Minimal luxury, also known as Minimalux, is inspired by the minimalism design movement. But knowing how to achieve it at home on a budget can be difficult. There are plenty of ways to get that perfect Instagrammable look at home without breaking the bank, so if you’re looking to turn your living room and bedroom into a neutral and tranquil sanctuary, we’re here to help.
We’ve catered to every budget to let you get the inside track on this must-have look for 2021 interiors. So whether you’re looking to learn how the professionals do it, or you want inspiration to put your own spin on the trend, let PartyLite guide you.
What is Minimalux?
Modern minimalism takes its influences from American art movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s. New York-based artists pioneered designs and artwork that were totally stripped back to reveal their simplest and cleanest forms. In Europe, it’s possible to trace minimalism back through to the Bauhaus movement, which prioritised usability over aesthetics. The impact of these artists has transformed the way people think about design, and you can still see traces of minimalism through its various progressions. These include Scandinavian interiors, Japanese architecture and a mix of the two that creates one of its latest forms, Minimalux.
Minimalux takes the clean and clutter-free aspects of minimalism and adds a layer of luxury in order to achieve comfort at home while looking glamorous. Think Japandi evolved, think hints of gold, think indulgent bed covers and you have Minimalux.
While Minimalux is all about looking good, a main feature is about making you feel good at home too. The two rooms that you spend the most time in are also the most important for rest, relaxation and mindfulness - your living room and your bedroom. We’re going to give you the best advice on achieving Minimalux interiors in these two rooms. But first, let’s get inspired.
Find Your Inspiration
We love taking inspiration from designers and Instagram accounts that reflect the Minimalux trend. These are people that have taken minimalism and added huge layers of opulence and luxury to the way they think about creating indoor areas.
Nathan Lindberg is a German designer who takes his influence from the original minimalists of the mid-20th century, the furniture he creates is made without screws and other modern components. His Instagram account is full of Minimalux style that focuses on neutral and natural tones throughout.
Image from: @nathanlindbergdesign
Akin Atelier are an agency based in Australia who have created spaces for some of the biggest retail, residential and corporate names across the world. Their beautiful Instagram feed shows off some of the designs they’ve worked on.
Image from: @akinatelier
Oslo-based Katerina Dima runs the Only Deco Love blog, and her Instagram feed is full of Scandi and luxury inspiration that you can take for your home. Not only will you be jealous of the beautiful city she lives in, but we love the aesthetic of her cosy home.
Image from: @onlydecolove
Based in London, Charlotte King’s blog Le Petit Fika is full of interior tips and news. Scrolling through her Instagram that is full of photos of her apartment that has been dressed in a mix of mid century modern and minimalism is a perfect way to spend half an hour.
Image from: @lepetitfika
Living Room
Having a small amount of material possessions is a key aspect of traditional minimalism. But in the case of Minimalux, we’ll look to take that principle and adapt it to luxuriate your living room. There are some simple techniques that interior experts use that you can implement to see some immediate overall results at home.
In terms of your budget, one thing we recommend spending a large portion of it on would be repainting the walls of your living room. Calming and neutral shades are important here, and they’ll help make the room look as big as possible. You should aim for soft tones of white and grey to light up your living room in order to add your hints of luxury later. If you have a television, you can help it blend into the background when it’s switched off by painting the wall behind it jet black, so it’s not a distraction.
A key principle of minimalism is in having the least amount of possessions possible without making your own life difficult. On the other hand, the environmental aspect of it means that you shouldn’t be creating waste to achieve your ideal outcome. On that basis, you should be upcycling or opening a toolbox to DIY at home wherever possible and using those techniques to elevate furnishings and décor so they can look their luxurious best.
Key furniture items can be revamped to look like their more expensive and elegant counterparts with a little TLC. This blog teaches you how to do it without spending big on a new piece. Stick to the neutral shades of the rest of your living room where possible, but don’t forget to add those hints of luxury. There are plenty of shops on Etsy that sell gold door and drawer handles that you can buy for little, that will transform your furniture pieces in a big way.
If you have some walled artwork that you love, in order to elevate and magnify it in your living room, you should try and declutter all the space around it. This includes moving pieces of furniture away from it wherever possible so you can draw as many eyes towards it when people visit your home. In terms of your furniture, the lower it is, the better for the same purpose. Allowing people to see across the whole room means they can take it in without obstruction and also stretches the versatility of whatever décor you use to their full potential.
Don’t forget that fragrancing your Minimalux living room carries importance too. You should marry this style with an aroma that’s rich and smoky but isn’t too intense. You don’t want to overpower the room, but it’s important to make a sophisticated statement nonetheless.
Bedroom
As per the living room, if you’re looking for simple and quick ways to upcycle existing furniture, you can do this by repainting them in the shades you want for immediate results. In terms of the general colour scheme, try and stretch the budget from your living room wall paints into the bedroom for consistency wherever possible.
If your budget allows, we recommend that you invest in Egyptian cotton sheets. The reason they look and feel so good is because of the length, strength and softness of their fibres. When purchasing these bed clothes, it’s important that you aren’t taken in by companies that claim their sheets have a percentage of Egyptian cotton in them. You should always aim for 100%, as that means they’ll last longer and will feel that much better on those lazy Sunday mornings in bed. There are many ways to dress your bed in ways to match the aesthetics of your room, you should look to match the luxury cotton material with opulent style where possible.
It’s important that you’re looking after these sheets once you’ve purchased them, they’re your luxury item after all. The more you wash, dry and iron Egyptian cotton sheets the more comfortable they become.
How to look after Egyptian cotton bed clothes
- Cold and gentle wash cycle with one tablespoon of baking soda.
- During the rinsing process, add 250ml of white vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser.
- Don’t wash with any other items, zips or buttons could damage your sheets.
- Choose a gentle detergent with no bleach. Only use half the amount that you’d normally add to prevent it damaging the fibres.
- Dry naturally outdoors or on a clothes airer indoors.
- If using a tumble dryer, use a low heat. Avoid using drying sheets and use wooden drying balls as they’re gentler on the cotton.
There are some basic techniques that interior designers use to create a minimalist look in bedrooms. It really is as simple as making sure your bed and any wall art is perfectly aligned in the middle of your room where possible, symmetry is an incredibly important aspect of this theme.
It’s important that you can breathe easily for a better chance of sleeping through the night and to help you, plants are the perfect way to get more oxygen into your bedroom. You don’t even have to be the most green-fingered person in the world to ensure that they stay at their healthy best, as some plants are drought-friendly! In terms of aesthetics, you should look for plants that can be displayed anywhere throughout the room and will thrive in a well-lit luxury space.
Our favourite luxury bedroom plants Ease of maintenance
Silver Dollar Plant - drought-friendly Easy
Forest Rubber Plant - air-cleaning Easy
Peace Lily - wilt when they’re thirsty Moderate
Boston fern - safe for children and pets Hard
In terms of finding the right fragrance, a blend of light luxury is a must. Your room is your sanctuary, and a natural and floral aroma will be the ideal complement no matter the time of day, complementing it with the right décor that fits with the style of the room is just as vital as the scent you choose.
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