Opposite Upcycle Aesthetic – Modern Minimalism Ball Shelf

In my upcycle project, I am aiming to create a rustic aesthetic that highlights imperfection and natural wood structures. My design and the material I have chosen are shown below.

Wood rounds, live edge wood slab, and sketch of my rustic design 

I would say that the opposite of this rustic aesthetic would be the modern aesthetic, specifically a more minimalist form of modern shown in the below images. This aesthetic is characterized by simplicity, functionality, and minimalism. This aesthetic has increased in popularity and is also considered to be a contemporary aesthetic. There is also a high priority in creating efficient, calming, and spacious rooms within a modern home. 

Modern Aesthetic in a home (1-2)

In modern, features have few embellishments and utilize monochromatic color palettes which are often black and white. This makes the aesthetic have a very sleek and simple design. The modern aesthetic also doesn’t highlight curved features very much so this results in a lot of corners and rectangular features. This differs from a classic rustic aesthetic because in a rustic aesthetic, features are often more natural and unfinished leading to an earthy feel.

If I were to change my athletic ball shelf to have a modern minimalist aesthetic, I would first change the materials I sourced. I would get woods that do not highlight their natural contours and rather get hard edged woods that are possibly laminated. The design would feature square shelves with holes in them for the different balls and a rectangular panel as the “spine” of the shelf. This shelf would look something like the image below. 

Modern Minimalist Ball Shelf

This shelf would also be one color, probably black, simplifying its design aesthetic. While this shelf still has the same features and function of my original design, Its visual appeal is very different. If I were to use the same materials that I have for this new modern shelf, I would make my wood round square and also make the panel have more square edges. I would also probably finish the wood with a sleek finish rather than one that brings out the wood’s patterns and color.

Images:

(1) https://www.ortalheat.com/blog/design-styles-a-look-at-modern-vs.-contemporary-interior-design

(2) https://www.home-designing.com/2016/07/3-white-themed-homes-with-striking-modern-minimalist-aesthetics