17 Pared-Down Examples of Minimalist Living
In the 1960s and ’70s, a school of artists that included Donald Judd, Carl Andre, and Dan Flavin dubbed their ultra-pared-down works of art—a canvas painted all one shade, a room colored lavender by a neon light, the simplest riff on a wood chair—minimalism. Quickly, the style cropped up in the homes of those who shared the artists’ “less is more” philosophy, with architects like John Pawson, Richard Meier, and Luis Barragán as its disciples. Here, we’ve rounded up 17 homes from the AD archives—from a family residence in Luxembourg to a bachelor pad in Los Angeles—where minimalism’s spare lines, exacting silhouettes, and seriously edited palettes create interiors with gravitas.
Photo: Henry Bourne1/17In a Luxembourg family residence designed by Richard Meier, the living room features furniture by Minotti and an arched floor lamp by architect Shigeru Ban for FontanaArte.
Photo: Nikolas Koenig2/17Geometry prevails in the minimalist Beverly Hills home of a Los Angeles businessman, which was renovated by Magni Design. The entry colonnade frames the hilltop view, routing visitors across a cantilevered footbridge over a reflecting pool.
Photo: Roger Davies3/17Architect Peter Marino’s Rocky Mountain getaway features an edited list of materials, limited almost exclusively to cedar, stucco, and slate.
Photo: William Abranowicz4/17A zebrawood partition hides a discreet staircase with walnut treads in cosmetics impresario Essie Weingarten’s sleek Manhattan apartment, designed by S. Russell Groves.
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Photo: Todd Eberle5/17In a California home by minimalist master John Pawson, the family room features a Pawson-designed low table, Børge Mogensen leather chairs, and a custom-made sofa.
Photo: Scott Frances6/17A tranquil retreat outside Phoenix was created by architect Marwan Al-Sayed and designer Jan Showers. The courtyard, centered around a swimming pool disguised as a shallow water feature, is planted with a quartet of Chilean mesquite trees.
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Photo: Nikolas Koenig7/17Leroy Street Studio created a glass, steel, and oak staircase in a Cape Cod, Massachusetts, family home.
Photo: Laura Resen8/17A minimalist staircase is surrounded by art in a Hamptons home reimagined by architect Deborah Berke and designer Thomas O’Brien.
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Photo: Simon Watson9/17At a live/work space Tom Kundig devised for a photographer on the Catalonian coast, a glass-and-steel staircase creates a dramatic statement in the double-height living room.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn10/17In a Hudson Valley, New York, home designed by Ike Kligerman Barkley, an office and lounging area on the mezzanine is framed by views of outdoor greenery, while the bluestone entry below features two paintings by Tom Wesselmann.
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Photo: Nikolas Koenig11/17Designers Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper devised a museum-white Manhattan mansion complete with stainless-steel Miele appliances in the Boffi kitchen, which has countertops of Carrara marble.
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Photo: Pieter Estersohn12/17At the Rhinebeck, New York, home of architect Steve Mensch, the side table in the master bath is by B&B Italia.
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Photo: Thomas Loof13/17Arranged beneath a bespoke light fixture in the main house of a Hudson Valley compound by architect Toshiko Mori are a Jean Prouvé dining table and Maarten van Severen chairs, all by Vitra; the suite of leather-upholstered seating is by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe. The Chinese art includes (from far left) a limestone stele fragment, a standing Buddha, a jade cong, and an assortment of bi disks.
14/17The centerpiece of the master bath in an Aspen home by designer Shawn Henderson and architect Scott Lindenau is a custom-made Japanese soaking tub with Dornbracht fittings. The walls are paneled in Yangtze River limestone.
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Photo: Michael Moran15/17At a Dallas home designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, the dining room features a John Pawson table and Hans Wegner chairs.
Photo: Björn Wallander16/17The master bath of Alex Rodriguez's Florida home, designed by architects Ralph Choeff and Paul Fischman and interior decorator Briggs Edward Solomo, features Waterworks sink fittings mounted on a sheet of mirror, a vintage Senufo chair from Jalan Jalan Collection, and a Malayer carpet from Woven Accents.
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Photo: Anthony Cotsifas17/17At the John Pawson–designed Manhattan duplex of antiques dealer Jill Dienst, the kitchen features a Carrara marble counter and an island topped with basaltina.