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Minimalism is sometimes suspected of capitulating to the more sterile pressures of the urbane. This aesthetic is associated with the interiors of metropolitan spaces rather than the great outdoors, partly because of its bold primary color scheme and crisp rectangular forms. Influenced by modern architects like Van Der Rohe, it also privileges dramatic use of steel and glass elements. This sounds potentially hostile to the disorderly beauty of the natural environment. But making the best use of very simple design principles can be counter-intuitive, and some fears of rigorous minimalism are misplaced. There is a very intuitive relationship with the environment at the heart of the aesthetic governed by Buckminster Fuller's rule, "less is more." This has to do with the generous use of white space, also called negative space. A successful use of white space can create a sense of tranquility that evokes sublime silences usually found in the great outdoors. In a room this well designed, images of nature are hardly out of place. Negative space is challenging to create for any home. The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright radically redesigned residential structures to avoid the confining effect of interior walls and bring spaciousness indoors, an innovation known as open planning. Although Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural style was all his own, in homes like Falling Water he demonstrated that a fluid, organic decorating scheme can exploit many of the functional virtues of minimalism as well. It's hard to escape the influence of minimalism in contemporary home decor. As a design principle, it has influenced 20th century art of all kinds, and consumer product lines like Ikea and Braun conform closely to minimalist tastes. In many ways, the fundamentals of minimalism are good design principles to know even if clutter feels like an organic quality of your use of space. Looking at your space as a whole is essential. You can avoid blocking doors and other passageways by keeping furniture parallel to the walls, an arrangement that should create a feeling of agreement and simplicity. Using the living room to display your best art is usually a good idea. The study is perhaps the most difficult room to keep free of clutter, but doing so can help make the room both more restful and more conducive to work. What makes interior design challenging applies to any aesthetic regime. Finding a comfortable, coordinated and well-balanced arrangement for furnishings and decor takes trial and error. Where clutter frustrates movement and promotes a very sedentary use of living space, minimalism celebrates open spaces and promotes comfortable activity instead. Natural elements like standing plants and outdoor scenes in wall art can still be very much at home in minimalist-influenced contemporary home decor. Minimalism also favors the influence of Japanese art and design. Japanese decor can complement natural elements such as plants with a spare but homey way of flattering organic forms. Nature subjects in Japanese painting are especially delicate and full of feeling. Here in particular a little goes a long way. Much of modern home decor has been influenced by Japanese art, which can add significant warmth to a minimalist decorating scheme. Introducing natural light into spaces that would be more open with fewer light fixtures in favor of an uncovered window can have a softening effect on a room dominated by black, white and grey decor. The iconic geodesic dome created by Buckminster Fuller exploits natural light in a bold, experimental way that illustrates how readily high technology and bright, open spaces can come together. This striking image has been a formative influence on modern home decor. Bringing images of the environment into your home can be about expressing personal values as well as enjoying the presence of natural beauty. Unobtrusive design principles and a preference for timeless, useful decor are aesthetic rules that respect resource conservation both functionally and as expressed values. High technology has an important place in this aesthetic too, but keeping the amount of room allocated to electronics use in perspective to privilege white space has a wonderful effect on the way time at home is used.
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