Thursday, February 9th, 2017
Being a minimalist is not a way of life for everyone. This is a design that’s meant for people who want to spend less, own less and who want to do less. When you’re contemplating a life of minimalism, then you get on the path to simpler lifestyle. No single practice can make you a minimalist in an instant. There are those who actually made a dramatic leap to the extreme by giving way most of what they own and moving into an open space home. If you can imagine a life where you just have a sofa, a mattress and a notepad, then hop on to the world of minimalism.
Set a Minimalist Goal
This timeline should be able to define your minimalist life and home. You can’t have a minimalist home without altering your lifestyle. So, does minimalism automatically default to having a minimal amount of objects? Well, yes.
This means that you must learn to declutter the entire home and you must learn to live with less stuff. This also means you have to commit to no longer buy stuff that you don’t need.
There isn’t a single, correct way to being a minimalist. Every person has his or her own definition of what’s fundamental and stress-free. Take the time to define minimalism for yourself. Focus on what you need and what you’re more passionate about. As you do this, you will soon feel that you’re ready to let go of most things that you don’t actually need.
Have a clear goal, one that’s broken down to attainable steps. As much as possible, create alerts on your online calendar. These days, it’s not enough to just write down goals anymore, you have to create an alarm that will nudge you in the right direction.
It’s a Must to Declutter
This is quite obvious but it is also one of the most painful steps in truly achieving a minimalist lifestyle. Begin slow but with real intent. Donate or throw out stuff that you obviously no longer need. Next, hide every little thing that you haven’t used for months to give yourself ample time to decide whether to throw them away or not.
Keep reminding yourself that stripping yourself of things that you don’t need is the right path to a minimalist life. If you can live with just a bed and a laptop in your apartment, then go for it. You are the boss and you get to decide which minimal things give you happiness.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Minimalism also means being able to recycle most of the things that you have. You learn to segregate wastes, buy only things that are organic and use renewable materials only. Educate your home members to recycle so that it becomes a family effort.
If you have been blessed with wooden flooring, do not be pressured to cover it right away with beautiful rugs. Go minimal by showing off the bare look of your wooden floors. If cold toes worry you, then consider installing an electric heating system instead.
The Go-To Furnishings
Couches pretty much are the pieces to own in a living space. If this space is going to be used for lively activities, then you should consider investing in individual chairs. If the space, however, comes with a breathtaking view, then your minimalist setting is the perfect frame for the scenery outside.
A sectional couch can be the go-to piece when you have a large space to fill. You can create a functional space using only a sectional, coffee table, one ottoman and a pair of side tables.
Do you have a rug that’s a star in its own right? Then allow this to be the focal point in your home. Keep the furniture around it all clean and simple.
Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist interior design, minimalist interiors, minimalist living, minimalist style
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Saturday, September 17th, 2016
When you are out to choose a theme for your home, there are many styles that you could get confused over. There are period styles that could fit nicely to the interiors of the smallest apartments like Mission styling, Georgian, Art Deco, Minimalist and Retro deco. You could begin looking at these time-tested styles so that there won’t be regret in the end.
Go Georgian
If you would like to try the Georgian theme, you should look into colors that are muted such as off-whites and grays, browns, blues and olive green. Be sure to add gilding in your style. Don’t stop there – decorative molding is also a huge part of this design.
Use window treatments such as swags, drapes and tie-backs. Make good use of upholstered items for both furnishings and decorative items. The perfect backdrop would be white or cream which would depict flower arrangement or a serene pastoral scene.
Georgian furnishings include French repro, winged chairs, and roll-top office desks. Use Chippendale or Hepplewhite furniture styles as they are also appropriate.
The Art That Is Mission
Mission style is also referred to as the Arts and Crafts style. This was a defiant style from the ornate Victorian concept. This was and is the right apartment look as it is comfortable and uncluttered.
Mission gets its inspiration from nature, therefore, it displays a monochromatic earth tone. Walls could be brown, tan, moss, or ochre. Cream is a common accent. The doors are almost always made of natural wood, a great way to be abreast with the period.
Stained glass is also a necessary décor, with stained glass lamps taking center stage.
Beautiful, Lustrous Art Deco
Art Deco is a theme that was embraced during the 1920s till the 1930s. It’s composed of simple, clean lines. Other events that could be included as inspirations to this style are jazz music, inventions, skyscrapers and discoveries.
