When it comes to decorating your apartment, what’s your style? Do you like a modern feel with a simple color palette and crisp lines? Do you prefer an industrial look to your home? Or, how about a traditional style with lots of accessories and dark woods?

One decorating style that is growing in popularity is the minimalist look. While it is sometimes confused with modern or Scandinavian decorating style, it does truly have some rules of its own that need to be followed. 

If you’re thinking of doing a refresh of your apartment style and considering going minimalist, here are some “rules” to keep in mind. 

1. Rid Yourself of Clutter: Getting rid of clutter seems to be really popular nowadays, thanks to Marie Kondo and her “Tidying Up” show on Netflix. But when it comes to the minimalist style, it is a necessity. You want to start by clearing all of the clutter from your home. Take everything off the counters, tables, shelves, etc. With the minimalist style, almost nothing is left “just sitting out.” 

2. Choose Neutral Colors as a Base: Light and airy neutral colors are used throughout your home when going minimalist. Think about using shades of white, beige, or the palest of grays. You want to create a clean look that inspires serenity. If you’re going to add any “accent colors,” they should not be bright and should also follow the neutral rules. Think tans, pale greens and yellows, or light blues.  

3. Quality Matters: One thing you will notice when looking at rooms designed in the minimalist style is that there are not a ton of furnishings or accessories. Therefore, you want to make sure that the elements you are bringing in are quality as they will definitely be well-used. 

4. If You Bring In Something, Get Rid of Something: Lots of people who start with a minimalist style do really well keeping the clutter out...for a while. And then items start creeping in, and you find that, once again, countertops and tables no longer have that clean look. That’s why it’s often recommended that for every new item you bring to your home, you get rid of one thing you currently have. This will help you more easily maintain the minimalist style. 

5. Texture is Important: Because you don’t have a lot of color variation throughout your home with this style, it’s very important that you bring in texture. Velvets, linens, suedes, beads, fringe, and other textural elements can be used to create dimension in the colors that you’ve chosen. 

6. Choose Storage that is Stylish: Since you do not have a lot of items out for public display, storage becomes a critical component in your decorating. You want to be able to hide the things that you still need in containers that still fit with the minimalist decor ideas. 

7. Opt for Simplicity: What it all really comes down to is keeping your colors, furnishings, and a few accessories simple. This is a design style where the KISS philosophy (Keep It Simple, Stupid) really does apply. 

The minimalist style is not for everyone. But if you think this is a design style you’d like to implement, it can certainly provide you with a bright, clean, and simple look that can make your home seem extremely spacious.