Minimalist Design Ideas For Your NYC Apartment

Most Big Apple residents would agree a regular NYC home isn’t something you’d call spacious. Of course, we’re not talking about high-rise studio apartments on Upper East Side or anything similar. Don’t forget NYC isn’t just Manhattan. Anyway, what can ordinary folks do to increase space in their (mostly crowded) apartments? We’ll take a guess and say you’re eager to find out the answer to that one! No worries! In the article below, we’ll introduce you to a couple of minimalist design ideas for your NYC apartment. Stick around for some pretty useful info!

A (quick) introduction to minimalism: simplify your life

We’re guessing some of you might know this, but let’s mention it anyway. Minimalism is an informal philosophy and a stance against some of the crucial aspects of our society. If you’ve heard anyone saying: less is more, you’ve probably met a minimalist. Since we live in a so-called consumer-oriented economy, we’re pretty used to the fact that we own many items or consumer goods, most of which we don’t really need. The main minimalist agenda is to reduce the number of our possessions to a bare minimum. In other words: one should only own that which is necessary. Let’s see how do people apply this stance to their NYC apartments.

Since we’re living in a consumer-driven economy, it’s not hard to guess we have a lot more than we actually need.

Downsize and buy smaller furniture

This is one of the essential minimalist design ideas for your NYC apartment. Take a thorough tour of your living space. Are there any pieces of furniture you find pretty (for lack of a better word) useless? Will you rather enjoy some free apartment space instead of that age-old sofa no one even sits on anymore? It might be time to think about saying goodbye to some pieces of your home’s inventory. If you’re emotionally attached to particular items and don’t want to throw away or sell them, we’ve got a solution. Find a perfect space for your belongings in NYC in the form of a storage unit. After a while, if you get tired of the minimalist setting, you can always take them back into your apartment. Anyway, once you get rid of old and spacey furniture, you’ll want to buy smaller pieces that are as functional as the pieces you’ve stored somewhere or sold.

Hang meaningful pieces of art on the walls, but don’t overdo it

You might’ve seen apartments like this one: every square inch of the living room wall is covered with picture frames. Can a person appreciate a single piece of artwork when a dozen other pictures occupy the space around it? We’ll leave the answer up to you. Anyway, a couple of meaningful art pieces on your walls should be just enough. Find those that capture the energy of the room. By overdoing it, you risk making the place look like a cheap antique shop, and that’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid by introducing minimalism to your home.

Doesn’t this look better than most living room walls you’ve seen? As the saying goes, a picture’s worth a thousand words.

Find yourself a bed with built-in storage (and other bedroom tips)

Another neat minimalist idea you can implement is to buy yourself a bed with built-in storage. That way, you’ll eliminate some other pieces of furniture and free up some space inside your bedroom. Also, while we’re on the subject of bedroom furniture, a simply-designed night table is the way to go. It has to be functional yet small and good-looking. Ever since the early XX century, form has been losing the battle against function. Nowadays, it’s not that hard to find a nightstand that combines both.

Towards a neutral color code

Every chapbook on minimalist interior design you’ll find will tell you the same: strive towards a neutral color code for your place. Flashy and bright colors just don’t do it. For example, a faded pink might be the tone your apartment has been waiting for. Neutral colors work with any furniture style, and people seem to never get tired of them. Also, do you agree that, for some reason, maximalists are obsessed with bright, “screaming” color codes? Minimalism prefers subtlety over excess.

A neutral color code might be the best solution for your soon-to-be minimalist apartment.

Bonus round: Why does minimalism make your life easier?

Imagine you’ve decided to move. The smaller your home’s inventory, the more nerves you’ll save during the process. The hard-working, fun-loving crew at usantini.com told us this in secret. Of course, we’re kidding a bit. It’s no secret your relocation budget will be smaller if you don’t have much stuff to transfer. Even if you choose to go DIY, owning and carrying less will make your life easier and your move less stressful.

Minimalist kitchen, anyone?

Last but not least, let’s talk about you making yourself a minimalist kitchen. The kitchen areas tend to suffer most from our need to own too much. Just think about how much of your kitchen inventory you really use. We’re guessing that half of your kitchen appliances haven’t seen the light of day for a long time. That’s why you should declutter. Only keep the items you use and are attached to. As we’ve said, you don’t have to throw anything away. Just move it to storage. You can call this a low-budget kitchen renovation if you will.

Final thoughts on minimalist NYC apartment design ideas

Let’s do a quick recap of minimalist design ideas for your NYC apartment. First things first, you might want to downsize. Holding onto the stuff that doesn’t belong in your apartment anymore isn’t healthy. Instead of the old furniture that you’ll throw away or put inside a storage unit, buy smaller, more functional pieces. Also, try not to cover your whole wall space with pictures. A single meaningful framed picture can do as much and even more. Obtain a bed with built-in storage. Choose a more subtle color tone for your walls and furniture. Lastly, try decluttering in the place where that action is needed most – the kitchen!