One of the most popular trending interior design themes of this decade is minimalist interior design. With its clutter-free style, clean and crisp lines, and just the bare essentials, it creates a fresh and spacious feel for even the smallest houses. However, everybody would agree that although it looks beautiful and clean, it does not give a very cozy feel. It is a reality that no matter how beautiful, clean, and crisp your house looks, you still need it to be warm, cozy, and comfortable. When you come back home from a tough day at work, you need your home to be a place where you can feel comfortable and relaxed. In a typical minimalist home, it is almost impossible to achieve this feeling.
However, there are a few tricks through which you can make modifications in the design so that the general theme remains minimalist but with cozy elements. Through these ideas and tips, you can create a beautiful blend of two opposing styles in the most beautiful and elegant way.
Add Textures
One of the easiest and most effective ways in which you can create a warm and cozy feeling in an otherwise dull space is to add layers of textures. Since in a minimalist theme, you cannot add too many elements that make the space comfortable, you will have to add texture in whatever limited elements you have already added.
Consider the following example of a renovation project by Swiss Interior where they have used different textures to add a cozy feel to the atmosphere. This is in the form of sheer drapes along with silky ones, comfortable velvet couches, and a jute rug. All these textures complement the wooden floors which in turn work perfectly well with the white walls.
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Add Curved Furniture And Elements
A minimalist interior design features geometric elements, symmetry, and crisp lines to give its signature look. However, this is also responsible for creating a little too uptight place where one cannot feel a warm and cozy atmosphere. To counter this problem, add curved furniture and other curvy elements which will help to break the symmetry and in turn create a softer and warmer feel. This is what has been done in the following portfolio where the crisp lines of the glass partitions and windows are converted into a softer feel through the addition of a round upholstered table or stool. The side table is also a round table.
Bring Warmth Through Wood
Since a minimalist design is all about clean white walls and sharp lines, it can become a bit too cold for many. To bring a bit of warmth to this design, you can add elements of wood in it. The wooden grain along with the texture that wood brings helps one feel closer to nature. This automatically translates to a cozier and more comfortable environment. When light reflects from the shiny and glossy tiled floors in a minimalist home and then bounces off the wooden elements, it creates a softer and warmer outlook.
Add Indoor plants
Another way to bring a closer to nature appeal in a minimalist design is to add lots of indoor plants. The dry and cold appeal of a minimalist design can be balanced by adding green leafy plants which overall soften the tone of the design and create a cozier appeal. In the following portfolio design by Swiss Interior, the green leafy plants along with wooden grains and textures perfectly complement the light airy atmosphere of the minimalist design to give it a more comfortable appeal.
Choose Warm Wall Colors
Although a minimalist interior design is primarily dominated by white walls and light colors, there is no harm in adding some color if it helps you uplift the room’s mood. One way to do this is to use warm color for one of the walls of the room while keeping the other walls white. The other elements of the room are also kept neutral so as not to overwhelm the minimalist design. This is what has been done in the following interior design project by Swiss Interior where one of the walls of the living room is painted a warm yet lively blue color. This immediately gives a cozy feel in the room along with uplifting the room’s appearance. This warm blue combination with light wooden floors and elements along with a light gray sofa all work bland perfectly well to create a cozy minimalist home.
These ideas have been implemented by one of the most experienced interior designers of Singapore, Swiss Interior. By taking inspiration from their portfolios, you too can create a cozy minimalist home for yourself.