The chic minimalist bedroom has grown in popularity in recent years, especially with the increased awareness of excess clutter and hoarded homes. Recent studies have shown that the average American home has nearly 300,000 items within it, according to the Los Angeles Times. This explains why so many aspiring minimalists choose to start with their bedrooms.

Perhaps you are interested in adopting a chic minimalist concept for your own bedroom but you feel overwhelmed by the idea, and have no clue where to start.

Below is a simple 5-step approach that clears the clutter of the overall process of taking your bedroom from modern to minimal:

Clear Out the Unnecessary Debris

Living a minimalist lifestyle means getting rid of the unnecessary debris that clutters your life by removing everything that does not truly matter. Before you transform your bedroom into a chic minimalist living space, you must first clear out all the clutter. If you are only interested in minimizing your bedroom, then you may be able to store or transfer a lot of what you clear out elsewhere. Otherwise, you must focus on functional value instead of sentimental value when it comes to determining what stays and what goes.

Simplify Your Bed Frame

One of the most lavish elements of a contemporary bedroom is the bed itself. From highly-decorative headboards and canopies to foot-boards and floor storage cabinets. There is a vast amount of bedding options available. However, if you are interested in a chic minimalist bedroom, then you will first need to remove the desire of a lavish bed from your mind.

All you need is a basic bed frame or even no frame at all. Options for aspiring minimalists to consider include box springs, platform beds and basic metal or steel bed frames. Once you remove the extravagance of a contemporary bed, then you are ready to build the rest of your minimalist décor around it. 

Embrace the Beauty of Neutral Colors

The busy nature of clashing colors, intricate patterns and complementary colors can quickly get in the way of creating a chic minimalist bedroom. The key is to focus on using simple neutral tones throughout your bedroom to achieve the desired look and feel of your renovated décor. Whether you go with a pale grey, creamy white or even a basic beige, it is still possible to add beauty to your bedroom using a neutral color palette.

For instance, think about your bed sheets, throw pillows and other bedding accessories. In addition to adding comfort to your typical sleep experience, you can also enhance the simplicity and appeal of your bedroom using a neutral color palette when selecting your sheets. Once you have established a firm minimalist appearance in your bedroom, you can then boost the aesthetic appeal with a few vibrant colors.  

Add Artistry in Moderation

A touch of artistry can go a long way in revamping the appeal of your bedroom décor. Perhaps that is why many people are interested in covering their walls with paintings, family photos, portraits and even stock photography. Just because you want a chic minimalist bedroom does not mean you must leave your walls cleared and empty. On the contrary, you should just focus on moderation.

Ideally, it would be great if you could narrow down your bedroom artwork collection to just one meaningful piece to hang over your bed. Whether you choose a beautiful work of art or a cherished family portrait, is up to you. To preserve and protect the minimalist concept, just make sure that you do not clutter the wall space around it. Additionally, the proper ceiling lighting can add beauty without taking up space or adding clutter.  As stated above, you do not need excessive accessories and furnishings around your bed. The same principle applies with your artistic wall hangings.

Store Clothing as Efficiently as Possible

Perhaps one of the biggest roadblocks on your path towards creating a chic minimalist bedroom is your stored clothing. From large wardrobes and armoires to vanity dressers and chest of drawers, a substantial amount of your floor space is likely consumed by the units selected to store your clothing. As you strive to create a chic minimalist environment within your bedroom, it makes sense that this is a major target area to consider.

As you worked towards reaching this part of the process by clearing out the unnecessary clutter and debris taking up your valuable space. Hopefully, this means that you also cleared the clutter in your closet. Think about the clothing that you cannot or do not wear for one reason or another. Lightening the load will make it easier for you to consolidate your clothing and storage units. The goal is to reduce the furnishings to a single chest of drawers or dresser. Remove the idea of a furniture “set” from your bedroom. Doing so will help you to make sure you can minimize your bedroom without sacrificing your lifestyle.

Endure the Process, But Don’t Overdo It

The five steps referenced above will undoubtedly help to transform your bedroom from modern to minimalist right before your eyes. However, this type of simplification may be easier said than done for many people. The objective is to endure the process, but not to over do it. Minimalism is not about wiping the slate clean of everything you own – just the excess that essentially gets in the way of enjoying the most important elements. Do not remove anything that would take away from a  living space of its comfort and warmth.

Sebastian Morales is Founder and CEO of Good & Bed. Prior to Starting Good & Bed, Sebastian was an investment banker based in New York City.