Image courtesy of Home Addict. 

Minimalism is a style that focuses on the simple things. It requires you to disregard everything else that can clutter your space, and prioritize the ones that really bring you joy. Some people are able to thrive by simplifying their spaces, and don’t need too much to be satisfied. A minimalist values clear spaces that lead them to have a clear and calm mind. 

If you’d rather have a roomy space rather than loads of things around you, minimalism is probably a great style choice for you. An uncluttered space can do a lot to make someone feel comfortable and relaxed. You’ll have that calm feeling you get when you’ve finally decluttered your space all the time. This look isn’t hard to accomplish. You can manage to keep your apartment clear of anything that can make it feel too crowded. 

You just have to figure out what’s important to you when it comes to choosing what you will keep in your apartment. Since you have an apartment, you will likely have more space than you would in a dorm room, even if it is a relatively small one. That leaves more room for clear spaces that will not be loaded with anything that is not necessary. When you’re decorating a minimalist apartment, you can still have fun with it. Minimalism doesn’t mean that your apartment has to be plain and boring, it is just best to keep the decorations to a minimum. Minimal items and decorations can make a space look fun and lively without overwhelming the space.

An apartment can be minimalist and still hold onto everything you need. When you look through all the things you have now, you might notice how many of those things are unnecessary. Only hold onto the things that you really need and care about to achieve the best results with your minimalist college apartment. Here are some tips on how to go about creating a minimalist college apartment!

How to Live Like a Minimalist

This lifestyle can be achieved in just a few steps.

When you’ve never experienced the minimalist lifestyle, you might think it could be a difficult adjustment, even if it’s something that you really want to do. But minimalism isn’t actually too difficult, especially if you find that it really suits your preferences. There are just a few things you need to focus on when you want to achieve minimalism. 

Buy Less

Minimalism is all about quality over quantity. Anything you buy can pile up and can fill up your apartment before you know it. Start to really consider whether or not you really need something before you buy it. Even if you really want something, if it doesn’t work for your minimalist space, it is best to leave it alone. There is a bonus— minimalist thinking will also save you a lot of money. 

Use Subdued Colors

Color is a big factor when it comes to decorating a minimalist apartment. Using too many colors can take a space from minimalist to crowded, even if your place is not actually loaded with things. Picking just a few colors to go on your walls and around your apartment will keep your decorations minimalist. Lighter, more neutral colors are ideal for minimalist spaces. Bright colors are best used in small bursts. Small decorative items can make a huge impact when used as accent pieces. 

Keep Your Apartment Clean

Cleanliness is an important part of a minimalist lifestyle. An unclean space won’t give off the minimalist vibe that you are aiming for. Anything that is out of place can make a minimalist room look too cluttered. It is best to keep anything you don’t need at the moment stored away in hidden spots around your room. And if anything is no longer useful to you, make sure to get rid of it. Keep this up on a regular basis so you can always enjoy all the space your apartment has left over.

Minimalist Color Themes

Earth Tones

Earth tones would work great for a minimalist apartment. They are warm, subdued, and relaxing. This type of color scheme can give us a taste of the outdoors while we’re cozy inside of our bedrooms. Browns, tans, grays, and greens are reminiscent of the ground, trees, and the clouds, and work very well when put together. You will feel connected to nature and to yourself when you fill your room with these earthy colors that encourage relaxation. 

Single Color Theme

A single color theme will work really well in a minimalist apartment. You can choose your favorite color, or simply one you’ll never get tired of, and place it all throughout your dorm room. This is a simple way to decorate that will bring you vibrant results. The color you choose should be used for almost everything, or you can contrast it with a more neutral or complementary color. If you choose the color blue, try and purchase blue sheets, blue comforters, blue rugs, and blue lamp shades. Choose different shades of blue for most items to give the room some depth. Add the color to your walls as well with a few colorful photos and paintings. If you go for this theme, your room will be fun and visually neat.

Using different shades of one color for most items can give a space depth. This theme will make your dorm room look colorful and neat at the same time. Leaning all the way into bright color can still be minimalist. The single color will also make your space look neat and give it a put-together feel, which is essential for minimalism. 

Two Color Theme

Two colors can look good when paired together. Two complimentary colors can be a minimalist way to add color into your dorm room. You can go with two subdued colors, two bright colors, or one subdued and one bright color. Any combination of colors could work well together based on your preferences. Once you decide on the colors you will combine, you then have to choose how to pair those colors together to look their best in your apartment. 

