You might think that minimalism, at least in the context of design, is only used indoors.
Actually, minimalism is more than just an interior design concept. For many, minimalism is a conscious design taken to reduce clutter in one’s life, freeing up brain space while achieving a more streamlined lifestyle.
Because of that, minimalism is so much more than just a design trend, with it even being applicable to your outdoor space. Is your garden making your head spin? If so, it could be time to strip things back to basics thanks to the art of minimalism.
Here, we’ll show you exactly how to embrace low-maintenance, minimalist garden design to keep your space clean while looking great.
Minimalist Garden Ideas
Simple Colours
To create a minimalist garden, simplicity is a necessity. The best way of creating a simple look? Colours, or more accurately a lack thereof. When painting your fence, choosing furniture and outbuildings, we recommend sticking to muted, simple colours through a consistent palette.
Light greys are a good choice for walls, as they’ll reduce glare and reflections given off by any outdoor lighting you install. However, other colours like whites and beiges are also a good choice as they’re much softer on the eyes in comparison to colours like blue, yellow, or harsh green.
Well-Kept Greenery
While minimalism is all about embracing a modern style with clean lines, please don’t confuse this with laziness. The best kinds of minimalist gardens are those that are well-kept and aesthetically pleasing. The appeal of your garden shouldn’t come from the quantity of things within it, but the quality of the few things that you do have and how maintained they are.
Simple, Modern Furniture
Although minimalism is focused on having only the bare essential furniture, you can’t go without your usual garden furniture.
Therefore, the furniture you do buy does need to be on the smaller side of things. Although there is a lot of furniture available these days that’s clearly inspired by larger gardens, there are some hidden gems of relatively small, yet perfectly functional garden furniture.
For minimalism especially, consider purchasing minimalist garden furniture that is styled with contemporary design in mind. These pieces tend to be less “busy” in their appearance, with no harsh colours or bold designs elements.
Take the Versa Corner Lounge Set (pictured) for example. It includes all the essentials needed for a truly minimalist garden, with a sofa, coffee table and three chairs all offering a clean style that’ll sit right at home in your stripped-down backyard.
High-Walled Borders
Although minimalism is focused on simplicity, it is advisable to try and extenuate some of the features you already have.
One especially great way of achieving this exaggerated look is using high walls. Not only does this improve your garden’s privacy, but it re-enforces space by highlighting exactly how much there is to use. Plus, the high walls give the opportunity to utilise them as additional storage/hanging space for your plants and tools, removing clutter from the floor and other areas.
Multiple Levels
Many garden designers fall into the trap of confusing minimalism with emptiness. Remember, minimalism isn’t just about freeing the space of clutter, it’s about having a functional space that fits many different uses while using as little items as possible.
Using levels allows for greater segmentation in your minimalist garden, creating a distinct divide between different areas for different purposes. Want a lawn to play with the kids on? Try adding it behind your paved over space on a slightly raised platform. Want a water feature? Add that to the side on another platform and you’ll soon start to create a divided garden that fills separate purposes, all year round.
Well-Kept Flowers and Plants
As much as flowers and plants are commonplace in all sorts of gardens, if aiming for a minimalist appearance, you’ll need to be prepared to keep them looking their best.
Now, we’re not saying that every single item must be tended to every day, but try to set aside at last one day a week to flower upkeep.
Changing Shape
Having decluttered your garden, there’s a risk of allowing your garden to appear bare and empty. Thankfully, changing the shape or positioning of your garden can help massively with this.
Large square or rectangle gardens with sharp corners for example can give a greater illusion of space in comparison to rounded circular/oval shapes, which tend to shift the focal point of the garden more towards the centre. This effect can be achieved in all sorts of ways, whether you lay artificial grass in interesting shapes, or use potted plants to section off circular sections and draw focus away from the empty space.
Design the Perfect Garden with KETTLER
To achieve the minimalist garden of your dreams, look no further than KETTLER.
Whether it’s minimalist garden furniture or intuitive outdoor lighting, with us, the minimalist lifestyle you adore isn’t too far away. Browse our entire range today and transform your garden for the better.
