THE WRONGHEADEDNESS OF MINIMALIST DESIGN
The space around us has a huge impact on the quality of our thoughts and ideas. The “less is more” philosophy encourages simplification in surroundings by removing clutter and distractions in order to bring out more purpose and meaning in our lives. Minimalist interior design is built around this idea, with its modern and elegant look, emphasizing open spaces and a neutral color palette. The goal is to help people stay organized and focused, but does it inspire creativity? Absolutely not. The minimalist aesthetic is all about creating an environment with simple furniture, open spaces, and calming colors yet by doing so, it leaves little room for the boldness and self-expression that fuel creativity. Dr. Mahmoud, in Minimalism as Concept in Interior Architecture Design explains “Minimalist living is really just a starting point for authentic living. We need open spaces – blank canvases – upon which we can occupy ourselves more deeply with the art of living.” However, these blank spaces actually limit creativity by stripping away the very elements that inspire and engage.
Interior design is made up of many elements, but minimalist rooms are defined by their open space and very little furniture. The pieces of furniture that are there are simple in design, often made from natural materials, in a neutral color palette. Loud patterns or textures can not be used, as the structure must be sleek, with clear smooth surfaces. The furniture in minimalist spaces must be functional and uniform. Straight lines that help create a sense of order and calm may promote focus and efficiency, however it does not do much for creativity. Creativity comes from being inspired by the things around us. In a minimalist room, with its sparse furniture and lack of personalization, there’s little to spark that inspiration. An artist’s creative momentum greatly increases by having supplies accessible like an easel, paint, or artwork on the walls. Decorations that represent passions fuel creative ideas, but are not allowed in a minimalist room. Similarly, it would be creatively beneficial for a musician to have instruments or sheet music to smoothly get into a creative mindset. Without personal interests or items that inspire that individual, a minimalist room would feel more like a space for work than for imagination.
Space around the little furniture must be open and plentiful to be considered minimalistic. For example, a bedroom might consist of just a dresser, bed, nightstand, and perhaps a bench depending on how large the room is. These would also be very simple and elegant, nothing too personalized. If this room also was used as an office, a small desk and chair would be adequate as well, but in a smaller room it would start to get a bit crowded. Good feng shui is important as these furniture items can not just be randomly placed in a minimalist room. Without a perfect flow of structure and symmetry, the balance sets off which is not allowed in a minimalist room .
The materials used in minimalist design are sleek and smooth, with lots of wood, glass, metal, and stone. In a modernist environment, materials that create a harmonious, distraction-free space promote a sense of calm and order, but when it comes to creativity, they fall short. The purpose of clean, straight lines in minimalist furniture is to create a sense of structure, yet it often feels rigid and uninspiring. As Hala Mohsen Mahmoud, an Assistant Professor of Interior Design, points out, “Free form uses irregular lines and curved lines to create a new language in design.” Unlike the predictable straight lines in minimalist spaces, free-form designs break boundaries of the space that confines us, creating room for new ideas and allows greater expansion of dynamic thinking.
Color theory connects the colors that we see around us and how they make us feel. The purposeful use of this color psychology can be seen in the feeling of serenity, cleanliness, and openness in a minimalistic environment. Neutral tones like whites, grays, and beiges are all used cohesively to create a harmonious environment that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. These colors allow for peace of mind but are not stimulative to get those creative juices flowing. Rather, constricting the person to keep their thoughts focused and not veer off to take risks and come up with unusual ideas. These neutral tones don’t inspire boldness as vibrant and distinctive tones energetically do. The differences between a minimalist room and one full of color is clear: vibrant spaces with dynamic patterns and textures help stimulate the imagination, while a neutral minimalist room restrains bold and creative ideas.
While minimalist design works well for creating calm, organized spaces, it stifles creativity. The lack of personalization, inspiring objects, and specific design elements makes these spaces empty and uninspiring. Creativity needs more than just a distraction-free environment, it needs inspiration, color, texture and room for self-expression. To foster creativity, spaces should be filled with things that spark imagination, challenge ordinary thinking, and allow breaking free from the constraints of minimalist simplicity.
References
Mahmoud, H. M. (2023). (PDF) form and structure in Interior Architecture. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328256439_Form_and_Structure_in_Interior_Architecture
Mahmoud, Dr. H.-T. H. (n.d.). Minimalism as concept in interior architecture design Case study North coast villa. https://jsos.journals.ekb.eg/article_225753_b862f35afd09da34e21df0f09c701d79.pdf
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
What’s the MAIN IDEA of your Introduction, lil.sapph?
