How to Live Minimally

I am torn. I really envy all of the streamlined homes out there, with minimal furnishings and zero clutter. Yet the Hygge trend does funny things to me, and I want nothing more than to be surrounded by fluffy blankets, copious hot drinks and a never ending supply of cookies / cakes / bread. In short, anything calorific. So my house tends to end up falling somewhere in between. I fill every nook with candles and blankets at the same time as incorporating some minimal living principles to keep clutter (and my mind) at ease. Whether you are a devout follower or a loose roadie like me (interpret as you will) you can streamline your home with a few simple steps.

Happy minimising!

Find Joy

Take the KonMari way. If you haven’t heard of Marie Kondo, I highly suggest that you pause reading and go check her out. Back? Okay. This method of streamlining advocates organising your life by category, as opposed to room. That means sorting through all books, clothes, photographs etc separately, sifting through it all, then keeping only those items that bring you joy. Read as: if it makes you feel frumpy or grumpy, bin it.

Storage

If you find letting it go a little more difficult than Elsa, invest in some clever storage solutions to hide your clutter. Utilise every nook in your home. A minimalist home looks free from, well, anything, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it isn’t there, it is just hidden away by some world class hide and seek champions. Your cupboards, wardrobes and drawers are calling out to be utilised.

Curb the Impulses

Impulse buying and living as a minimalist don’t tend to go hand in hand. I try to live by the 24 hour rule – if I see something in a store or online that catches my eye, I wait until the next day to actually purchase. That way, if I’m going to talk myself out of buying it, it happens pre-purchase rather than post-purchase, when the new velvet armchair is sitting in my living room. If you do fall truly, madly, deeply (do – thanks Savage Garden for that 90’s throwback) in love with a piece, well, I think you will be forgiven. You are only human after all. Try and visualise where said piece will live; if you can’t picture a home for it, maybe it isn’t meant to be yours after all.

Invest in Capsule Pieces

Capsule pieces aren’t just for wardrobes – give your home a little taste of that forever style. The core pieces in your home need to withstand trend changes that occur more times than your underpants require changing. So ensure that items such as sofa’s, desks, bedframes and dining tables can camouflage like a chameleon, and only require a little cosmetic upgrade every now and again. Sofa’s can be reupholstered or disguised with on-trend blankets, bedframes can be hidden by bedding and dining tables can be painted and preened. If your core pieces can be made up to fit the trend, you won’t find yourself looking elsewhere for décor satisfaction and will avoid unnecessary clutter.

Whilst I won’t win any awards as an advocate for minimal living, hopefully these easy and simple steps can help you to streamline your home and ensure it runs as smoothly as possible. Or, at the very least, will give you a nice neat home for the day.

Bye for now,

Kelly