Does Minimalism Have a Soul and Who Is This Interior Style For

Design project of an interior in minimalism style is always a challenge, but designer Studio 211 Varvara Ermoshova accepts this challenge with enthusiasm. It so happened that she loves creating minimalist interiors. Honestly. About how to do it properly, in our post.

Studio takes on implementation of various ideas and specializes in developing design projects for modern lofts, business-class apartments and elite residential complexes. What is the essence of minimalism?

Minimalism is a harsh test for professional suitability. As paradoxical as it may seem, working in the most concise style is very difficult for a designer. Here one needs to possess truly German composure, Dutch imagination and Japanese precision. 

The term "minimalism" is of English origin with Latin roots: when ancient Romans said minimus, they meant "smallest". An interior design project in minimalism style is characterized by the smallest number of expressive means. Only what, according to the designer's concept, is really necessary, appears in the interior. Minimalism emerged as a reaction to overabundance, as a challenge to society of consumption with its passion for ornamentation.

As paradoxical as it may seem, working in the most concise style is very difficult for a designer. Here one needs to possess truly German composure, Dutch imagination and Japanese precision. The motto of minimalism: "Less is more". This phrase belongs to German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who today is rightly revered as the spiritual father of minimalism. Mies van der Rohe was ahead of his time, designing "glass houses". It was his contemporaries from the modernist era who formulated conceptual foundations of minimalism in architecture and interior design. The rejection of ornamentation, putting function at the forefront, was supported by Dutch neighbors.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

In the 1960s minimalism formed as a particular style. At that time it acquired its own code of conduct. Dieter Rams, chief designer at the well-known household goods manufacturer Braun, stated that good design makes a product useful, honest and unobtrusive. And also: good design implies as little design as possible. This was later absolutely agreed with by Jonathan Ive – the man who created iPod's design.

However, let us return to interior design. On one side, today's minimalist designers consider their predecessors from America and Europe of the 1960s as their forebears, while on the other side, they are inspired by interiors of an exotic country where minimalism has always been practiced simply due to mentality: in Japan, a single bonsai pot is considered a sufficient decoration for an entire living room. This ascetic approach continues to be intriguing and desired for imitation.

In Japan, a single bonsai pot is considered a sufficient decoration for an entire living room.

If you think minimalism is soulless and sterile, you probably haven't seen worthy projects. Vincent van Deyzen, a fashionable Belgian architect working in minimalism style, once said: "I don't like minimalism". And now he constantly clarifies that his, so to speak, personal minimalism implies the presence of soul, sensuality and warmth. 

There is no dominance of things in van Deyzen's projects, yet they are layered. In such interiors one feels mental clarity, as if in a Buddhist monastery. This is minimalism with soul, minimalism for life – liberation from unnecessary and return to the roots.

How to recognize a design project of an interior in minimalism style? Meaningful emptiness

There is no minimalism without large open spaces, and in these spaces there must always be room for emptiness. Yes, luxury in its most elementary sense is excluded from minimalism, there are no chandeliers made of Venetian glass or Chippendale sideboards.

But there is something more valuable. Agree, it's easier to get hold of expensive items than to allow yourself to have square meters in an urban apartment completely free of everything. This is luxury! However, empty spaces should not evoke a feeling of neglect, abandonment or lifelessness. They must be meaningful emptiness – as natural as the emptiness of another natural landscape. 

Empty spaces should not evoke a feeling of neglect, abandonment or lifelessness. They must be meaningful emptiness – as natural as the emptiness of another natural landscape.

For example, consider how we designed an apartment in the "Serpuhovskiy Court" residential complex: even a casual guest, upon entering the large hallway, will see this space as lived-in. As Dieter Rams commanded, an interior design project implies an aesthetic dialogue.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

Only the essentials

A minimalist kitchen meets with a complete absence of accessories: even a magnet from Sardinia on the refrigerator is a terrible sacrilege. Furniture here is built-in, appliances are not visible. A person from the outside will not immediately guess where spoons are hidden or whether one can cook even a simple omelet here.

Choosing interesting textures

Strict lines and concise furniture are compensated for by the use of unusual textures: concrete, brick masonry, plaster, wood, textiles, glass and patination – designers work with everything that is interesting to touch and look at.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

Natural tones

White, all shades of gray – from Gainsborough to anthracite, beige, nacreous, natural wood, ochre, black. Minimalists paint the world with attention to natural palette. However, a bright spot may appear here as well.

Plenty of light

Light play takes the leading role because in a room where there's nothing for the eye to focus on, light nuances are important. Ideally, the author of a minimalism interior design project works with large windows that don't have to be hidden behind curtains, uses glass as a material for partitions, and pays great attention to local lighting.

Light play takes the leading role because in a room where there's nothing for the eye to focus on, light nuances are important.

Look at Studio 211's project in the "Big Yakimanka" residential complex. Abundance of light allows one to do without any ornaments. The space provides its inhabitants with a clean, uncluttered comfort, where one can breathe freely.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

Combination of natural and high-tech materials

Granite, travertine and marble, oak, ash and beech – natural materials are always relevant, nothing compares to their beauty. Metal and glass are widely used which actively interact with light beams. At the same time, minimalist designers approach new materials with lively curiosity – microcement, ceramic tiles, plastics – they select the best of the best.

Furniture "for everything and at once"

A thing that does not pretend to be multifunctional is almost doomed: on a minimalist interior design project, there's nothing for such items to do. The clear favorite here is shelving that fits storage of books, office supplies, souvenirs and award statues at the same time.

A thing that does not pretend to be multifunctional is almost doomed: on a minimalist interior design project, there's nothing for such items to do.

Between sliding and pull-out doors, the choice is made in favor of the latter. Furniture silhouettes lean towards simple geometric forms. Angularity is compensated for by smooth lines inspired by nature. Meanwhile, a single piece of furniture can look like a full-fledged art masterpiece, and some artifacts even acquired cult status. High-quality replicas of items from classic minimalism don't wait long for their buyers.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

Who is minimalism suitable for?

Minimalism resonates with those apartment owners who easily give away unnecessary clothes to those in need; those who successfully manage with just one multifunctional kitchen gadget instead of five specialized ones; those who prefer a canvas by a modern artist praised by fresh press over an abundance of photographs on the walls. 

In general, minimalism has every chance to appeal to everyone who practices the philosophical-mathematical principle "Everything should be simplified as far as possible, but not further".

Minimalism resonates with those apartment owners who easily give away unnecessary clothes to those in need.

And we would also recommend minimalism – as a modern and original style – to owners of apartments in complexes like "Garden Quarters" or "Skolkovo Park". When ultra-modern facades complement interiors, a sense of full harmony is created.

We had the chance to design the layout of an apartment in "House on Mosfilmovskaya" (the same skyscraper with two buildings, 53 and 34 floors, which in 2012 became a winner of Best Building Awards). Agree, in a skyscraper with a facade clad in natural stone and impressive glass area, classical interiors would look at least strange. The interior design project offered by us is based on a restrained color palette and simple volumes. Its uniqueness lies in various textures, geometric lines, and interesting combinations of finishing materials. On a calm minimalist canvas, shelves that look like wood, an original curved chandelier and an unusual countertop stand out expressively.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

Finally, we should note that minimalism has no connection with modest budgets. A worthy design project of an interior in this style implies bold spatial rearrangement (which implies expensive rough renovation), use of premium finishing materials, purchase of exclusive furniture and lighting. Minimalist adherents save exclusively on the absence of unnecessary things. They don't even think about saving on atmosphere and comfort.

Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211Design: Studio 211

On the cover: design project by Studio 211.