I’m going to make bold the claims that seem to contribute to your thesis.
The space that surrounds us always influences the quality of our thoughts and ideas. The philosophy of “less is more” is meant to bring out the most purpose and meaning in ourselves and our environment by removing distractions and clutter in our lives. Minimalistic interior design is based off that philosophy. This style of interior design carries a modernist and elegant feel as seen in the layout of the room and the color palette. Its purpose is to increase focus and organization in the people who work in it, but can it negatively impact our creativity? Absolutely. Key identifiers in this aesthetic can be open spaces around simple furniture and very calming colors. According to Dr Mahmoud in Minimalism as concept in interior architecture design, “Minimalist living is really just a starting point for authentic living. We need open spaces – blank canvases – upon which we can occupy ourselves more deeply with the art of living.” These “blank canvases” are meant to strip our environments of distractions and focus on the raw simplicity around us, not allowing for any self-expression or an engaging environment.
Notice how much more space you allocate to others to make their case for the benefits of minimalist design. An inattentive reader might actually miss the point completely and think you were advocating for those “open canvases” that enhance our “authenticity.”
If you have ANY TROUBLE enforcing clarity on your argument, start by making a ONE SENTENCE summary of each paragraph. If you put together those sentences in the same order the paragraphs appear, they should function as a summary of your argument. If they don’t, . . . nobody will follow your argument.
One way to write a good essay is to actually USE those sentences to start your paragraphs. Expand on them just enough to fully develop them. If you start to develop a DIFFERENT idea in your expanded paragraph, start another paragraph.
Where’s the natural paragraph break in this longish thing?:
Starting with the composition of the room, there must be open and plentiful space around the little furniture it contains for it to be considered minimalistic. For example, a bedroom might consist of just a dresser, bed, nightstand, and perhaps a bench depending on how large the room is. These would also be very simple and elegant, nothing too personalized. If this room also was used as an office, a small desk and chair would be adequate as well, but in a smaller room it would start to get a bit crowded. While it is not just simply about the furniture, it is about what it does for us. While the furniture is essential, it does nothing for our creativity. Creativity comes from what inspires us, and there’s nothing inspirational about this simple furniture. Art, music, personal interests and things we enjoy doing, these create the personality in a room and spark creativity. If someone were interested in art for example, the optimal room for creative thinking would include perhaps and art table or even just some supplies and artwork hung on the wall. The same would go for music, except there would be instruments or even just some manuscript paper. Even if someone didn’t have any personal interests, anything considered inspirational to them would be more conducive to creativity than nothing at all.
SPEED FEED DAY: I’ve given myself a 15-minute deadline for feedback today in an effort to get through at least a “first pass” at more than 30 feedback requests in one day. Of course you may still receive additional feedback but only following significant (as judged by me) improvements.
10:30 Start
You’ve made the process of comparing your text from BEFORE my feedback of OCT 23 to the Revised text you’ve produced since almost impossible to accomplish in 15 minutes, lil.sapph. Had you simply REVISED your text instead of dumping an entirely new text into the job, I might have stood a chance. The job is not impossible, just much harder.
I’ll limit myself to what I said about the first paragraph.
—Doesn’t begin to make a claim of any substance. Will not attract a single reader though it might dissuade many from continuing.
—Doesn’t indicate author intent at all. You may cling to this noncommittal approach if you insist, but it will cost you readers. It would be SO EASY to hint to readers whether you buy this approach or disparage it.
—Nothing objectionable about these observations. Also nothing at all engaging. The philosophy “encourages” or “ignores”? The design “is built around” or “limits us”? Until we know you care, we don’t care either.
—YES! respond half of the readers who are still with you.
—I’m not one of them.
Absolutely not.
—Good. You have not been granted a license to fire off a loaded Rhetorical Question, but you did at least ANSWER it immediately.
—Either END YOUR PARAGRAPH HERE, or . . .
—END YOUR PARAGRAPH WITH THE QUESTION and ANSWER IT in the first sentence of the next paragraph, or . . .
—DON’T ASK IT AT ALL.
10:49
I overspent my budget. Please listen this time, lil.sapph. You’re a naturally talented thinker who wants to make the tiniest possible revisions to your work. I get that. But it doesn’t grade well.
I’ve scanned the rest of your paragraphs briefly, lil.sapph.
They start neutral and interject an objection two or three sentences in.
READERS SCAN FIRST SENTENCES.
Your objections are lost if they come too late.
MOVE YOUR CONTRARINESS TO THE TOP OF THE PARAGRAPH.