have seen a lot of homes wherein people fill bookcases with treasured books only to be overshadowed by a mass of trinkets in front of all of the titles.
If you do love to be surrounded by lots of books, then allow your treasure to be your focal point and don’t eclipse the books with loads of tchotchkes.
Remove that clutter and allow the titles to shine – almost like a decorative wallpaper would take the focus in a room.
Consider color coordinating your books on the shelves. A fun and creative idea is to cover the outside of each book with a plain, colorful book covering. You can then coordinate these in a rainbow pattern for a cool design aesthetic.
A basic rule for accessories
Here is another Pro Tip for you: Accessories around a room should never be smaller than a football.
This is a rule that I learned when I first started in accessorizing model homes. If accessories are too small, they lose impact, so what’s the point? If you do possess a good number of small items, get a curio cabinet and display them as a group, or put them in a box and store them away for safe keeping.
Accessories should be small in number and large in size. Make yours few but impactful.
With minimal décor, you will also want your accessories to carry the weight of the accent color for your room. That means if your room is mostly neutral colors, shop for powerful, colorful accents.
Understanding Impact Art
The same concept goes for wall décor. I have blog post on the Art of Hanging Art, but for this post I want to note that art has changed to a minimalist style similar to accessories. What little is on the wall should really matter.
Wall décor should complement the interior and because things are pared down, the art on your walls needs to work harder.
It has to be more impactful to the room, so small pieces and family photos need to find a new place, be that on your laptop screensaver or on your cellphone.
If you choose to have a gallery of art, be sure that the frame sizes are large in scale and the gallery is kept to only a few in number.
Allowing your surroundings to be less cluttered will give you the space to breathe and relax. It is a space where you can clear your head and rest your body.
Minimalism isn’t just a design trend it is a new way of life – embrace it!
