Minimalism has proven to be much more than a trend. For many, it is a way of life. Whether you’ve been inspired by a book, documentary or podcast on the subject, you may now be looking at practical ways to reduce clutter, practice non-attachment, or move toward being a more eco-conscious household.
How minimal you go is up to you. There are no hard fast rules and no need to go from zero to sixty. Start with one or two changes that work for you and your home and continue from there. Here’s a great way to do it. Walk through your apartment, condo, loft or house and consider the routines, stresses and items related to each room. This process may lead to profound or practical realizations, like the desire to get rid of a lot of stuff you thought you needed.
The Bedroom
Are your dresser drawers exploding with undergarments? Closet cluttered with circa 2010 casuals? Is getting dressed causing you stress? A capsule wardrobe consisting of just a limited number of adored and highly matchable pieces could be a great solution. Fewer options means less time spent on this daily task – just one reason everyone from business professionals to school principals love the freedom and other benefits with a smaller, smarter wardrobe.
The Bathroom
How many hair, body, skin and make-up products do you use? If the number of bottles and tubes on your bathroom shelf rivals that of a department store beauty counter, this is a great place to look at minimizing clutter, reducing harmful chemicals absorbed by your skin and creating less waste at home.
Beauty trendsetters once popularized the “no make-up make-up” look which often still requires a number of items but there’s also the option of a gorgeous nude face like the ones pulled off by these celebrities. Now if the idea of leaving home without a full face is frightening to you, that too, is an opportunity for reflection. Your answers to this quiz will confirm if you’re a beauty product addict!
The Kitchen
With all of the appliances, gadgets, cookware and utensils kept in the kitchen, we can easily find ourselves short of cupboard, counter and drawer space. A minimalist approach to this situation would have you consider creating more space by reorganizing your kitchen and/or reducing the number of tools used for meal preparation and serving.
What stays and what goes? Get rid of duplicates – unless you’re running a small baking operation, you don’t need three whisks. But keep high quality pieces like your beloved coffee machine and multi-tasking appliances like your all-in-one pressure and slow cooker.
Apply this tip throughout your home by considering other 2-in-1 appliances like a vacuum for wet and dry cleaning, which can eliminate your need for cumbersome brooms, mops and pails.
The Living Room
Picture frames, vases, candle holders and other home decor make great gifts but also great clutter. These types of personal items thoughtfully purchased by family and friends can be particularly hard to part with because even if we don’t love them per se we feel bad getting rid of them.
One way to limit the number of nice but unnecessary items collected in your home is to request “no gifts please” at your next celebration (here are some ways to word it) and suggest an organization for financial giving or collect gently used personal items to donate to a women’s local shelter instead.
Get Space Saving Appliances
Don’t let your place get cluttered with appliances and tools you don’t need need. For example, a lot of homes have more than one vacuum, and there’s a good chance you have an old mop laying around that hasn’t been used in year. Find the best wet dry vacuum for your needs and you can have two appliances in one!
In the past, smaller, spacing savings appliances may not have been that powerful. Times have certainly changed and you’d be amazed with how much power new vacuums have.
Transitioning to a minimalist lifestyle at home can be challenging, but you’ll find that once you start, it becomes easier and easier!
