Over the past couple of years, I have seen a steady rise in minimalism online. I just have to say to the internet… you can’t force me to be a minimalist.
Minimalism as described by Merriam-Webster dictionary is a “style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.” A great example of minimalism in the sense of art is Ellsworth Kelly’s, Red Yellow Blue II. The painting is one of his largest, made up of several panels with one panel of painted black that is said to join all of the colors together while also separating them. Ellsworth Kelly’s whole catalog of paintings is said to be what the movement of minimalism is supposed to be about—simplicity but having an overarching abstract idea.
However, this kind of art is not what I have been having a problem with, but rather how we’ve seen it displayed in home decor.
Anytime I am on TikTok, Pinterest, or any social media app I am bombarded with the new wave of minimalist home decor. So many titles on the visuals I am seeing are boasting about how minimalism has changed their lives or improved it in some way. I have to be honest and say that what I have does not seem like something I would love, and any other person I know would love. The decor is always stark white or beige of sorts; there are limited items and it overall does not look like a “lived-in” space.
The most prominent example I can think of, in the past couple of years, is when there were videos and pictures of Kim Kardashian’s house floating across the internet. She has what can be described as a monochrome style of home decor- or as she says a lot in interviews about her and her home: very minimal. Not to hate on her at all. She does give a reason as to why her house is the way it is (to separate the chaos of the outside world and give her peace); however, the house does have a very sterile feeling in my mind. The images of her stark-way hallways devolved of any signs of life gave off a creepy feel in my opinion. To me, the hallway looked to be that of a horror film.
I must admit, I may be biased because I have been raised on the opposite end of the minimalist spectrum. Growing up, I can only describe the houses I was raised in as maximalist. So to me, a home, or the standard of home decor, is a house with a rich and earthy feel. Having colorful walls, paintings, or even pictures covering every wall of a house is my norm. I want to see a space that looks lived and not what I can only describe as your local dentist’s office.
I must turn a question I have to the reader. How do feel about the rise in minimalist home decor?