Since this is art, go and paint your walls with colors that contrast the woodwork. Use muted gray with turquoise, bright green or deep blue. Don’t forget to bring a little black to this look. Use it on either the accessories or the furnishings.
Mirrors and chrome pieces are great accessories.
Awesome Retro
If you were born in the 60s or 70s, you know what wonderful years those have been. Retro is a theme that’s applicable to you if you love the richness of brown and other deep tones. Use prints and wall treatments along with geometric designs.
The Scandinavian furniture pieces will also look great in this theme.
Minimalism Means Green
If you choose a minimalist theme, then you are one person who loves the uncluttered look. This style asks you to keep everything simple, from the lines, to the furnishings to the accessories. Furniture must be constructed with materials like chrome, natural wood, glass or stainless steel. These materials offer an ultra-modern look which is why they are at the top of the list.
The Functional Layout
Sometimes, all it takes for a homeowner to decide on which style to choose is knowing what layout would be most functional for his or her home. Interior design, after all, starts with the functional layout. Figure out which one is most functional for your house structure. This is also dependent on your lifestyle, how much budget you are willing to shell out and living needs.
Keep in mind that there is no one ideal layout that’s applicable to every person on the planet.
If you are still unsure about which theme to use in your home, then look through interior design magazines or sit down and speak with an interior designer.
Tags: art, art deco, Art Deco style, designing luxury homes, elements of luxury homes, Georgian theme, luxurious home, luxurious interiors, luxurious living, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist interior design, minimalist interiors, minimalist living, Mission design, Mission style, Retro design, Retro style
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Monday, August 15th, 2016
An uncluttered home with but a few functional furnishings is often referred to as a minimalist space. The removal of unnecessary stuff is necessitated by this theme or, more so, a way of life.
An example of minimalism is exhibited where the kitchen and dining areas contain just the essentials – a dining table (that’s free from clutter), appropriate chairs, counter stools, step stool for children, and appliances such as a coffeemaker and a microwave.
This kind of setting may be easily devoid of fun, life and character if you lose the important elements that would make it stand out. If you’re ready to take the plunge and live with just the bare essentials then, first, learn the benefits of a minimalist setting –
Minimal Stress
Did it ever occur to you that clutter is a kind of visual distraction? Anything that presents in your line of vision can potentially catch your attention so you might as well set up a clutter-free environment.
A home with minimal to zero clutter has a calming effect, thus, you would feel less stress.
Upped Appeal
Just imagine the look of a cluttered home compared to a minimalist space. The homes with just the necessary furniture and nice artwork are the ones that are more appealing. If you want to increase the value of your home – visually at the very least – then have a minimalist theme.
Easier to Maintain
Of course, it is a lot more difficult to clean up if you have more stuff. You need to vacuum and sweep and polish more often. Just imagine how much easier your life would be if you have less furniture and appliances to clean each day.
You don’t have to be an extreme minimalist. You can have a couch, loveseat, coffee table, a TV, and some lamps in a minimalist living room. There could even be less, say, a couch, a chair or two and a coffee table to complete the setup. The bedroom, on the other hand, can have a bed, dresser and a nightstand.
Rid of Knickknacks
A minimalist home has clean surfaces to boost. Don’t expect to find stacks of books or a collection of knickknacks in such a home. What you’d be able to find are accent decorations such as a simple flower vase. Should you ever find a desk, all you’d see there is a framed family photo and nothing else. A tasteful artwork could also hang on one wall to complete the minimalist look.
Quality Is Emphasized
A minimalist home is all about having just a few good things that you use often and also love. Keep that nice table and other essential furniture pieces such as a sofa, a pair of chairs, and a small cabinet.
Conquer One Room at a Time
It would be difficult to transition from a different theme and immediately embrace minimalism. You can begin with just one room initially then move on to the next, and so forth till you are able to conquer your entire home.
Now, more often than not, the biggest contents of a room are the furniture piece so you should always begin simplifying by checking your current furniture. The fewer large pieces you own, the more potential you have of setting up a minimalist home.
Look Up
Instead of looking for more stuff that would occupy floor space, look upwards. There is plenty of space up there to accommodate additional shelves and hanging racks.
Since you’re clearing away stuff, make sure that the ones you don’t use go inside tall, narrow cabinets and drawers. A bookshelf can double as a DVD rack.
