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The Impact of the Minimalist Mindset on Architecture

The minimalist mindset affects every aspect of one’s life. It isn’t just reflected in owning as few items as possible and valuing items that can serve several purposes at once. The minimalist mindset can impact aspects of your home’s design, too. 

Furniture 

The minimalist mindset doesn’t mean you have to live without a couch and chairs, but it does mean you don’t have a pile of unused chairs in the corner. It prioritizes multi-functional pieces such as coffee tables with storage underneath and end tables that also serve as book cases. The minimalist ethos reveals itself in a simple wooden desk or classic sleeper sofa. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy comfort and style, whether you have plush pillows on the couch or throw your favorite blankets over the recliner. You could also let the character of natural materials shine, be it stone counters or unprocessed wood floors. A single ornate historic piece may be set out where it can be shown off, but there is no furniture there just for show. 

Hardware 

The minimalist lifestyle often impacts the hardware we select in our home. It doesn’t mean you can’t have attractive touches such as a bronze, gold or silver rim around your mirror. However, it lends itself to clean, minimalist designs. You choose bright or plain metal hardware for your drawers and cabinets. The locks on your doors aren’t complex, ornate pieces. Instead, you’re choosing basic ERA locks that provide excellent security at a reasonable price. 

Note that the minimalist lifestyle doesn’t preclude convenience. You can have a touch-free faucet and shower controls, if you’d like. And a walk-in shower with minimalist hardware is a perfect fit with the lifestyle. 

Layout 

For some, minimalism is a practical solution to living in small spaces. It may be due to the need to not feel crowded while living in a small apartment. Or it may be the desire to make a small house feel larger than it is. One solution is to remove walls wherever possible. When you do divide rooms, it is with half-walls and counters so that there is a clear line of sight. Practical solutions to make the space seem larger is to add mirrors opposite to windows to maximize light. It can include using furniture groupings instead of walls to clearly separate space. Differences in flooring or color palates could be used, as well, or in addition to furniture groupings. 

Appliances 

One of the common signs that you have a minimalist mindset is the nearly empty kitchen. There are few appliances on the counter, and there isn’t a pile of them stuffed into a cabinet. There is a neat pile of dishes and cups in the cupboard, but there isn’t a tangle of rarely used cooking implements in a drawer. They may turn baker’s racks into display cases or store cook books and spices on them, while a row of mason jars may hold a small window garden. But there isn’t an unused breadmaker or electric carver in the corner. 

If you hit the laundry room, they have a washer and dryer but don’t have a number of other implements and tools unless they actually use it. That means there won’t be a drying rack or ironing board unless it is periodically used. And there won’t be 15 little beauty accessories and appliances unless they’re considered necessary. 

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