If you have been keeping up with design and decor trends over the past 3 or 4 years, you will be familiar with the latest fad: minimalism. Figures such as Marie Kondo and Netflix shows like The Home Edit have taken the UK and USA by storm with their clutter-free approaches to home living and white/pastel colour palettes. 
 
There are, however, a lot of misconceptions about the term minimalism. Quite simply, it’s about living with intention. To be a minimalist—or have a minimalist home design—does not require you to only own 100 items or less. You can keep your car, and your job and that ‘colourful’ painting your six-year-old did at school and still feature a minimalist design in your home. 
 
In this blog from The Plastic People, we are going to think about minimalism in a new way. It’s 2023, after all, and we all need to add some more variety to our lives! We are going to explain and discuss 5 great tips that will provide you with the eye of a minimalist - without breaking the bank. 
 
Here at The Plastic People, we are big fans of the DIY and home crafts scene, so most tips will focus on activities you can complete at home with ease and only a small budget for materials. It’s time to keep your sofa, put down the sledgehammer and implement some small changes that will have a dramatic impact on your home and lifestyle! 

1. Thinking about Colour  

Now, before we enter our discussion of all things colour and design, we want to set one thing straight: your minimalist home does not have to be white. There, we said it! If you want a blue wall, paint your wall blue. Are you a big fan of dark greens? Get working on a feature wall in your living space!
 
After extensive research, we can confirm that colour is not necessarily a bad thing. Colour is vital for brightening a space—especially if you are limited in terms of windows. A light blue, or even pale yellow, can really help breathe life into a dark room. The important thing is that you choose a colour to match your furniture - or vice versa. You do not want to create an eyesore in your main living space. 
 
The focus on white/concrete aesthetics is a result of the Nordic/Scandinavian fads, but these are not the be-all and end of minimalist homes. Minimalism gives you the freedom to mix old with new styles and really get creative with your home. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out Pinterest to see what colour combinations work for you! Click here to visit our Pinterest account. 

2. Kitchens and Bathrooms

We’re breaking the mould yet again. When you search for ‘minimalist home ideas’ or something similar, the web pages that are returned usually focus on your living room, study or bedroom, so we’re going to think about those ever-important and functional spaces: your kitchen and bathroom(s). 
 
Updating kitchens and bathrooms is an expensive task. You might have to replace appliances, respray cupboard doors, maybe even retile. But, we don’t all have the funds to do and, quite simply, takes an awful lot of time. So, guess what, we have a solution! 
 
And here is when the cost-effectiveness of our tips really shines. Creating a modern/contemporary mosaic or similar tile design in your kitchen or bathroom is incredibly expensive. We have two solutions for which are substantially cheaper (and easier to install). The first is for those who are working with no budget at all: buy tile stickers. These are simple, square stickers you can place over any old tile to lift into the 21st century. 
 
The second option—and our preferred route—is to go grout-free! Do away with the tiles or mosaic altogether and get yourself a cost-effective plastic backsplash. Typical backsplashes (granite, marble etc.) are extremely expensive and heavy materials, while acrylic is lightweight and cheap. It has the additional benefit of being able to be cut to any size/shape and, thanks to modern-day technology, is available in almost any colour imaginable. 
 
Acrylic splashbacks are typically shatter-resistant, heat-proof and can you use your DIY skills to install them—it usually just takes a bit of plastic adhesive/glue. We have a long history of providing customers with acrylic splashbacks/backsplashes in a rainbow of colours. You can get an instant quote by heading to our website now! Click here to do that. Now!

3. Decluttering  

This is the driving force of minimalism: less is more. We don’t mean dramatically less; you still need chairs to sit on after all. ‘Less’ is a very subjective term: what constitutes ‘less’ for me will likely be different for you, and this is something to keep in mind when decluttering. 
 
The ultimate question to ask yourself when trying to remove items from your house is: will my life change without this object? If the answer is yes, then, maybe you should consider keeping hold of that item, but if it has no bearing on your lifestyle, chuck it! 
 
There are a bunch of guides out there to help you declutter and reclaim your life from ‘stuff’. A good way to get started is to make the act of cleaning into a personal challenge. For a month, we want you to be committed to removing items from your life every day. On the first day, get rid of one item. On the second day, two things can go. On the third day, three things are seeing the inside of your bin. And so… until you live a clutter-free and happier life!  

4. Pictures and Framing  

The easiest way to lift a space, or bring in a small splash of colour, is with artwork or personal photos. Thanks to the Internet, we can all become our own art curators and find pieces that suit our style and taste within the click of a button. Hanging pictures can be a daunting task--especially if they cost a pretty penny--so we have yet another solution to decrease the cost of framing artwork and remove the anxiety. 
 
We’ve already mentioned the sheer versatility and effectiveness of acrylic as a material, and here it offers us a helping hand once again. Acrylic (Perspex) is ten times stronger than glass, but it is as see-through as glass. Basically, you can get a more durable glass-like product on the tightest of budgets. What’s not to like? 
 
Again, there is the added benefit of our bespoke and made-to-measure services. You do not need to worry about finding a frame to fit your picture/art when one can be made for you! Acrylic frames are easy to install, and we supply all the fittings. Find out more by heading to our website or clicking here. 

5. Upcycling Furniture  

Second-hand shopping sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are great, but we want you to stay away from them! Simply replacing old items with new items does not help you lead a minimal lifestyle or declutter your home. Upcycling is the answer to all our problems, and it’s cheap! I’m starting to see a theme here… 
 
Upcycling is a wide-ranging term for numerous activities. It could include simply adding a new coat of paint to a furniture piece, or you might go all the way and replace components, reupholster the whole shebang. How you want to tackle upcycling is entirely up to you, but remember: you can always update your old furniture before looking for new pieces. 
 
If you have furniture that is particularly bad shape—it has scratches or chips on its surface, for example—we have a cost-effective solution for that too! Acrylic (there it is again) is the perfect material to use as a desk, dining table or side table top. It can be used for outdoor furniture too. Available in a range of colours and finishes, you can give your furniture a whole new life with one simple sheet of acrylic. Click here to find out how. 
 
That brings us steadily to the end of this blog on minimalist home design ideas from The Plastic People. We hope you learned a thing or two and are now ready to tackle the big task that is home improvement. 
 
If you have ideas about topics you would like us to cover in future, please get in touch! We can be found @barkstonplastic on Twitter and Instagram, and our Facebook page is @theplasticpeople.co.uk. 
 
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