The kitchen is one of the most stressful areas of your home. Every day, you struggle to get the cooking and cleaning done before the day ends. A minimalist kitchen design would help ease the anxiety that even thinking about your kitchen causes.
To understand minimalism in kitchen design, we must first understand minimalism itself.
The Minimalist Movement
Minimalism started as an art form in the early 1960s. Artists who were living in New York City became bored with the current art trends. They felt that art had become predictable and academic in nature. So they decided to shake things up with a new movement. The minimalist movement. The minimalist movement placed emphasis on the lack of identity. It wanted no ties to previously made art. As a result, it made use of large, geometric shapes and patterns. They evoked feelings of gravity and space in those who viewed them. Most minimalist drawings and pictures feature an amalgam of shapes such as circles or squares. Sculptures include simply designed rings, boxes, and lines. Minimalist pieces express a lot with very little. The resulting effect is relaxation in the viewer. You can sum up minimalism as “using a little to get a lot.”
Minimalism Outside of Art
The idea of “using a little to get a lot” caught on outside of the art world. Minimalist musicians use few musical instruments and chords, emphasizing what they do use. Minimalist writers focus on subtleties and a strong vocabulary rather than sweeping descriptions. Those who lead a minimalist lifestyle give away excess so they can focus on friendships and family. Likewise, architects who follow the rules of minimalism use few elements to convey a strong emotion.
Minimalism In Architecture
In the case of minimalist architecture, that emotion is calmness. Minimalist architecture takes form as well as principle from the minimalist movement. It uses large, geometric shapes and an absence of color to convey open space. In turn, that open space produces a calming sensation in those who look at it. That sensation lowers stress and anxiety levels. For that reason, the kitchen is the optimum place for a minimalist redesign.
5 Countertop Ideas for Your Minimalist Kitchen Design
A successful minimalist kitchen design starts with the countertop. It is, after all, where you gather your cooking and cleaning materials. It’s also where you’re prone to leaving your appliances and setting decorations. Let’s check out five countertop ideas that work for a minimalist kitchen design.
White, All Day And Night
Nothing says “big, empty space” like the color white. The color white is often used to represent purity. For instance, in film and literature, child characters often wear white dresses to emphasize their innocence. In marketing, white is used to emphasize simplicity, orderliness, and cleanliness. You often find white in logos and in-store layouts. Sales floors where information exchanges and bargaining takes place often include white as part of their color scheme. Visit your nearest phone carrier or car dealership and take a look inside. A white countertop resembles a blank canvas. It gives the illusion of a lot of space, and a lot of clean space at that.
Long, Uncut Pieces of Countertop
Big, geometric shapes were part of the original minimalist movement. It only stands to reason they work well in minimalist architecture. Long, uncut pieces of countertop give the same effect as white countertops. They create a big, empty space. For that reason, they are soothing to look at and clean. In contrast, cut pieces of countertop (such as tiles) create anxiety. They are very busy in appearance, with their prison bar-like lines and texture variations. Long, uncut pieces of countertop come in a variety of materials. Marble, granite, quartz, and glass are all common materials out of which to make countertops. Additionally, these materials tend to have a “washing” pattern on them. This pattern is reminiscent of ocean waves, which also have a calming effect.
A Pop Of Color
It doesn’t matter if you go with a white or patterned countertop. You won’t find a popping color in either. Modern design principles encourage a pop of color in all designs, be they logos or websites. The same goes for architecture. Your pop of color should be a small item, maybe a countertop decoration. Here, fruit comes in handy. Fruit is naturally very colorful. Bananas are bright yellow. Oranges are a sunny orange. Apples come in lively reds. A small, metal rank with a few pieces of your favorite fruit will work well as your minimalist kitchen’s “pop of color.” Additionally, you’ll have a reason to keep your kitchen stocked with healthy snacks!
Keep It Clean, Keep It Clear
Minimalism entails having as few items present as possible. Therefore, you should keep your countertop clear of all unnecessary items. After cooking, all dishware, silverware, and cooking tools should be cleaned and put away in cabinets or drawers. Bills and junk mail need a rack or stack elsewhere in your home. Likewise, keep hardware to a minimum. Unless you use your blender, coffee pot, and toaster every day, you should store them out of site. Additionally, take care to clean off your countertop every day. Leaving crumbs everywhere defeats the purpose of having a minimalist kitchen.
Low Lighting
Low lighting is a low-maintenance way to give your minimalist kitchen and its countertops a calming, ethereal vibe. You can achieve low lighting effects by installing one or two hanging lights above your countertop. Make sure these lights have a low-light setting that you can adjust at will. You can also install lights under cabinets that shine down on your countertop. These lights are smaller and cover a small area, so they have the same effect as low lighting.
Need More Countertop Ideas? Contact Us!
At International Granite and Stone, we’re passionate about high-quality kitchen design. We believe your kitchen starts with your countertop, and we offer a variety of countertop materials. Our selection ranges from glittering gemstone to classic marble.
For more countertop ideas, please feel free to contact us!
