Bringing Color into a Minimalist Home

FORMULATED is the Tortuga Forma journal about the rituals we create around the home, the objects that bring us joy, and the stories behind how things are made. Every object has a story.

Bold napkins as brushstrokes on a linen tablecloth canvas.

Colorful patterns and hues can coexist with even the most minimalist of homes. Against the backdrop of eggshell white painted walls, natural wood flooring and table surfaces, our colorful textiles and accessories look right at home.

A packed bookshelf gets a colorful lift from our Dumbo Bookends in sand.
Same dinner napkins - can you spot the difference?

When it comes to setting the table, we love having many options at hand. A darker, patterned napkin hides stains and is perfect for the daily supper. We also keep plenty of plain table linens in the drawer for more sober occasions. There are no rules to having matching sets - do what works. We love seeing the same pattern in different colors across the table.

Striped Dinner Napkin in Marine on natural oak dining table.
Bold napkins as brushstrokes on a linen tablecloth canvas.

More from Home Rituals

  1. Dressing the Table

    How did we evolve as diners from Medieval revelers using the tablecloth as a communal napkin to creating elaborate table settings with layers of linens, chargers, and up to seven pieces of flatware? How did we shift from wiping our hands on dough like the Romans to mastering 25 different ways to fold a napkin? We take a style detour into history.

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  2. Portfolio 02: Winter Quilt

    Part 2 of film images commissioned by Tortuga Forma. Helena Goñi approaches still objects as though they were human subjects. The objects look the camera directly in the eye without flinching. Other times, they hide themselves in the shadows of a cyanotype or within a domestic scene. 

     

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  3. Bringing Color into a Minimalist Home

    Color and patterns brings immediate warmth into the home. It's easy to default to whites and beiges but there are ways to weave in joyful moments of color - even for the self described minimalist.
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