I've always found it difficult to accurately express my interior design preferences in words. I'm drawn to neutral colors, wood and stone textures, and keeping spaces bright, but I'm not actually a minimalist. I love filling open shelves with beautiful objects or stacking books high on a coffee table, but these are by no means cluttered spaces.
Perhaps the term that best sums up all the aspects I love about design is a relatively new term to me. It's a “mini Marx”. It's an idea that seems to be defined by a softer, less structured approach to minimalism in interior design, one that embraces the textures and shapes that I love most.
Minimaluxe was discovered during a recent renovation of my workspace (a studio in an old Victorian house with beautiful and noble proportions), when I was putting together decorations as part of a collaboration with home decor brand Wayfair. We have considered the guiding principles.
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Interior writer and stylist
Luke is an interior stylist, writer, and award-winning blogger who specializes in luxury design with an approachable twist. Here he gives a tour of his space, a studio designed with Livingetc's mini-Marx principles in mind.
Wayfair has an incredible range of decor to explore, no matter what your style, so it wasn't hard to find items that reflected our idea of mini luxe in a sophisticated way.
Here's how I interpreted the Minimarx trend in the studio's designs, and what I learned about this warm minimalism in the process.
1. Subtle contrast is important
(Image credit: Luke Arthur Wells)
The secret to a good Minimarx scheme is contrasting textures that make the design feel richer and layered without changing the colors too much. In my designs, this manifests itself in ideas such as layering beige travertine stone with the wall color that almost perfectly matches it, or choosing Wayfair wicker chairs that are a few tones away from the wood for the center table. I am. Use something like black for more contrast.
This is a relatively monochromatic color scheme, but the use of texture makes it attractive and interesting even within this limited palette.
2. There is beauty in imperfections
(Image credit: Luke Arthur Wells)
The Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi is based on the idea that there is beauty in imperfection, which is reflected in this type of minimalism. It is something that can be introduced through carefully selected decorations. Pottery with irregular surfaces or unfinished or scratched pottery is my favorite.
The same goes for furniture. Wayfair's large solid oak table has a distinctive wood grain that will develop flavor and patina with use.
While browsing Wayfair, I also found a new texture to introduce as a unique, minimalist decor scheme: papier-mâché. Handmade vases and bowls look like ceramics, but they are rougher and more textured than clay pots and vases, embodying the irregularity and imperfection of wabi-sabi that I love.
3. It’s not just about tidying up.
(Image credit: Luke Arthur Wells)
While the traditional idea of minimalism may be about paring down design, it's a scheme that never intends to delve into maximalism, but it's a bit more forgiving in what it allows.
Instead, the philosophy is to let you edit and curate what you love while displaying it. For example, in the center of the table, I have my current favorite interior design books lined up. On the other hand, I chose a glass-fronted cabinet to display my favorite objects. This is a space where you can change and evolve the feel of the room. . It still needs some organization (and look how much of what I have is disorganized), but nothing too serious.
4. These minimalist spaces must be comfortable
(Image credit: Luke Arthur Wells)
Designing a minimalist space is the perfect exercise in sensory design. In contrast to the usual strict minimalist aesthetic, incorporating luxurious yet cozy materials and adding a sense of fullness is what sets this decorating idea apart.
Bouclé remains an interior design trend with this minimalist vision, complementing one side of a table decorated with wicker chairs for a softer approach, for example, while adding lightweight sheerness to windows. A simple and understated decoration with fabrics can be very effective. Soften your windows without overdressing them or blocking out precious light.
5. Organic forms work beautifully.
(Image credit: Luke Arthur Wells)
There is a psychology in the shape of objects that suggests that curved or soft lines are more familiar, relaxing, and create a sense of security than hard lines. That's why the curvaceous interior design trend I've been enjoying for the past few years is still alive and well in this minimalist design.
The room itself has no remarkable architectural features other than high ceilings. As such, these small organic shapes introduce ways to disrupt the linear nature of space.
(Image credit: Luke Arthur Wells)