Minimalism vs Simplism
Simply the best
Minimalism has a bad rep. It evokes images of gallery-white walls, harsh lighting and plenty of nothing, but minimalism goes far deeper than just empty spaces with uncomfortable furniture. At its core, minimalism is about stripping away superfluous features until you’re left with the bare essentials. By eliminating all distractions, you are free to focus on things that are truly important, whether that be music, travel or whatever. If this sounds like an ad for joining a monastery, you’re not far wrong. The best minimalist interiors, such as those designed by John Pawson (who did in fact design a monastery), have a warm, calming atmosphere which can be profoundly meditative.
Minimalism as a lifestyle is also highly aspirational. For those who live messy lives, the hope is that decluttering the home will declutter the mind. In reality, living without distractions takes a lot of discipline and, like nirvana, is hard to achieve. It is also boring. Visual and physical stimuli are essential for promoting pleasure and creativity. Let’s face it, stuff makes you happy. Is there a middle ground for those who wish to streamline their lives without living like monks? The solution is simplism. Recommended for aspiring minimalists and recovering maximalists alike, simplism is about discarding (almost) everything but keeping the nice stuff. By “nice” I mean beautiful, functional and well designed. Everybody will draw the line differently, but here is my guide:
Go Geometrical
A great middle ground between the straight lines of minimalism and the decorative flourishes of maximalism is to look for furniture with striking geometric shapes. The Edge Dining Table from Milla&Milli, with its angular legs against the rounded tabletop, the Gruuve Sofa from Moroso and the Bold Side Tables from Sancal are great examples. Their clean lines honour the spirit of minimalism whilst the juxtaposition of contrasting shapes offer a dose of visual interest. As an added bonus it is easy to put different pieces together to create a coordinated look.
Colours of Nature
Like minimalism, simplism instils an atmosphere of calm but without going the full cold turkey of cold white walls. When choosing colours for your walls and furniture, take your cues from nature and go for warm tones of earth, sky and sea. In practice this means you should embrace the beauty of beige (and greige) and resist the temptation for feature walls. If in doubt, have fewer rather than more colours and go lighter rather than darker.
Restrained Material Palette
The adage “less is more” is particularly pertinent for your material palette. Avoid the extreme of using just one material - a room with wood on every surface will look like a sauna and a room with concrete everywhere will feel like a prison cell - but do limit your palette to a handful of materials and reduce the variation in finishes for each. You could, for example, have all the kitchen and bathroom counter tops in a single type of marble, all door knobs and cabinet handles in the same metal finish and all built-in furniture in the same wood finish. This approach is particularly helpful in making small spaces feel big.
Layered Lighting
Good lighting is like fine wine, with layers of flavours creating a harmonious symphony. A simplist lighting scheme consists of three layers. The base layer contains lights which provide the basic illumination for the room. Since this is essentially a background function, the lights themselves should be minimalist and discrete. However, instead of boring ceiling spot lights go for the Infinito Wall-Suspension Light and Anima Floor Light from Davide Groppi. Both are barely noticeable and work by deflecting light off the ceiling or wall, bathing the room in a warm, even glow.
The mid layer is all about using pools of light to create different atmospheres to suit different tasks. Here the lights should be both functional and decorative. The sleek and demure Helios Table Light from Ghidini 1961 has a tiltable lampshade, which makes it perfect as a bedside table light; whilst the Lens Oval Wall Light from LZF combines the warmth of natural wood with a mirror, which makes it ideal for the hallway or dressing room.
The top layer consists of lights designed to highlight the main focus of the room. This could be a sculptural pendant over the dining table, such as the Play Suspension Light from Utu, or perhaps a shapely floor light to highlight the sofa, such as the Set Up Shades Floor Light from Moooi. The design of such lights can be a touch more flamboyant, since their job is to draw attention. This layer should be applied sparingly though. We are trying to be simple here and you don’t want to create too many highlights in a single space. Too many prima donnas spoil the opera, as they say.
Storage
For disciples of the minimalist cult, decluttering means getting rid of stuff. Simplist folks are a bit more lenient. You are allowed to keep your stuff, as long as you put only the most important (beautiful) items on show and store the rest out of sight. When it comes to storage solutions avoid open shelves and don’t pile up your stuff in the spare room - that’s a cop-out, not a solution. Go instead for closed cabinets in bold geometric designs, such as the Basalto Cabinet from Medulum and the Giunone Sideboard from Mogg.
All Hail the Hero
Last but not least, simplism is about creating calm, soothing spaces which are stimulating at the same time. So go on, have some fun! But not too much fun. Apply hero pieces in eye-catching designs strategically to create focal points for your space. This could be a dramatic work of art, or perhaps something that showcases your hobby. For those who don’t have the means for an original Picasso go for an item of furniture or lighting with a standout design, such as the Partitina Ping-Pong / Dining / Working Table from Lava, the Luci d’Oro Malagola Suspension Light from Catellani & Smith or the Secant Jug from Atelier Polyhedre. They are sure to get conversations going.
Whether you’re a minimalist, simplist or maximalist, we have the perfect design furniture and lighting for you on www.do-shop.com.
As a fan of Minimalism, Simplism is an easy sell for me. Great piece.
Time for a ....... Partitina !!! 🏓🏓