There is nothing better than decorating your home with trendy minimalist living room ideas. Why not start with the room you spend the most time in? The truth is, you need to tweak your living room now and then.
How we feel is greatly influenced by what we see. The same is true about the interior decor, especially the living room. Your home will glow with new life, and your everyday life will have color and vibrancy.
Most people go overboard with decorating and end up spending too much money. This is where minimalism comes in. To create a distinctive and unique living room on a budget, these minimalist living room ideas will be perfect for you.
The task of decorating a home is quite challenging on its own, let alone trying to choose eco-friendly décor. You don’t have to worry; we’ve done all the research for you. Use these minimalist living room ideas to decorate your home with beauty and style. You will surely find something here that appeals to your taste, whether you want an earthy or vibrant look or a sleek black-and-white aesthetic! You can turn your renovation dreams into a reality with the ideas in this article.
Minimalist Living Room Ideas for a Sustainable Home
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to experiment with different styles, colors, and lighting when you can repurpose what you already own! Here are some minimalist living room ideas to get you started.
1. Small apartment size
Taking center stage in a small living room is the perfect way to showcase minimalism. With the help of artfully selected pieces, the design becomes harmonious, and even mismatched colors find a rhythm when you put them alongside similar shades. Grey sofas and coffee tables paired with black picture frames and lamps, as well as a faux fur rug, create a gorgeous contrast!
2. Maximize natural light
In-home design, and orientation play a crucial role, says Eric Carbonnier, a commercial architect building an eco-friendly house. The rooms you use most often during the daytime should be placed so they receive the most sunlight. If you are starting from scratch, put them in a location that receives the most sunlight. Using warm and illuminated areas can help you conserve energy.
When you’re redesigning an existing living room, make the most of natural light and arrange your furniture carefully. An armchair looks cozy in a dark corner, for instance. If you read by sunlight instead of a lamp, you will use much less energy.
3. Organize and declutter
You must first declutter your surroundings before you can practice minimalism. You can only achieve this if you’re willing to let go of stuff you don’t need. As a first step, rethink your living room essentials, i.e. what you need. Do it at your own pace.
The best thing to do is to write down what you need. Start ranking them based on their importance once you’ve completed that. Once you have done that, try to get rid of them as much as you can starting at the bottom. The remaining items are your essentials.
4. Neutral dried plants
The next thing I have for you is an amazing neutral-dried botanical bundle that you can’t resist. Whether displayed alone or in a vase, it will bring elegance and minimal drama. A touch of nature and sophistication is effortlessly added to your space with this bundle of dried pampas grass. Instead, how about some greenery?
When new to minimalism, many people wonder, “How minimalist is too minimalist?” This is entirely up to the individual. Some take it to the extreme and others prefer a moderate approach. A living room with blank spaces might not appeal to you if you fall into the latter category.
Fill blank spaces with potted plants to stir up some inspiration. Consider plants with more leaves that cover a larger area. As a result, your living room will have a more natural vibe and draw attention without being too overbearing.
5. Silver symmetry
Featuring grey shades and silver accents, this modern yet minimalist design makes an impression with its symmetry and balance. The living room will have a natural look thanks to a richly finished wooden background. Harmony reigns supreme with this minimalistic living room idea.
In addition to feeling balanced and harmonious, symmetry is pleasing to the eye. A symmetrical arrangement does not have to be identical; you can have two oatmeal-colored sofas as mirror images and the rest by using a more fluid arrangement. With this approach, symmetry takes on a more sophisticated and high-end appearance.
6. Energy-efficient heating
You’ve probably argued with someone about the thermostat. (Maybe you had a dad who responded with, “Put on a sweater” when you asked for the heat to be raised). It was really about “thermal comfort” – whether a space feels warm or cool to you. Heat and cooling account for 55% of household energy use, so finding eco-friendly ways to make your home more comfortable is crucial.
Oil, natural gas, or propane are the most common fuels used for heating in U.S. homes. The carbon dioxide released when we heat our homes in this way contributes to global warming. Energy use in the average household in 2019 released 17,320 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
RELATED: Energy-Efficient Homes: 12 Strategies for Lowering Your Energy Consumption
7. Decor and furniture
Reusing what you already have is one of the most enjoyable parts of home decorating. Some minimalist living room ideas include transforming an old dresser into a zero-waste TV stand or using a side table from your bedroom as a coffee table. Before buying new furniture, consider its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of a bed frame shipped from Asia is likely to be greater than one made close to home.
