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Eight minimalist living rooms where less is more
On the heels of Dezeen's 2026 interiors trend report that forecast "intelligent restraint" in the year ahead, our latest lookbook spotlights eight pared-back living spaces.
With a new year underway, Dezeen spoke to interior designers about their trend predictions for 2026. The creatives were united in their feeling that spaces designed over the next 12 months will resist extravagance for the sake of it.
Among the contributors was Smita Thomas, founder of Bengaluru studio Multitude of Sins, who predicted "a disciplined, intelligent restraint that borrows from maximalism's warmth but strips its excess".
To mark the anticipated shift from much of the decadence that characterised interior design in 2025, we have rounded up eight living spaces from around the world that are characterised by minimalism.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, compact bedrooms and homes in former factories.
Plaka House, Greece, by Local Local
Emerging architecture studio Local Local renovated this neoclassical Athens home with "contemporary and playful finishes" that respect the building's historic character.
The main living area features an almost entirely white, monochromatic palette, interrupted only by red terrazzo flooring and a fireplace reconstructed with green marble from the island of Tinos.
Find out more about Plaka House ›
Often hailed as one of minimalist architecture and design's leading voices, British creative John Pawson applied his signature pared-back style to this Cotswolds retreat he designed for himself.
The interior of Home Farm is characterised by subtle timber accents, breathable lime plaster and a sparse selection of furniture.
"There's very little stuff," acknowledged Pawson. "I think I'm used to it, but you can see on people's faces when they look around."
Find out more about Home Farm ›
Amami House, Japan, by Sakai Architects
Amami House is an off-grid dwelling on the Japanese island of Amami Ōshima, topped by a large corrugated metal roof.
Local studio Sakai Architects chose a pared-back interior for the home to match the minimal way it functions as an all-solar-powered building with a vegetable garden that doubles as a space for composting food waste.
The living space is characterised by planks of sugi, a type of Japanese cedar, which were dyed using local mud and the extract of the Sharimbai tree – a process used in the region's traditional textile craft.
Find out more about Amani House ›
Heatherhill Beach House, Denmark, by Norm Architects
Copenhagen firm Norm Architects created this "getaway from everyday life" as a wooden holiday home on the Danish coast.
Timber also features heavily in the interior, which includes an ocean-facing living room with wood panelling and smooth brick flooring.
"We opted for integrating traditional materials in a contemporary way," architect Sophie Bak told Dezeen.
Find out more about Heatherhill Beach House ›
Madrid apartment, Spain, by Hanghar
This renovated 1970s Madrid apartment proves that minimalist doesn't always mean monochrome.
The property is home to Eduardo Mediero, founder of local architecture studio Hanghar, who designed his flat with carefully curated bursts of Pirelli rubber flooring, raw MDF and galvanised steel.
Pops of colour add to the pared-back but eclectic feel in the form of a gridded, cage-like yellow stool and glossy, rounded red sofa.
Find out more about this Madrid apartment ›
Set within an old chocolate factory in Melbourne, Kerr is a split-level, mezzanine-style apartment with a subtle interior design.
Local studio SSdH created an open-plan living and kitchen area dominated by geometric cabinetry made from Australian spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
House by the Sea, UK, by Of Architecture
London practice Of Architecture designed this Cornish beachside home for a surfer-and-artist couple to reflect their carefree lifestyle.
The pair were hoping for a "simple, robust and utilitarian" living space, which the studio achieved using a palette of sandy hues and industrial-style pendant lamps.
Find out more about House by the Sea ›
Flat Iron House, UK, by Michaelis Boyd
A flowing spiral staircase connects all five floors of this minimalist Georgian townhouse in west London, reconfigured by architecture studio Michaelis Boyd.
Flat Iron House features a subtle aesthetic, selected to evoke the owners' memories of holidaying in a Moroccan villa and led by neutral tones and gentle textures.
Find out more about Flat Iron House ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen's archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring wooden kitchens, compact bedrooms and homes in former factories.
The post Eight minimalist living rooms where less is more appeared first on Dezeen.
