My Personal Aesthetic: Minimalism

If I had to lean towards only one aesthetic, I think I would lean towards minimalism (with some academic elements). I tend to favor neutral tones and decor, so the color palette associated with minimalism is really appealing to me as it mainly uses beige. black, or white with pastel accents. For my personal style, my closet is composed mainly of black, white, brown, and grey clothing items. For my interior decor style, I favor minimal clutter, everything to match a certain color theme, and very few decor items that may drastically oppose the neutral tones. My personal aesthetic has not necessarily come to fruition exactly as I like to envision (in neither fashion nor decor), but I always notice that this is the aesthetic I consistently find appealing and I hope that I can eventually embody the aesthetic more in the future. It gives off a feeling of organization or neatness to me, which I’m sure definitely plays into why I am so drawn to these fashion styles/interior designs.

I would say that my personal aesthetic draws on the Minimalism design movement of the 20th century. Minimalism appeared in the 1960s and was primarily expressed through art pieces. Minimalism focused on simplicity and clean lines, often using geometric shapes and limited colors (primary colors were commonly used). Ironically, I wouldn’t say that Minimalism would be a personal preference of mine for art styles. Although I love elements associated with Minimalism in regards to decor, fashion, and even lifestyle, if I had to look at art exclusively- Minimalism would not be my first pick, as I often lean towards Realism or Impressionism.

I think my aesthetic has been influenced by the close people to me, like family or friends. My grandmother’s style included a lot of bright colors, various decor pieces, and lots of patterns. My mother’s style was slightly similar to my grandmother’s, but with my dad’s style also influencing our household style, there was a combination of the two styles. Eventually, as my dad started some home-improvement projects, a lot of his style became the dominant aesthetic of the house. A lot of the bright colors were replaced by neutral tones, patterns were replaced with more solid colors, and a lot of modern and/or contemporary elements were incorporated. That being said, I think my style is a combination of my parents’ styles, with my dad’s style being the primary one I grew up seeing. Ultimately, what really solidified Minimalism as a style I liked was my sister’s house. Her house definitely stays true to the Minimalist aesthetic. Her furniture is gray, with black and white accents. She hates clutter, maintains a strict color theme, and really only has the “necessities” on display. Although to some it may seem bland or void of personality, I disagree. My sister’s decor has always been satisfying to me. It gives me the feeling of elegance and neatness.

 

I do aim to have my main project align with my personal aesthetic. However, since I am currently planning on using wood as my main material for the project, I have been leaning towards Organic Minimalism/Modernism. I believe aiming for such an aesthetic would better suite my materials while still fulfilling my own aesthetic. I have not finalized my decision quite yet, but so far, I am wanting to make a rotatable puzzle tray that has drawers for puzzle-piece management. I have found some tutorials/inspirations online, so I’m just trying to decide if I should just go for it!

 

Featured image showing another example of Organic Minimalism. Photo taken from [4] with the original source cited as Livingetc. 

 

References:

[1] https://www.stylebysavina.com/minimalist-outfit-ideas/

 

[2] https://www.instagram.com/savinaofficial/

 

[3] https://www.thelifestyle-files.com/minimalist-aesthetic-inspiration/

 

[4] https://www.rowabi.com/blogs/lab-of-wabi-sabi-blogs/organic-minimalist-interiors-design?srsltid=AfmBOoqX1dawRf-eo-wHVGvUQHPvYtG2Owd8y0nmTx5K9sVq-RO7-P1M