Some years back Dwell, I think, published an ultraminimalist house that had a core of closets that contained almost all the contents except the most necessary furniture. Even the piano was behind some doors. They opened everything as wanted or needed and closed it back up when they wanted the white empty box.

For the most part I love it, although those sofas in the last picture don't look very comfy.

Pip.....do you have land you are building on or are you looking for an existing house? Can't wait to see it when you are moved in!

The house could be minimalist architecturally, which involves a fair amount of expensive detailing, but the amount of contents can vary widely as needs change.

A house with no to minimal millwork, a recessed reveal at the floor and the bare minimum of different finishes and colors and ornament is still a minimalist house even if there are piles of junk in it. It doesn't necessarily need to be decorated in a minimalist form during it's entire life-cycle.

joaniepoanie, we bought a time capsule mid century modern. The house was marketed as a "tear down" when it was listed, but instead of tearing it down, we are committed to remodeling it. The location is admittedly much nicer than the house, but the house has great mid century bones. We started the remodel this week and it will likely be a 6-8 week endeavor just to get it move in ready, with the kitchens and baths to be completed down the road, after we've lived in the house for some time, but hopefully within the next year.

ineffablespace, that sounds really cool, albeit somewhat impractical. My husband makes fun of me as visual clutter makes me somewhat uncomfortable. I have to be honest that things like holiday decorations in my home bother me slightly and I look forward to taking them down because I don't like the visual clutter. I grew up in a home stuffed full of so many THINGS and skirted tables with 354 framed photos and bookshelves so full of stuff it gave me a headache. Any my family was very strict about the kids not touching the THINGS or breaking or moving it. I'm no psychologist, but I'm sure my minimalist preferences are a direct reaction to my upbringing and the value and emphasis put on THINGS in my childhood.

x-posted with camlan -- very good points about kids and minimalist decor. My kids are now a little older so they don't need as much gear as they did when they were babies but they still have a lot of toys, clothes and art supplies. I've developed good storage solutions that allow them to have all their stuff easily accessible. My girls will be sharing a bedroom with a great outdoor enclosed space where they can have toys and other playthings at their disposal and I'm not too concerned with that space. I want their room to be "their space" where they can be free to have their things on display if they like. I don't want to force my minimalist tendencies on them if they are pack rats at heart, although they seem to lean in the minimalist category, since we periodically donate or give away toys, clothes and objects that we don't use.

This post was edited by pipdog on Fri, Nov 15, 13 at 21:43

Pip....how fun...please post pics along the way!

The 3rd and 4th photos appeal to me, but for the most part, minimalist style seems cold and uncomfortable to me. I don't like clutter either but I like curtains, soft cushions, and some plush.

As far as it being family friendly, I don't think it is. With those uncluttered perfect compositions, any sign of living would stick out like a sore thumb, looking messy, all set against a high contrast white background. It's a formal showcase style of home. An adult environment, imo, and I think those adults also tend to be of a certain mindset, very ordered, and neat. Not all adults are tidy! Kids tend to be rather messy to say the least. Picture those rooms with toys and stuff strewn about and all their activities in progress. Add a dog with their wet nose all over the glass along with gooey handprint smears, stains on the upholstery, dirty hands on the walls and jams, fine breakables, etc. Don't forget the cat bombing around like a bat out of He!!, lol. Doesn't look good anywhere, of course, but more so in such a pristine and orderly environment.

When I look at various homes and materials, I always wonder about the maintenance. How is all that glass kept so clean? It's hard enough with regular windows and glass doors. There are self-cleaning windows these days but not sure if they are effective.

The older I get the more I like it.

I get tired of the visual clutter.

But I don't like the industrial look, as it doesn't bring on the relaxation feeling I want at home.

I think it would be very challenging to actually create a nice family home in a minimal style, mostly because I don't know how to do it. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of effort to have the few things be worthy of their existence in the space.

I say yes! I like most of your inspiration pictures and I can see any one of those designs in your new home with perhaps a toy, backpack and random sneaker thrown in for good measure.

I know you will choose not only beautiful pieces, but ones that are comfortable as well. So, yes, it can be family friendly, just not picture perfect.

Yes.

Everyone's house, no matter the style, looks better without clutter. And by clutter I mean anything that you don't intend to have in a room for functional or decorative reasons. Even the most layered eclectic room is not supposed to have the kids tie dyed sweatshirt left on the sofa, or cartons of girl scout cookies stacked in the hall.

