minimalist – findingtimetowrite

Friday Fun: Bauhaus Inspiration

Back in the days when I didn’t have children and lived on my own, I was very keen on a minimalist, clean-cut type of house. I still find them immensely restful, and couldn’t really cope with something very flowery, fussy and maximalist. But the pictures below are more aspirational than realistic for my current lifestyle. Perhaps the Bauhaus aesthetic is more appealing on the outside than the inside?

I think that sofa needs to be more comfortable, but I love the rug. From Livingetc.

Functional and light-filled, Kasthall, from Dezeen.com

I do like the calm of this bedroom – and the cosiness of the fireplace, but it does feel a bit hotel-like. From Design Tips.

More warmth and comfort in this living room, photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.

Bauhaus principles with nature coming into the house – and lots of bookshelves in this villa in Haifa, from Interior Design Ideas.

A skylight to maximise the sunshine and help the indoor tree grow, from Dwell

The contemporary version of Bauhaus is of course the Huf Haus, with its countless combinations of glass walls.

Friday Fun: Traditional Japanese Houses

Traditional old houses in Japan tend to lose their value and are difficult to restore. Few people want to be saddled with them, as they are frequently in remote locations and badly insulated. However, you can’t fault their aesthetics – and since these Friday posts are all about escapism, I will simply look for the positives: that elegant, minimalist style which is so good for my mental health. (They are also very much present in Studio Ghibli productions)

A countryside home – minka (people’s home, for the non-samurai classes), from Japan Objects.

The gardens are of course one of the most appealing features, so far removed from most city dwellings, from Japan Travel Magazine.

Some houses are on stilts or water, from Wonder Travel Blog.

A renovated house, combining Japanese and Western style, from CNN.

I can’t tell you how frequently I have longed for a kotatsu type table (that would be heated underneath, keeping your feet toasty). From Mansion Global.

The typical corridor going outside the main rooms, like a sort of porch, with sliding shoji doors. It feels like absolute peace! From Mansion Global.

One more inner courtyard to finish things off. I would never move from that veranda! From InDesign Singapore.

Friday Fun: Minimalist Desks

Can you just imagine what masterpieces I might write at these super-tidy desks if I didn’t have random pieces of paper, piles of books, ten leaky pens, heart and car crafty pieces by my sons and a million other things competing for space on them? How did that saying go about a clear desk leading to a clear mind – or an empty one, possibly?