MINIMALISSIMO EDITED
This monthly edition of the Minimalissimo Newsletter is supported by aprile, the hanging chair
Simplicity is an acquired taste. Mankind, left free, instinctively complicates life.
— Katharine Elizabeth Fullerton Gerould
It’s been exactly a month since I took over Minimalissimo. Every morning, while I sip my cup of tea, I spend some time surfing the web, looking for something minimal to post on the site. In doing that, I’m accompanied by two recurring questions:
- Is this something Carl would post?
- Is this minimal?
The reason for the first question is easy to explain: Minimalissimo is, primarily, the result of Carl’s curation over the past decade. I want the site to keep growing and thriving but I also want to do justice to all the work and passion he has poured into the site.
I’m sure over time it will reflect my taste when it comes to minimalism in design but for now, I’m guided by the “Is this something Carl would post” mantra.
The second question is a bit more nuanced and it’s the topic of this newsletter.
Pick an object, any object, and ask yourself the question: is this minimal? No matter if the answer is yes or no, what’s interesting to me is how you got to the answer.
My answer is rooted in how a project makes me feel. Minimalism is the language of silence and quiet spaces. A minimal project prefers to whisper rather than scream. It tries to blend, to make me feel at ease.
Minimal design is often modern but modern design is rarely minimal.
Rams famously listed 10 principles for good design and more than a few of those are also principles of minimalism:
- Minimalism is unobtrusive
- Minimalism is honest
- Minimalism is long-lasting
- Minimalism is as little design as possible
These two questions have guided me through this first month of curation and I’m sure will guide me through many more. I’d love for this to be the start of a conversation so if you want to share with me what minimalism means to you, email me at manu@minimalissimo.com
Housekeeping
A week or so ago the new /stream section went live. It’s the first in a series of small changes I plan to make to the site to enhance the overall browsing experience. An update to the main navigation is in the making and will go live in the upcoming weeks.
I also want to make the site evolve and become not only a place for inspiration but also a tool to discover products, designers, architects, artists, studios, and stores in a much more systematic way.
As always, if you want to share feedbacks or ideas my inbox is open.
Highlights
Porto Sofa by Project 213A
SLV by Studio Niko Koronis
House on Gotland by Etat arkitekter
Maison Melba by Atelier L'Abri
Extra
Since you last heard from Carl, we pushed online the new version of his other minimalism related project, Minimalism Life. The new site has a much broad scope compared to previous versions and I'm sure you'll love browsing the new sections.
That's it for this this January edition of the newsletter. I'd love to hear from you so if there's anything you want to share with me ping me at manu@minimalissimo.com
Untill next time.
— Manu
This monthly edition of the Minimalissimo newsletter was supported by aprile, the hanging chair
inspired by spring days and designed by Matteo Modica, aprile is a simple suspended chair that oozes elegance—a floating seat, shaped after spring petals, swinging gently. designed and handcrafted in Italy with artisanal love.
whether you're looking for visual inspiration or design insights, you can visit our gallery to discover the very best of minimalism in art and design.
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