When we think of minimalist interiors, it's all about clean lines, an astute edit of furnishings and pale, monochromatic colours. Minimalism does not, however, need to mean a lack of colour, and there are ways to enjoy a minimal aesthetic but indulge a love of colour at the same time. Rose Uniacke is a minimalist, however she will often use colour in projects and paint walls and architraves in the same shade, explaining that if everything around you is the same colour, you can decide what you want to look at and what you want to see. Minimalism has a spectrum, as does maximalism, and there are plenty of maximalist interiors that also have spaces to pause and rest via the use of white paint or neutral, natural materials.
“The principles of minimalist design are those of restraint, and simplicity,” explains Joa Studholme, colour curator at Farrow & Ball, “but not necessarily the exclusion of colour. However, introducing colour into a minimalist home certainly requires thought to maintain a clean aesthetic.” There are considerations to take on board, such as Joa's advice that “warm tones are best avoided if you consider yourself a minimalist, as their soft nature will fight with a pared down aesthetic.” When it comes to minimalist decoration, Joa continues that “sightlines are incredibly important so take into consideration the colours in all your rooms and perhaps add just one accent colour which you can use in different ways in different spaces – remember, the key is to strike a balance between adding colour and maintaining the simplicity and clean lines of minimalist design.”
Paint colours
An obvious place to introduce colour to any home is of course via paint, but it is perhaps the most daunting aspect for a minimalist as it covers the largest surface area of any house and thus can have the biggest impact. This is why paint is so important. Interior designer Angelica Squire's advice is to start slowly: “If you’re new to dipping a toe into the colour world, a good place to start paint-wise is the Paint & Paper Library ‘Architectural Range’ of paints,” she explains. “It includes a collection of classic colours numbered from one to five, five being the richest of the range. If you’ve tested one shade on the wall and feel you want to increase the intensity, you can simply go up a number to find a better suited colour.”
Pernille Lind, an interior designer whose own house is a peaceful, minimal space, advises that “if you want to create a serene and calm space, then consider painting wood work in the same colour as the walls, avoiding contrasting or darker colours on architraves, skirtings, window sills and doors. Adding a different sheen level to the walls and the wood work will add depth and subtle variation, without it being about a colour difference between the two elements.”
This is advice echoed by Joa, who takes it up a notch. “A striking minimalist aesthetic can be achieved by the use of just one colour in a room,” according to Joa, but, and here's the more surprising part, “this does not have to be neutral. If you drench one colour on all surfaces including the woodwork you will create a strong uncomplicated space synonymous with minimalism.” Colour drenching has become hugely popular of late and it has a wonderful effect. The lack of contrasting edges keeps the sight lines free.
If you want to go even bigger and really embrace colour in a minimalist house, then Pernille's suggestion is to “choose a few key spaces such as cloakroom loos, small bathrooms or inside cupboards, where you add a more bold colour and then in the rest of the home in the main spaces, opt for soft neutrals and subtle pastels.”
Furniture and fabrics
Once you've solved paint colour choices – or decided that introducing colour in that way is simply too far for you – it's time to consider how our furniture, choice of fabrics and accessories can bring colour to a space in a meaningful, intentional way. “Cushions can be a good place to add bursts of pattern or colour if you’ve opted for a plainer sofa because you can move them around,” says Angelica, but “even better, if you’re having cushions made up bespoke, look to choose two differing fabrics for each side so that depending on preference you can turn them around.” One side could be neutral or monochromatic with the room while the other could serve to bring in a new colour that complements the space.
“Avoid going bold on larger pieces of furniture if colour is an area you are easing into,” continues Angelica. “Sofas and headboards are a big commitment, both financially and spatially, so not ones to enter into with any sort of uncertainty. Start with smaller pieces to begin with.” This could be a side table that brings in a touch of colour, or perhaps trimming a larger piece of furniture with a colourful border. A display of monochromatic unglazed ceramics – but in an accent colour – would be a lovely place to start as the textural element of such pieces would bring that raw, natural element to counterbalance any colour.
Interior designer, historian and colour specialist Edward Bulmer says of minimalism that the principle of “minimal intervention should seek to unite the materials that constitute the make up of your room, from the hard surfaces to any furnishings. The best way to do this," he continues, “is by considering the tonality before the colour.” According to Edward, natural materials like timber or stone – which are likely found in such spaces – “are best served by colours that draw their tonality from earth pigments – the ochres and black.” In practice, if you live in a minimalist house surrounded by natural materials, look to other colours in nature to bring in a pop of something new.
If it's all really a bit too much for you, then Angelica's suggestion is to start really small: “plants and flowers can be lovely way to add pops of colour around a room without investing in something permanent. Whether it’s a vase of hydrangeas (which dry out beautifully by the way, so don’t bin them!) or something like a potted geranium, you can be creative with different varieties and dial up or down the brightness depending on the occasion. Vases are a great place to have fun with colour too.”
This story originally appeared on House & Garden UK.
