I Loved Minimalism, But I Never Wanted a Home to Feel Minimal – So I Created My Own Design Philosophy

For years, when people asked me to describe my design style, I would say 'warm modern.' It was accurate, but eventually I realized it wasn't really saying enough. It told you what my rooms looked like. It didn't tell you how I wanted you to feel when you walked into one.

And feeling is a very big part of how I design. I love minimalism.

I love clean lines, breathing room, thoughtful proportions, and the confidence of not putting something on a wall simply because there is a wall. But I don't want to live in a home where you're afraid to put down your coffee cup. And I certainly don't want my clients to. Somewhere between those two ideas, 'Soulful Minimalism' was born.

The 'minimalism' is really about intention. I want everything in a room to have a reason for being there. Furniture should be properly scaled so the room can breathe. Art should have enough space around it to be appreciated. Materials, lighting, furniture, and accessories should complement one another rather than all shouting, 'Look at me!' at the same time. My rooms are layered, but they're edited. There are places for your eye to stop and places for it to rest.

Then comes the 'soulful' part – and that's the person who lives there. A beautifully designed home should tell me something about you. I want to know what you collect, where you've traveled, how you entertain, what you do on Sunday mornings, and where your children actually drop their backpacks. And if you have a dog, let's be realistic: the dog is probably going to have some opinions about the furniture too.

I've always believed a home should look thoughtfully designed, not like someone simply went shopping. That distinction is important. You can fill a room with expensive things and still have it feel completely impersonal. Soul doesn't come with a price tag. It comes from making choices that reflect the people living there.

Over time, I realized this was the common thread running through all of my work. The homes themselves can look quite different because the people living in them are different. But they're all comfortable, warm, layered, intentional, and meant to be lived in. I think we need that feeling from our homes more than ever. Life outside is busy and noisy enough. Home should be the place where you can exhale.

So Soulful Minimalism was never about having less for the sake of having less. It's about removing what doesn't matter so there's more room for what does. Preferably with somewhere very comfortable to sit.

Interior designer Tina Ramchandani is one of Homes & Gardens' Editors-At-Large for By Design, sharing her thoughts on design.

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