Minimalist

Minimalist decor gets confused with owning nothing. Most of us aren’t going to give away two-thirds of our things, and we shouldn’t have to. What makes a room look minimal is mostly where things are and how much of it you can see at once. Here’s how to get the calm look in a small apartment without becoming a different person. Clear the flat surfaces first The fastest change is the floor, the coffee table, the kitchen counter and the top of the dresser. If those are mostly clear, the room looks minimal even when the cupboards are full. ...

Minimalist Christmas doesn’t mean not decorating, and it doesn’t mean buying an expensive designer tree either. It means fewer things, each one good enough to stand on its own. With most color taken away, texture and light do the work. Greenery A tree in one color. All matte white, all champagne, or all green ornaments. The trick is mixing finishes within that one color, matte, satin and glass, so it has depth. It looks especially good on a slim tree. Skip the topper or use a plain star in the same tone. ...

A desk has to stay usable in December. Whatever you put on it should either sit somewhere you don’t work, like the top of the monitor or the shelf above, or take up less room than your coffee mug. Off the desk surface A slim garland along the top of the monitor. About 2 feet long and no more than 2 inches thick; a fat garland looks like the monitor is wearing a hat. Hold it with two small clips on the back edge of the monitor, not on the screen. You see it every time you look up, and so do people on your video calls. ...