Spring Clean Your Life with Minimalist Design

With Summer on the horizon and Spring in full bloom households across the country are sweeping out the post-winter cobwebs and beginning the traditional clear out. Far from the old-style act of cleaning and sweeping a ‘Spring Clean’ is now more akin to a remodel or re-evaluation of your life and home.

What do you really need? What do you not like? What doesn’t fit within your space? What new trends do you like?

With homes shrinking in size to meet the demands of our modern housing requirements the amount of ‘stuff’ we can comfortably fit into a home is diminishing. It is no wonder that homes across the UK are ditching their clutter and moving towards a more minimalist home design.  

The Sunday Times recently investigated this concept and revealed the 10 things that you truly need in a home to lead a comfortable life in minimalist bliss. Here is our take on them:

A Great Bed

Loss or lack of sleep is a high contributor to stress and illness. We spend a third of our life in our beds so you should ensure that you invest in a good one. The Manhattan Bed , part of the Studio IQ Collection from IQ Furniture, combines the soft comfort you want in your bedroom with high design. Even better for decluttering – the designer bed includes hidden storage beneath the mattress to hide unsightly litter away.

A Gathering Space

We are sociable creatures and socialising is as important to well-being as anything. Homes need a communal space to meet, sit and socialise. In the age of open plan living the kitchen is often the heart of a home. Kitchen designs with a breakfast bar (like this one from Watermark Kitchens ) will draw people into the kitchen. If space allows you could also invest in a circular kitchen table with a low hanging pendant light overhead.

An Organised Wardrobe

No matter the space you have to fit one there is no excuse for a messy and unsightly wardrobe. Modern wardrobe designs take inspiration from German Kitchen designs with handleless door openings and clean lines. Awkward corner spaces or sloped roofs will benefit from a bespoke wardrobe from IQ Furniture who offer a free design service. For the ultra-tidy, a wardrobe with clear glass doors will present your clothing collection beautifully, but make sure that you keep your clothes in order.

A Transitional Entrance Space

Somewhere to settle into the home, take off coats and leave wet shoes. Creating a calm and minimal entrance to your home encourages the sense of sanctuary you will feel as you leave your day behind and enter the house. Ensure its minimalist credentials with a modern door with clean lines and free of fuss. The Porto front door from Urban Front offers a classic front door design with clean lines. Choose a straight stainless steel D-handle for an effortless design.

A Place to Truly Relax

(that is not your bed). A decadent bathtub, reading nook or comfy chair; a home needs somewhere that you can escape from the world. With dramatic lighting and large freestanding bathtub, this bathroom design creates a cave-like sanctuary within a home. Get your own tranquil home spa from Watermark Bathrooms.

A Connection to Nature

If your home is blessed with outdoor space make sure the inside and outside truly merge. Porcelain tiles are the best way to achieve a congruent internal to external floor finish. These timber effect tiles from Exterior Solutions can be used inside with matching external grade tiles outside for immediate merging of space in a minimalist approach.

A Natural Light Source

Having as much natural light enter your home as possible is proven to be beneficial to mental and physical wellbeing. Create a clean minimalist design with slim frames and floor to ceiling glass, like this modern renovation from IQ Glass . Even clearing obstacles to your windows and cleaning them can make a dramatic difference to the amount of light coming into your home.

A Functional Desk Area

Even if you do not regularly work from home create a minimal space that you can organise bills, write birthday cards and use the computer. A desk chair with good back support and a clean, uncluttered desk with good lighting is all that you need. The fortunate will have a separate study or home office that allows you shut away from the world and work.

Technology that Doesn’t Intrude

Allow yourself to truly unplug by hiding your technology away. This TV and Media unit from IQ Furniture includes sliding panels that can cover up your TV screen when not in use. Technology can still be a major part of a minimalist home. Get rid of the clutter of remotes with an unseen smart home technology or control your lighting with seamless wall switches.  

Something you can’t Throw Away

Whether it’s your favourite book, a vintage chair, a piece of art or a special gift, there will always be at least one piece that goes with you from season to season, from house to house. It’s those little details that make a beautifully designed house a true home. Even minimalist design can’t interfere with sentiment.

Tell us what would be on your ‘must have list’ for the minimalist home.

@SHDesignCentre