Minimalist Design Tips from a “Survivor” Winner

Plenty of trends come and go within the realm of home design and interior decorating, but how do you balance the hot trends with functionality, especially when designing for a family? How is this family-focused design evolving season to season, and which materials are the most popular for those designs?

On today’s MarketScale AEC Podcast, Kim Spradlin, owner and designer at The Minimal Animal, and winner of Survivor Season 24, gives her tips and best practices for quality, usable interior home design.

Survivor was a wonderful fit for Spradlin, who knows how to make the most out of the least number of things, as the name minimal animal would suggest. She has made a name for herself and her business by not only being a minimalist, but by using other beloved elements, like vintage ones, in conjunction with a minimalistic flair.

Spradlin has also had to adjust her designs based on the makeup of users, and in her own case that meant making things suitable for her three young children.

“Everything was brass and glass and super fussy and having this troop of toddlers take over my home, it really has changed the way that I approach design. Form really does follow function in our home,” she said. “If it’s something that they’re destroying, it really doesn’t have a place here anymore.”

A big part of finding that balance comes down to the materials. Spradlin found that quartz, specifically from HanStone Quartz, was appealing to clients for its natural look, but also its durability.

“It gives that organic feel, but also it gives you the functionality for a family where you can literally just go to town,” Spradlin said.

For Spradlin, everyone has a different idea about what minimalism is, and for her, it’s about the ability to work with each individual client to make a space that’s clean, aesthetically up to date, but functional. Her experiences on Survivor have given her a unique perspective on adaptability.

“It was really about being adaptable, the way I played Survivor, and that really translated into the home,” she said. “It’s all about being fun, functional, and enjoyable.”

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