Japanese has a word, ma, that has no direct equivalent in English. It means the space between things, the pause between notes, the emptiness that gives fullness its meaning. Without ma, a piece of music would be noise. Without space around a piece of furniture, even the most beautiful piece would drown.

Western psychology has since found something similar. The brain constantly spends energy sorting impressions, and a room with too much to look at quietly wears on our attention throughout the day. An empty corner is not wasted space. It is a place where the eye can rest.

Designing minimally is therefore not the same as designing poorly. It is a decision that what remains must be able to carry the calm of the whole room on its own. Every line we remove is a line we have weighed and found superfluous.

The last thing you notice about a truly minimal piece is often the most important: how little it asks of the room around it.