In the past few years, minimalism has become increasingly popular. Be it your style in clothes or just plain home organisation and decoration, many people have got the concept on the wrong foot.
Minimalism shouldn't be going to extremes of getting rid of almost everything then replacing those things with items that are new and more pleasing to the eye. Sure it takes effort to sustain a minimalist lifestyle, but what's more important is your intentions and reasons to maintain it.
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Here are 5 simple and easy ways to get you started on building a minimalist home that you've always dreamed of.
[ 01 / Remove things that have lost their value ]
"Discard everything that does not spark joy." - Marie Kondo
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Getting rid of things in our home is not as easy as it sounds. We may come across some sentimental items that have been with us for a long time when decluttering. It may be the old school T-shirt that you still keep in that bottom drawer or an old kettle someone gave you that you never used tucked in a corner of the kitchen cabinet. Keep in mind that without letting go of the old, nothing new can come in.
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A simple exercise that we can do while decluttering is to be mindful with our sentimental items. This trick is taught by Marie Kondo, a well-known Japanese organising consultant. Ask yourself, does that item still sparks joy within you? If its value has decreased, it may be a sign that it is time to let it go. Thank that item for its memories with you and move on. If an item still holds value, please honour its existence by giving it a home in your space.
This method may take a little more time, but it can surely let you know which items can still serve you in your life.
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[ 02 / Keep it simple ]
"Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci
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It sure is a big task to transform our living space into something different. The key to minimalism is to keep things simple. Simplify anything that seems too much. If you haven't got to the phase of clearing out your things, you can at least try to make things look more pleasing to the eye.
One method to achieve this is organisation. Organise your drawers by making mini compartments to sort the items out. Keep rarely used items into storage boxes instead of letting them lie randomly around the house. Rearrange your bookshelf if your books just seem like they're being shoved in out of nowhere.
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Another way to keep things simple is to change the style patterns of fabrics in your home. Replace your bedsheets with simple colours instead of those having many printings and patterns. This not only helps you sleep better at night, but it also looks more comfortable to the eyes. If you can afford it, you can also replace curtains of complex patterns with those that are plainer in design.
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[ 03 / Limit decorations ]
"Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance." - Coco Chanel
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Like I had mentioned in my previous point, the key to minimalism is to keep things simple. If you have a small room, be sure to limit decorations. This is because too many decorations may seem distracting to the eye, thus making things look more complicated than they should've.
If you are someone who likes to have decorations, you can opt to hang larger paintings that fill up the spaces in the walls or consider placing a small number of decor items on a plain shelf.
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[ 04 / Have fewer shelves ]
"I've learnt that minimalism is not about what you own, it's about why you own it." - Brian Gardner
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Lesser shelves provide a more spacious feeling. Although you may think, "Where will the rest of my stuff go if I change to fewer shelves?", don't you worry just yet. There are other advantages to fewer shelves.
One of them is actually pushing us to put less stuff on there. No matter what it is, we only need things that are just enough and functional to us. As for the other items, we may need to either find them a new home or discard them if it is no longer valuable to our life.
The second advantage is that we can learn to be more considerate when buying new things. Now that we know we have a limited storage space, we will also need to limit the items that we buy as well. This can save us money that we can use for other necessities.
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[ 05 / Let in natural light ]
"A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows." - St. Francis of Assisi
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As we come to the final point, letting in natural light can make a huge difference in how we view a room. For a room with big windows or multiple smaller ones, be sure to take that advantage and allow some sunlight into your space.
Natural light gives off the cosy, warm home vibe that feels spacious and light. It can also help with getting rid of heavy and stagnant energies in the room as well. Sunlight can also be beneficial for our health and well-being too besides making our room look aesthetically pleasing.
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To sum it up, it can be easy to achieve a minimalistic home if we put in the effort and give it a positive attitude.