Tags: declutter, decluttering, decluttering advice, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, minimalism, minimalist design, minimalist elements, minimalist interior design, minimalist interiors, minimalist lifestyle, minimalist living, minimalist space, tips
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Friday, May 6th, 2016
Simplifying one’s life is not an easy task. Not a lot of people would delve into it and would go out of their way to change other people into their simpler way of living. In the process of learning minimalism, though, you will learn that the little changes you make in terms of habits, attitudes, even your environment, can have a huge impact in you as an individual.
Every Little Bit of Happiness
Minimalism can begin with these simple steps –
Minimalist Furniture
What makes a minimalist setting stand out despite its absence of frills and bulky stuff is its simple elegance. The creation of a minimalist space is not difficult. All that it requires is knowledge in balancing certain interior design ingredients.
A Good Command of Harmony
A space that does not have too many items in it requires stricter design rules. You have to be more careful of elements such as proportion, balance and harmony. The furniture that you choose should be in proportion with the rest of the room’s contents. This means that no single thing in a room should be too big or too small.
Quality First
Minimalism speaks of quality before quantity so invest in high quality furniture, lighting and accessories. Look for unique finds and take time to shop around. Plan every piece that you will include in your home. It could be as little as the frame of an artwork or the richness of the fabrics.
Calming Palette
There are, of course, minimal spaces that showed color but, as a whole, if you would review the concept of minimalism, it should be simple and down-to-earth. As much as you can, stick to neutrals and calming hues. Any color that depicts the beauty of nature is highly recommended.
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Thursday, January 28th, 2016
Minimalism is a way of life that is slowly being embraced by a lot of people all over the world these days. Today, society prides in the accumulation of wealth and possessions but there are a handful of people who believe that real joy can be found with fewer of this stuff.
Less Is More
Here are some of the benefits that come with minimalism –
A minimalist home is architecturally linear and organic. The dominant material used in building the minimalist structure is the rock. Wooden materials are also typically found but they come in fewer presentations.
An interior that is minimalist also features minimal furniture pieces. You will find only the usable pieces that are also suitable to the theme in a room.
Minimalism also means clean surfaces with very minimal to zero engravings or ornamentation. It is easy to clean because there are no complex textures and layers, the lines are simpler and clutter-free.
Should you ever consider using the minimalist design in your home, then consider what accents you will be bringing in. Remember that minimalist settings should be simple and clean not boring. Minimalist accents, therefore, should also be used in order to neutralize the looming monotony that comes with simplicity.
An example is a home painted in gray which can be made more exciting (but on a subtle level) by hanging paintings and other kinds of artwork. Special lighting may also be used to highlight the artwork. You will have reached a different level of elegance once you are able to carry this out.
Minimalism also means prioritizing quality over quantity. The less stuff you own, the better for you. Minimalist homes may have less stuff but every one of these is in use and is guaranteed to reach their full potential.
The tendency of homeowners to choose the minimalist interior design is not only because they want to follow trends or that they are bored with the architecture of their homes. Minimalist interiors are often the representation of a person’s want to change his lifestyle.
Those who become minimalists choose to become highly mobile and practical. They are also more efficient yet their homes are not aesthetically ho-hum.
Minimalism is a philosophy that encompasses many aspects of a person’s life. In terms of home design, it should be a clean, open space that embraces simple architecture, streamlined furniture and simple materials.
In A Nutshell
To reiterate how a minimalist home should look like, always remember that you should be straightforward when it comes to the functions and form, even the general layout of your home. Uncomplicated and predictable spaces are your abode.
As to the cladding and wall finishes, your choices should be those that show a continuous line while still providing a pleasant visual appeal. A boring facade will be livened up by cedar slats and a blue-colored door.
Open and light-filled spaces especially in the living area and kitchen are a must. Light, in abundance, creates ambiance of openness.
Use light colors on your walls and be sure to remove any kind of clutter. Embrace a neutral colored palette as much as you can. If you have to use color, do not splash them liberally.
As to the furniture, be sure to use only those that have functions. Find zero frill cabinetry, uncomplicated trim details, and simple stairs. Use materials strategically so that you can achieve simplicity in texture, visual interest, even personality.
Achieve these things and your home will surely be the epitome of minimalism.
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