The style of the home makes no difference to the issue of family clutter IMHO.

I never decorated my homes differently because of kids. The "worst" things that have ever happened to my decor both involved tipsy adults. Kids, no problem. I never even had a babygate at the top our long center hall staircase. (so shoot me).

Your beautiful home will be "family friendly" whatever you do. The girls's space ,especially in your climate, sounds like heaven!

I do not like clutter but love comfy chairs and sofas. I think that is what can bother me about minimalism. It seems I often see chairs and sofas that look very sleek but not comfortable. I guess comfort is different for everyone and some people find comfort in having the bare minimum and the very straight and sleek furniture.

I would say this is pretty much my taste and style. I surely would not say it was modern but decluttered. I am sure the curtains will bother many people who prefer the simple look.

mtnrdredux,

You hit the nail on the head!

Everyone's house looks better without clutter.

3 things strike me about the examples you posted.

1. The 2nd photo has one of your décor items over the FP, right? I love that piece.

2. The small wood or plastic chairs are not comfortable/cozy for family lounging.

3. There is almost no table lighting which makes lounging uncomfortable and the spaces cold.

I love the look but need some comfort items.

Sure, if you lean a bit more toward mid-century modern or just modern as opposed to strictly minimalist and look more at real rooms for living as opposed to rooms styled for a photo shoot. For example, the 2d and 3d rooms shown have comfortable furniture, some reading light and some colorful art work, even books. They are what I would term modern. The 13th photo is classic minimalist (and looks more like an airport lounge than a family comfortable LR)!

Number 2 is light and uncluttered but not as spare as 13. It is, imho, a room to live in while 13 seems more of a design exercise.

As a child I lived in a modest size MCM home my parents had built. It was furnished with some Paul McCobb and other modern furniture in LR and BR's and sofas my dad made from foam mattresses and platforms on hairpin legs in the FR. Wonderful floor to ceiling windows in LR , FR, and kit eating area with simple or no window coverings. Cork tile in FR and Kit, parquet in the rest with a few rugs.

My parents had 2 kids when they began the build then quickly added twins. Overall, the house functioned fine for us. We had toy storage (closets or toy boxes) and shelves for books. The kitchen was quite small and also housed a washer/dryer unit below the wall oven. I'm sure my Mom longed for a separate laundry area and an individual washer and a dryer when doing all that laundry. But the lack of frou frou made keeping the home tidy much easier. The house and furnishings were comfortable and attractive and stood up to the demands of an active family.

Of course, people in general, and especially kids (who don't buy it for themselves), have way, way, way more "stuff" than in the '50's. So you'd have to either decide to pare down or incorporate lots more hidden storage if you want a cleaner design esthetic. There are some great examples in "Atomic Ranch" mag.

So i would conclude "no" to comfy family living in a PURE minimalist design, "yes" in a hybrid or modern/mid-mod style.

There's a range of "minimalist" in your pictures. For example, I like LR 2 because it has comfy chairs, some art work, and texture while the last LR in that series seems to stark; the view is great, though. The last kitchen sure doesn't look like anybody lives in it.
But, yes, I agree that we all have way too much stuff and getting rid of it can be liberating. I'm still working on it.

I think the rooms are attractive, except for #5, which strikes me as very cold. I think this type of style would be family friendly, insofar as being easy to keep clean.

I agree that kids' clutter doesn't look that great in any style of decor! But maybe when you have kids the house looking perfect isn't your priority? It wasn't for me, but I realize everyone is different.

I would make sure the furniture was comfortable, some of the furniture there doesn't seem like it is- for example the armless chairs.

I hope you will share your new home with us! You are a great decorator, and I know that whatever you do will look wonderful.