Neutral Colors

Neutral colors work great in a minimalist apartment. Using muted colors that can work with anything keeps a room feeling cozy and warm. These colors will keep your apartment from feeling visually crowded, which can make a space feel smaller and therefore more cluttered. Colors that visually expand your room will keep it feeling spacious. The peaceful ambiance you can achieve with this color palette will make it easy to appreciate simplicity. 

Accent Colors

One way to add color into a minimalist space is to use accent pieces. Instead of making the main elements in your room a bright color, you can fill it with many small objects of that color. A color can make a strong statement when used in this way without feeling overwhelming. The main elements in your room can be anything that looks good with the accent color of something plain. The pops of color will stand out a lot more when the main elements in your room are neutral colors. 

There are several ways to incorporate colorful accent pieces into your space. You can use throw blankets, throw pillows, storage containers, rugs, and even wall art to achieve bursts of color around your apartment. 

Minimalist Decorations

Plants 

Plants can add some color into a minimalist space. While plants can be a good way to decorate a minimalist apartment, as a college student, you might be worried about having the time and focus to take care of them. But luckily, that isn’t necessarily a big problem because some plants are very low maintenance and perfect for someone who spends a lot of time in class. Certain plants can very much survive and even thrive in an indoor space with little maintenance. 

Some of those plants include cacti, bamboo, ferns, and aloe vera plants. They will be just fine if you forget to water them for a while because of how they store water to survive in their dry natural habitats. Bamboo is another low maintenance plant that will improve your dorm room’s appearance, along with aloe vera. They can both thrive with just medium levels of sunlight, and many only need to be watered once a month. 

Wall Art

A tapestry can be a simple addition to your walls that can add lots of visual appeal without overcrowding your walls. You can find designs to suit all kinds of tastes when you’re looking for a tapestry. Many of them have mesmerizing patterns across them, though when you’re going for minimalism, you might like to go with some simpler designs. A tapestry is often used as a statement piece, so you shouldn’t use more than one per room. It is a great way to completely change the feeling of a room with minimal effort. 

Photographs are great for adding great images as well as fun memories into your college apartment. Make sure to keep the photos to a minimum though, and preferably confined to very little wall space. A limited number of nature, vacation destinations, or animal images can also work great on your walls. 

A painting can add a lot of character to your walls, while making a space appear polished and sophisticated. You can have a lot of fun looking for the right art for your apartment. A few large paintings can look good, and multiple small paintings clustered together can also be a great look. 

Rug

A rug is a decorative item that can add a lot of comfort to a home. The rug in a room should go with the color scheme used throughout the rest of the room. It should stand out and still tie the room together. In a minimalist apartment, you won’t want to use too many rugs, and especially won’t want to mix and match too many different colors, textures, and patterns in the same spot. 

Minimalist Necessities

Storage Trunk

A storage trunk is useful for a minimalist apartment because it keeps your clutter outside from view. Rather than have multiple small items sprawled all throughout your room, you can have them put away in a trunk and then place that trunk in a useful location. Anything that doesn’t need to be out in the open can be placed into the storage trunk. You can use it to store books, blankets, snacks and so much more. A storage trunk will do a lot to help your space be great. You can lock things away when you don’t want them in the way and even use it as a table or a footrest. 

Desktop Organizer

To keep your desktop neat, you’ll need something there to hold the small items you own. A cluttered desk won’t look minimalist and can lead you to feel bogged down rather than clear headed the way minimalism is supposed to make you feel. A small organizer for your desktop can hold pens, small pieces of paper, and other small items. It is convenient to be able to grab small desktop items from one spot on top of your desk or even your dresser. 

Lamp

Additional lighting can often be needed in an apartment, and so a lamp is often a necessity, especially for students who could be studying at all hours of the day or night. Sometimes you need a little more than the overhead light. There are a variety of great looking lamps you can place onto your desk or have standing on the ground. Choose a lamp that is simple and will fit into your minimalist apartment. 

A college apartment can potentially feel like a small space, and minimalism can help you expand it visually. And aside from that, it can help you live with a clear mind knowing that you aren’t burdened with an overabundance of things in your space. Mental clarity is worth keeping your apartment clear for!