Everywhere one looks around – a designer or creator is working on a minimalist design style. It is something that is focused on usage of space – and is simple and beautiful. The number of minimalist design options one comes across – makes it a popular and yet refreshing choice, that’s a wonderful contrast to the clutter and noise that one normally tends to experience.
Minimalism has been around almost as long as design itself. It’s a technique that ebbs and flows, but has remained as a classic style, making it a choice that almost always works.
The term ‘minimalist’ often colloquially refers to anything that is spare or stripped to its essentials. It is applicable to art, sculpture, design, architecture, plays and music. It began to manifest in post–World War II Western art and was most strongly associated with American visual art in the 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Structurally – the roots of minimalism as we know it today can be traced to a three key periods, according to a history of minimalist design by Oleg Mokhov for Spyre Studios :
1. De stijl art movement: Between 1917 and the 1930s, “de stijl” – Dutch for “the style” – pushed simple and more abstract ideas with a focus on color and form using lines, rectangles, white and black, and primary colors.
2. Architects such as Van Der Rohe: The post World War I architect used materials with clean lines, simple structural frameworks and plenty of open space.
3. Traditional Japanese design: When you think of traditional Japanese culture, simplicity and Zen may come to mind, these elements are part of their culture from clothing to pottery to everyday objects.
Today – minimalist design is one wherein the subject is reduced to its necessary elements. Minimalist architects and designers focus on perfect planes, elegant lighting, and the void spaces left by the removal of three-dimensional shapes in a design.
In actuality – minimalist design is not about adding intricacies, it is about taking away layers! In terms of lifestyle – minimalism is essentially the art of being able to comfortably, conveniently and aesthetically live with less. This may look easy but in reality it is quite tough. It takes skill, restraint and a whole lot of discipline.
So – if you are looking for a style that’s all about sophistication, elegance and crisp straight lines, go right ahead and add character to your minimal living space. The simplicity of it makes minimalism easy to incorporate into a number of other styles and trends. It is classic and classy. And timeless.
References : https://designshack.net/