If I can picture a fully decorated Christmas tree not looking ridiculously out of place, then then for me it would pass the family friendly litmus test, as to me #2, 4 10 & 12 would. Clearly for me the ones with more texture and color appear less sterile. Some rooms obviously pull some warmth from outdoor vistas and greenery; not confident how they may fare in winter climes. Aktillery, I *love* the effect and feel from your posted pic; to me it's exactly the impact I aim for, and feels "just right"!
edited to add the # 12 left out

This post was edited by peegee on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 17:06

I don't think photos on Houzz are a good example of real life. A large percentage of the photos are architect/builder showcase houses that have been staged. Many also seem to be taken right after a project is finished and the people and clutter have not moved in yet.

very interesting to hear everyone's thoughts and I'm glad to hear that many of you think it is possible to achieve a comfortable, inviting space while still being sparse and minimalist.

thanks mtnredux -- I've also made a number of bad design mistakes after drinking. ;) I started to paint my current dining room black one night after a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. I just got out a brush and went at it. And, um, my head hurt the next morning just looking at it. I also never decorated my homes differently because of kids - everyone told me I needed them, but I was not a fan of those hideous plastic things on cabinets to keep infants from staying out of them and I refused to install them. But you all are right that there is definitely a certain amount of clutter that is unavoidable (backpacks lying around, leashes and dog food bowls, shoes at the entryway, toddler socks in the middle of the room) given our lifestyle. None of that stuff bothers me -- it is the décor-style clutter (too many furnishings in a space) that makes my head hurt.

javachik, yes, good eye, that is my peacock! :) Interestingly enough, our home is near a canyon that is a wild peacock preserve, so we have them roaming on our property. Several live in trees in our backyard.

aktillery, your space is so warm and inviting! I love your design style and all of the furniture seems really comfortable and I just want to kick back on that sofa and read a good book. I'm with you that some of the minimalist furniture doesn't seem nearly as inviting or plush, although I am finding a few pieces that are really comfy -- like a beautiful Eames chair I am hopelessly in love with (the black/walnut chair in photos 8 and 9). It would be a splurge, but I do love those chairs, especially because they swivel and you could sit in them and watch tv and then look out the window at the backyard.

mnzinnia, thanks for sharing your experience. I've been reading a lot about MCM homes and atomic ranches, and how many were built and designed to raise families in. There are so many aspects of this home that appealed to us -- the high ceilings, the open concept, the indoor/outdoor lifestyle and the use of glass everywhere and floor to ceiling windows -- even our front door is all glass. But like the house you grew up in, there is very little frou frou - no laundry room, a small but open and well planned kitchen, no powder bathroom, no dining room -- things that might be deal breakers to some people.

snookums, self cleaning windows sound awesome! I've never heard of those, but I will have to google that.

thanks, nancybee! I agree with you -- with kids, keeping our house picture perfect is definitely not a priority (and not even within our realm of possibility!).

thanks ellendi, peegee, marti8, joanie, juliekmco and nosoccermom!

chispa, you're definitely right that Houzz photos don't depict real life. I love Houzz but realize it's sort of like the airbrushed version of real homes. I spent nearly two days organizing and de-cluttering our current house for our MLS listing photo shoot and it still looks much more cluttered than these Houzz shots!

hoping I responded to all! gotta run, nap time is over

IMO we need to define what minimalism is, or perhaps what it is not. I'm sure there are degrees of minimalism and it need not preclude comfort, texture, warm colors, soft fabrics, or printed fabrics. So a minimalist house can be comfortable for a family and not look stark. Even if you choose to do a monochromatic color scheme you can use texture and soft fabrics for interest and comfort.

Kids toys do not have to be a problem - a nice plain wooden box on castors which holds toys can be hidden behind closed doors when the kids are not playing with them. Or plain window seats with storage beneath. Larger items can be stowed behind closed cupboard doors. I don't find primary colored toys and ride on toys attractive in any style room and if storage space is well-planned there is no need to see those things 24/7.

At the mention of necessary items for changing baby I immediately thought of a plain box hanging on the wall above the change table with a lift up lid. Easily accessible but everything is hidden when the lid is closed.

I don't personally like minimalist styles for me as I prefer antique and vintage decorative accessories. The closest I've come to this style is the Modern 60's in my family home and the Euro Modern when we lived in Europe in the 70's. Enough to know it's not a style I want to live with for any length of time. However, I have considered buying an Ikea Poang chair as I've read they are comfortable and certainly inexpensive enough for an experiment. My decor is becoming more edited and eclectic as time goes on so I think that style could work.

I find many minimalist houses look cold and unwelcoming but it doesn't need to be that way. Some rooms look as if they would echo as there are no fabrics, rugs, or much upholstery, only hard surfaces. I like the second picture as the wood tones, live edge table, and textured rug give it interest and warmth. Also like the floating bed - how easy would that be to vacuum under, maybe even a Roomba would fit!