Back in the 1990s, minimalism arrived in the form of achingly empty spaces, and a colour palette that leaned heavily on white, cream and beige. Scale was achieved with high ceilings, undressed windows and hidden storage in the form of handleless cupboards. The effect was clean, crisp and competitively cool. 

Now minimalism is back, but this is no mere revival. This time around, all those straight lines and right-angles have been replaced by contours and softer edges for rooms and furniture. And the colour palette relies less heavily on off-white and its close relatives. Instead it leans towards a range that is more pastel than pallid. Colours like sage green and burnt orange are inspired by the natural environment and the seasons. Likewise, all those white-washed walls and polished concrete floors have given way to more texture. That could be a hand-thrown cup or a small-batch woven rug. This reflects the decade’s nod towards the natural world.

Because it’s not just the aesthetic that is different now. In the 1990s, the less-is-more look was just that: a look. But ‘New minimalism’ has its roots in the environment. This time, it’s about searching for a meaningful lifestyle in a way that does less harm to the planet.

But new minimalism also benefits from the last thirty years’ advances in technology. They have made accidental minimalists of us, as many of the gadgets we once relied on – the stereo system, the alarm clock, desktop computers, landlines, even books, newspapers and magazines – have been subsumed into the miracle that is the Cloud.

With this liberation from old-school conspicuous consumption, the new minimalism promotes a careful curation of high-quality, meaningful objects. Ones that tell a story, and hence sit comfortably in a calm, welcoming space.

New minimalism seems less prescriptive and more personal, and perhaps that makes it more achievable.