I have always been a fan of the minimalistic Scandinavian interior design. The cleanness and simplicity really fascinate me, and, in my opinion, it never goes out of style. Especially your apartment can easily look cramped with furniture if you do not have enough space. The mantra is “less is more” but that does not mean to downsize your furniture to a minimum but more to think about the rightness of what is there.
Get inspiration
Thanks to the Internet we can get inspiration on the go. My favorite website or app is Pinterest. On the one hand it can be really frustrating because everything just looks soooo beautiful and I am a person who cannot easily decide, I just love too many things.
On the other hand, it is an amazing tool because you can create personalized boards with your favorite items. For instance, you can create boards for each room, furniture elements or accessories.
Make your house a home
Although I am convinced that a room with less furniture automatically looks bigger, the minimalism decor can easily seem a little “cold”. As you want your home to be a place where you enjoy spending your time give personality and creativity more space. By adding meaningful items it will make your apartment look more interesting. Do you possess antique or precious pieces of furniture or accessories you got inherited and you don’t know what to do with them? If done right, the combination of old and modern can add that special something (see below):
Especially for the minimalism style it is important to look out for natural color schemes like white, beige, black or grey. If you mix too many colors, it can look messy and cluttered.
Another tip is to choose a similar color for large pieces of furniture (e.g. sofa, bed, table). Smaller items like pillows, paintings, plants or accessories can then add a subtle touch of color.
Deciding on sustainable furniture
For sure the most sustainable and less expensive way is to buy used furniture on different market places like Tutti or Ricardo.
If you decide to buy new products think about investing in eco-friendly furniture brands. These brands are paying fair wages to their employees and are also cutting down carbon emissions. If you buy wooden furniture look out for the certificate FSC which indicates a sustainable forstery.
My favorite marketplace is Etsy. You can buy everything from jewelry, clothing, to paintings and also furniture from local shops around the world. Not only do you have the possibility to buy unique, handmade or reclaimed furniture but also you support local shops. Especially in the current crisis these smaller brands are reliant on help the most.
My personal 3 favorite shelf storage ideas:
Getting the most out of the furniture by saving space and looking stylish. Think about giving everything you own a specific place in your own home.
If you don’t have a drawer under your bathroom sink, an easy and less-expensive way to use the storage below is to install a tray for your towels.
By adding a small shelf the space above the radiator can be used efficiently. The best thing about it is that it will not take up any additional space in the room
A shelf at the top of your hallway can be nice way to store your belongings.
Do you have any other interior tips for apartments with less space? I am happy to hear from you in the comment section below.
Thank you very much for this good ideas. The minimalistic design is a good option for keeping your interior clean and it also makes a room ‚bigger‘.
Thank you for your inspiration. Simple ideas for have more storage space 🙂
Looks good!
Hey Stella, thank you for sharing your information. Great work! Looking forward to hear more from you!
Hi Stella! I really love minimal furniture and decor, especially because you don’t have to move around too much furniture and objects when cleaning up 😀 my favourite style is the one that combines scandi furniture + wooden elements, so classy and timeless. Thank you for another super interesting post, keep going!
Hi Vero, thank you for your comment. Exactly with the minimalism interior you have more to enjoy and less to deal with 🙂 Happy you liked it.
Stella, I love your post! Thank you so much! Even though I have been living in my current apartment for almost a year, I still have a lot to furnish. Your tips will help me with that. What I also find great is to put a big mirror on the wall in a small room. That makes the room seem bigger.
Hi Anja, thank you for your comment. Oh yes very good idea with the mirror!! 🙂
Hi Stella,
Great post! I love the shelf storage ideas.
They are easily installed and make such a difference. I’ve just pinned a sink shelf storage idea at pinterest so I’ll keep remembering. Thanks for your inspiration!
Cheers, Corina
Loved reading your thoughts on a minimalistic approach to furniture but therefore also life, Stella . Thanks for the inspiration!
Cool inspiration, Stella! As my room in my shared flat is not that big, I am really happy to have drawers under my bed, which are huge and can fit all of my towels, bed sheets and clothes without problems. The shelve ideas are very decorative, would love to have one or too in my room as well!
I love so much Scandinavian interior design and can’t wait to furnish my house! I’m also a big fan of combining old and modern! Thank you so much for your tips, I’ll come back to them once I’ll move 😀