6 steps to simplifying your home

J. YUNG—homify J. YUNG—homify
Koyanosumika, ma-style architects ma-style architects Minimalst style study/office
Loading admin actions …

Simplicity is bliss, as they say. Especially for those who dwell in the bustling city and crave some respite from the frenetic pace of life. If you'd like to live in a less cluttered environment, we at homify have some top tips for creating a minimalist home—pure and simple! If you're in need of some cool tones and serene design in your abode, read on and get inspired…

1. Take away the walls of the room

There are various ways to make a room more open and clean looking. Reducing ornaments and decorations is one strategy, but it's another to reconstruct or knock through interior walls. This example is of a recently renovated apartment building, where the intention was to gain as much light as possible in a long, narrow apartment which faced north to south in a densely populated area. By knocking through interior walls, more natural light was able to fill the entire space.

2. Create space

A minimalist home has a naturally spacious feel. The house here is part wooden (on the roof) and part mortar (on the walls) and is a typical modern dwelling. It is very open plan and spacious in its design, with a desk and built-in shelving for work or storage embedded into the hollow sections in the walls. The central space is available for a wide variety of uses. In such a room, we can introduce aspects of nature like potted plants and creepers from the upper shelves/ceiling.

3. Compact and simple with lots of storage

One of the tricks to making the house look simple is to store things out of sight. With shelves and cabinets taking up precious space, useful furniture such as this sofa with drawer space underneath solves many problems. Wooden shelves next to the window and bordering the entire wall act not only as space savers but also as a unique style feature. The sofa is also used as a bed to be pulled out when needed and tucked away when not in use. More storage space is available in the semi-secret closet which pulls out too.

4. Simple kitchen with practical storage

Even if you attempt to reduce clutter in the kitchen, it will naturally come back. Introducing shelves like these is clever, practical and in keeping with modern design thinking. They include a place to store vegetables, a pull-out box with a partition inside, jars, and a space to hold herbs together. Simple, clear and useful.

5. Compact room with only what you need inside

When we think of a simple living space, something like this will probably come to mind. Parisian designers SANDRINE CARRÉ present just the essentials in a compact space. Since the sofa is also minimal and the desk embedded in the wall, it has no legs and is neatly compact. The bed is perfect for the width of the room. 

6. Simple life with wall-mounted furniture

If you leave out furniture as much as possible, you'll be able to create a natural and clean space. Make use of design alternatives such as this folding, wall-mounted shelving. A simple, minimal desk with a number of shelves on the wall (as shown here) would optimise space well. It could then be styled in the mould of Scandinavian design, giving an attractive aesthetic to the room.

For more simple and compact home tips, check out 9 space-saving tricks from one small apartment.

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine