Minimalist Design Features

Of the popular design styles or techniques that get used for designing a kitchen, one of the most chosen is the minimalist design technique. You may have seen it and liked it but not been able to pinpoint exactly why you like it. Or, you may have been told that it is popular and that others like it and you want to make use of it in a home you are going to sell. Either way, knowing a little bit about the traits that make a minimalist design will help you. In this article we will look at what characteristics your kitchen (or other room) needs to have to be considered minimalist.

What's in a Name?

Actually, often times the name of something gives an indication of its features or characteristics. The same is true with the style of design known as minimalist.

As the name indicates, the design style is "minimal" in that there is not an overabundance of any one feature. Each aspect of the design is kept simple and straightforward. There are not a large number of the following design elements:

• Colors
• Furnishings
• Textures

By keeping the colors, textures, and furnishings simple, the design does not grow past the point of the basic things that are necessary to complete the decor. Thus, the presentation remains minimal; true to its name.

Minimal Color Palette

When it comes to color selection, choose a color palette that does not work contrary to the goal of keeping it minimal (or simple). What does mean? Simply put, it means keeping the number of colors to a minimum. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that you cannot have more if you want them. Rather, it simply means that the fewer colors you choose to use, the more simplistic your room will look. And this is the exact goal for which you are striving.

Keeping Furnishings to a Minimum

This aspect of the minimalist design is perhaps among the most important. Keeping the room free of clutter means making sure that you select your furnishings carefully, thoughtfully, and with purpose.

Keep the focus of the minimalist design on simplicity by incorporating functional furniture and appliances into the design. By choosing functional furnishings, you reduce the number of items needed to furnish the room. For example, having a built in range will reduce the amount of "visual clutter" - particularly if it has a smooth top on it.

Functional cabinetry, and plenty of it, will also allow your design to remain simple and appealing while providing you with storage for items that would be visible in other design styles.

Minimizing Textures

Texturing is also important when it comes to creating your minimalist kitchen design. The visual simplicity achieved by keeping your surfaces "minimal" in nature is a contributor to simplistic look and feel of the minimalist design style.

Just because you want to keep it minimal, does not mean that you cannot have some patterns in your surfaces. However, many designers feel that solids are more favorable for minimalist design styles. As a result, quartz surfaces are among the favorites chosen when designers begin selecting surfaces.

Quartz Surfaces in Minimalist Designs

Unlike natural stone, engineered quartz surfaces, tend to be less dramatic in the color differences they contain. Granite and other natural stones have many vibrant colors in the visual textures of which they are composed. However, for the most part, quartz materials have less contrast in the colors that make them up. There are bright colors available in quartz collections, but they are usually solid colored surfaces.

Quartz is also beneficial for minimalist designs because it is functional. Its nonporous surface means that it is easy to care for. This is a plus for use kitchens. However, it means that if you are doing the install, you must be sure that the glue you use is formulated to be a glue for quartz materials. These kinds of glues are designed to work with materials that have certain properties.

In the end, minimalist design means sticking to the basics and using the elements of design in such a way that you keep the overall look and feel of the design looking clean and simple. Minimal designs tend to have a crisp, sharp look that appeals to many that choose it as a design style for their kitchen or home. Knowing the basic elements can help you achieve that outcome with your design.