Minimalist Interior Design Tips: Clean & Simple Living Rooms

f you find yourself running up and down the living room picking up clothes, food, toys, and other assorted junk, it may be time to make a change. Frequently, the best way to free up your mind is to free up your space. If you've started to notice your living room getting overrun with the clutter of your day-to-day activities, try incorporating a minimalist perspective into your design aesthetic.

Minimalist paint options

If your walls are looking busy and unorganized, you can spruce up your living space, and pave the way to a minimalist lifestyle with a new paintjob. Keep these ideas in mind as you move forward with your painting plans:

• Use only one or two colors
• Avoid anything too dark or too bright
• Try using monotone shades or grayscale

A room where all the walls are a different color, even if it is very slight, can be distracting. Try using as few colors as possible. Dark colors and vivid, bright colors will make your space appear small and boxed-in. If possible, try for light greys or whites. These will be the easiest on the eyes and open up the space in the best way.

Choosing the right wall décor

Once the final coat of paint has dried, it's time to decorate the walls. Before you start, select one or more walls to remain completely bare. If the eyes have fewer places to visit, there are fewer things to overwhelm and distract. When you have decided which walls to decorate, stick with single-framed pieces that hang on their own. Choose one or two sketches, paintings, or photos and pick the proper place for them. Framing should be:

• Simple
• One color
• Easy to interchange
• Light in size and shape, not distracting

Minimalist furniture: less is more

You want to make sure that your living room isn't jam packed with furniture. Fill only the space you need to fill, and leave the extra items out. If you feel like you can thrive in your living space without a coffee table, take it out! If you don't need a couch full of decorative pillows, remove them! Use soft and light colors for your furniture items like you did with the walls. Avoid any sort of heavy pattern or decorative addition. If you're really feeling adventurous, you can even ditch your television or home theater system.

De-clutter everything

Once you have the basics, it's time to do a full cleaning inspection. Remove debris from countertops, tables, and shelves, and keep on top of dusting and polishing these surfaces. Get rid of all the excess junk that has been taking up your living space. Minimalism is all about maintaining the least amount of unnecessary items in your space. Ask yourself this question: do I really need this here, or can it be stored somewhere else? You'll quickly find that you've packed half your living room away for safe keeping.
Don't be overwhelmed by the amount of clutter impacting your living room space. Cleaning, de-cluttering, and maintaining a minimalist environment is easier than it looks, and you'll enter and leave your living room with a clear head.