How To Tell If Your Home Is Minimalist Or Just Boring

Pick up any guide to minimalist decor and you'll find various combinations of phrases similar to "neutral shades," "clean designs," and "limited furnishings" repeated throughout. Considering this, you may hide your bold and loud decorations and opt for a simpler theme that doesn't scream chaos. Alas, in your quest to plan the perfect minimalist space, you may get rid of everything that lends your interiors a little bit of personality and makes it feel curated. This mistake will cost you dearly, leaching your home of life and turning it boring. To ensure you don't commit this design faux pas and wilfully transform your abode into a bland museum, we sat down with Erika Dale for an exclusive interview.

Shining light on what defines this home design, House Digest's interior design expert and founder of Erika Dale Interior Design explains, "Minimalist home design embraces simplicity, tranquility, and functionality in an effort to create a calm, peaceful environment with an elevated, sophisticated aesthetic." But how can you make your rooms look elegant instead of lifeless? She elaborates, "This light, airy design style does not have a lot of extra embellishments, but rather relies on a few very intentional items chosen to be showcased with little clutter or distraction." Simply put, the trick to mastering the minimalist design trend without making things boring is to select your limited decorations with care (just ascertain they don't blend in with the walls) and let them do most of the talking.

In her exclusive interview with House Digest, Dale details the most common pitfall supporters of minimalist home design fall prey to. "Unfortunately, so many people miss the nuance of a successful minimalist interior, thinking simply that the less is more theory is all that goes into it," she says. "However, these static, one-note spaces that lack any color, texture, or personality can quickly become sterile, generic, and downright boring."

So, even though this design trend might seem like the easiest of the bunch, balancing elegance with simplicity can often feel like a tightrope. Display too much and your interiors will start veering into the maximalist zone. On the other hand, removing all signs of life from your house will give you a space that's essentially boring. For instance, just sticking to neutral color palettes or using mass-produced furniture that lacks all character will make for a bland house. Moreover, if you don't add memorable touches to your rooms, like family pictures, souvenirs from your travels, or emotion-invoking art, your space will feel cold and uninviting. So, always ensure you design your home intentionally with colors that spark joy or mirror your personal taste and pieces that speak to you.

Highlighting a few ways you can make your minimalist home design seem exciting, Dale says in her exclusive chat with House Digest, "It's crucial to build a minimalist palette layered with a mix of texture, materials, and tones to keep the space feeling dynamic and interesting." This is especially important if you're hoping to curate an understated room with a hint of elegance. "If you are creating a quiet luxury minimalist space in all neutrals, it's extra important to inject texture, material, and tone variation to keep things exciting," she shares. 

But if you don't really like earthy tones, use colors to your advantage to put a fresh spin on the minimalist design trend. "It is also a myth that minimalist interiors must be neutral, as incorporating color can be a fantastic way to elevate a space from blah to beautiful," our expert continues. You can even use metallic accents (sparingly, of course) if you wish to design a unique space.

You also want to be mindful of the decor pieces you display around your house. Dale agrees and mentions, "Additionally, successful minimalist homes rely on a small number of really unique pieces to carry the aesthetic weight of the whole space, so choose your artwork and decor wisely." However, don't hop over to your nearest Ikea yet. To score unique pieces at a low price, try out your local thrift store or visit a garage or estate sale. "Original art, handmade sculptures, and quirky one-of-a-kind pieces with a point of view are going to contribute far more impact than a generic mass-produced piece placed there just because it [fits] the minimalist vibe," she suggests.