Minimalism is a type of style in which you only surround yourself with the simplest elements to create the maximum effect. Or is could mean living only with things you really need. Either way it means being intentional about what you most value, and removing anything else that takes your attention away from that valued possession.
What are the benefits of a minimalist home?
- Easier to clean: The more ‘stuff' you have, the more you have to dust, shine, and vacuum.
- Less stressful: The greater the clutter, the more distracted you may be.
- More productive: You don’t realise how much many possessions draw your attention until they aren’t there to worry about.
- Freedom: You won’t feel tied down to the many material possessions you own.
- Spend less: If you only spend on the essentials, you may benefit from financial savings.
- Visual appeal: You will better be able to appreciate the things you love. Room to breathe: More space makes you feel like you have more space to breathe and empty the mind if meditating.
- Easier to find things: When something is ‘lost’, you’ll know exactly where to look, or t will be obviously out of place.
Declutter
- If you don’t use it and it hasn’t a purpose, get rid of it.
- Repurpose: Find another use for items you don’t want, such as moving shoeboxes to the garage for storage.
- Room-by-room or category-by-category: Focus on one room at a time or one category (eg: clothes, ornaments, artwork, appliances etc), and begin to sort…
Sort: Create six piles
- keep
- sell
- repurpose/recycle
- fix or mend
- donate
- trash
Every single item in your home should be categorised according to this list. Keep the piles, if you can until you have redecorated your home.
- Treasured but not pleasured: This is when you have an inherited item, or been given one that meant something to someone else, but you really don’t like it. Feeling obligated to keep such an item can be tricky. However, these items could passed onto other members of the family, or a friend.
- The 12-12-12 rule: find 12 things to throw, 12 things to donate, and 12 to recycle. This is always a good start if you are feeling overwhelmed. You can also apply this to each room, or per category.
- 10 second rule: Don’t spend more than 10 seconds attempting to remember when you last used something; if it hasn’t been used in a year or more and you didn’t miss it, it’s likely that you don’t need it.
- Timeline: Set a day to finalise all decluttering. If you have a large home, it may be weeks ahead. This is really based on how big your home is, or how much ‘stuff’ you need to consider.
Clean and empty
- Once decluttering is complete, use the opportunity to spring clean the room thoroughly.
- Paint in the neutral colour of your choice. Minimalism is usually about light colours or shades of white, such as cream, light beige, the lightest of greys, etc.
- Empty the room as much as possible. Big pieces of furniture that can’t be removed, should be pushed to the edges, so that you have a better perspective of the space. Also you may find that some furniture could be better suited to a different room.
Restyle
- Choose one piece of decor or furniture that you really love, and place it in the middle of the room, which ideally should be empty.
- Build your room style around that piece. For example if you have a beautifully woven mat, or piece of artwork, consider the tones used in these pieces, and the textures.
- Minimalism is about lightness, so consider furniture pieces that are similarly light. That doesn’t mean to say you can’t have a chunky armchair for example, but if you use more than one heavy piece, the room will start to feel similarly heavy, which defeats the object of minimalism.
- Fabrics and soft furnishings should match either the paint in the room, or the piece of decor. Take inspiration from light colours and add textural fabrics in the bedding, or in cushions for example.
- Add a touch of nature by adding a pot plant or naked branch with or without leaves in a vase. Don’t over-stimulate by adding a colourful display unless it is the only colour in a neutral toned room.
As you declutter, clean and redesign, you may find yourself feeling lighter. Also bear in mind that often ‘things’ will find their place, meaning that you might need to move things around frequently, living with the positioning until it ‘feels’ right. Once you have your minimalist style in place, be careful not to fall back into old habits, buying things just because you like them!
