CREAM OF THE CROP

Social media is rife with millennial home owners' minimalist interiors in neutral hues – but there is a method to the 'Mujicore' madness

- Teo Kai Xiang

Cream walls, beige furniture, curved edges, cove lighting and open floor plans.

Scroll through Singapore's TikTok interior design accounts or home inspiration platforms like Communa, and one encounters a striking sense of sameness.

This sameness takes the form of row after row of cream minimalist homes, often labelled "Mujicore", "Scandinavian" or "Japandi" (a portmanteau of Japanese and Scandinavian styles that blends minimalism, clean lines and natural materials from both design traditions).

The developers of the Communa app say minimalist designs lead user preferences at 19 per cent of posts saved by users, followed by Japandi (17 per cent), Scandinavian (17 per cent) and Mid-century Modern (14 per cent).

Mr Douglas Tan, a 38-year-old technology consultant, lives in one such cream minimalist home. The renovation of his four-room HDB flat was completed in 2024 and features many trendy elements that dominate social media.

A fan of the aesthetic, Mr Tan says it is visually pleasing and cost-effective. "It minimises the amount of effort needed to ensure that the furniture can match the theme," he adds.

On the other hand, public servant Qazim Karim, who recently documented his first home renovation of a three-room HDB flat on social media, says this aesthetic crowds out alternatives.

"I tried to find samples of more heritage-infused or eclectic designs, but they were very hard to find in interior designers' portfolios."

The 35-year-old says cream minimalist homes suit couples starting life together in a new Build-To-Order (BTO) flat, but less so for those with pre-existing clutter and varied lifestyle needs.

Interior designers speaking to The Straits Times say it is not just social media algorithms promoting this aesthetic. Minimalism in cream tones dominates HDB flats, particularly among millennial and first-time home owners.