Take your materials into consideration as well. When it comes to zero-waste living rooms, wood is a sustainable material that can be used. Make sure the wood furniture you are purchasing is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
An independent audit of FSC-certified wood confirms that it was harvested without using hazardous chemicals or destroying old-growth forests. When you search for furniture online, you will find FSC-certified products.
8. Keep your color scheme neutral
Despite its simplicity, minimalist living room ideas are not flashy. When redesigning your living room, choose neutral or mild colors. In the world of minimalism, grey usually does a good job.
You may want to try a dual-color combination if that isn’t working for you. White and navy blue, for instance, go well together. It is also good to combine pink with gray, navy blue with yellow, and white with violet. If you want to add some color to your walls or furniture, you can use these combinations. The result is a beautiful contrast, which pleases the eye. It is important to maintain consistency.
9. Use smart storage
There’s more to minimalism than throwing things away. The goal is to create a sense of simplicity and ease. If you can arrange your belongings in a way that keeps them out of sight, you don’t have to get rid of them. The key to smart storage is to keep things organized. You can minimize your living room’s clutter by purchasing furniture and accessories that act as storage units. The possibilities are endless.
Cable managers, for example, are a necessity for an average person who owns a lot of electrical appliances. A sofa, a couch, or an ottoman that has a built-in storage space also works well. By limiting the amount of furniture in your living room, you’ll save some money, as well as reduce the amount of storage units you need to buy.
10. Wall art
It is possible to add interest to a minimalist room without adding clutter with a simple script quote on a white background. By adding art to a space, we transform it from a functional room into one that is comfortable, safe and feels like home. There is a feeling of completion when you have art on the wall. Furthermore, it brings a sense of warmth and character to the environment.
When buying a piece of art, ensure you shop from zero waste stores and get wall art that has meaning for you. You could include places you’ve been or activities you enjoy. A landscape picture might induce joy in someone who enjoys hiking, for example.
11. Trendy throw pillows
Minimalist living room ideas can involve you having trendy throw pillows. You can customize your comfort level by choosing between feather down or down alternative inserts. Best of all? They come in a wide range of colors to complement any space and add a touch of style to any room. Your living room will become a daydream with these pillows! Your couch will be your favorite place to be.
12. Natural vases
It’s impossible not to fall in love with these incredible geometric vases made of natural wood! You will never be able to display dried botanicals the same way again. They not only add an eco-friendly style to your coffee table decor but they are made from recycled and sustainable mango wood. What’s even better? You can get them for a very reasonable price!
13. A large sofa
Cream, beige, and pale rose colors lend this design an air of simplicity. A neutral-colored L-shaped sectional stands alone atop an unchanging landscape, capturing plenty of attention with its neutral hue. Neither a coffee table nor a console can diminish its grandeur! It is worth weighing your options carefully before jumping on this stylish bandwagon since such large pieces can limit flexibility when it comes to allowing foot traffic to flow.
14. A large chimney
There is a sense of both comfort and chic in this home. Dark features such as the chimney and large sofa contrast sharply with vibrant geometric patterns embroidered on blankets draped over accent chairs in the spacious living room. There is plenty of natural light coming through the high glass ceilings, illuminating the striking contrast between the two. This design is truly unique thanks to its glossy concrete floors and stylish yellow rug.
15. LED lights
Lighting should be as energy-efficient as possible in a minimalistic zero-waste living room. According to the DOE, LED lights consume 75% less energy than incandescent and last 25 times longer. Be sure to choose LED light bulbs that are Energy Star certified.
Then where do you put those LED lights? Reclaimed wood and FSC-certified wood are both sustainable options for lamps. Another material worth considering is bamboo. Lampshades made from this material are particularly popular.
Last but not least, lamps or light fixtures made from recycled glass are beautiful and sustainable. A beautiful pendant light from Bicycle Glass is made entirely from recycled glass, both pre-and post-consumer. Additionally, Swayze recommends buying light fixtures secondhand.
Final Words
We appreciate you taking the time to read this article on minimalist living room ideas. Hopefully, we helped you come up with some creative ideas for your next living room renovation. Let us know what styles, colors, lights, and organizing techniques work best for you by coming back to this article and trying them out yourself.
