There are several benefits for being a minimalist, especially when applying it to the presentation of your home. Not only does your home look nice and neat, but it keeps more money in your wallet. In essence, it improves the quality of virtually every aspect of your life. Seems to me to be a no-brainer, so let’s take a closer look. Here is some info on how set up a home with a minimalist mentality.
#1. Declutter your Space
If you’re looking at becoming a minimalist, this is the most important and mind-challenging step to tackle. In most cases this is a total change in mentality. You NEED to declutter the mess.
Easier said than done right?. My advice is to really take the time to step back and take a hard look at your possessions. Do you see a lot of extra stuff you’ve accumulated over the year?. You might have a lot of knick-knacks, unused kitchen items and simply put, a bunch of stuff that needs to go.
#2. Do One Room at a Time
In most cases, trying to declutter every room in your house in an afternoon might prove to be just too hard. Trust me, I know! I made the mistake of trying to do this before we bought our current home. I was so overwhelmed I ended up just packing every single thing. I know now that simplifying takes time. Take baby steps and work on a room in the house every chance you get.
#3. Choose Only the Essentials
I’m not here to tell you to get rid of all your keepsakes and heirlooms, but you do need to make a game plan for saving only the things that you use on a regular basis. If there’s something in your house that has sat there for a solid year without moving and it doesn’t make you feel good, it’s probably not an essential item. Can you donate it or pass it on to someone else who can use it?
#4. Start with Minimal Furniture
Take inventory of the furniture that you have in your house right now. Do you use them? Is there something that is simply taking up space or being a nice surface space for a bunch of clutter?
An example of this would be a coffee table that has collected more dust over time than coffee cups. These are the kind of examples that keep you from reaching a minimalist home. It’s time for this type of furniture to go. Yard sale anyone?
#5. Clean Surfaces
Next you need to take a look at your countertop spaces, tables, dressers, and entertainment centers. Is there clutter and extra home decor that you don’t feel like dealing with? Nows the time to tackle it! Clean those surfaces spotless! Get rid of trash, magazines, paper, old mail, and other junk that you find lying around. There are lots of benefits of minimalism, one being peace of mind when you see a clean area!
#6. Clear the Floors
What about your floors? Is there any trash lingering or foreign objects lurking underneath your bed or sofa? You would be surprised at the stuff that can collect there, especially with kids! Time to clean it up.
#7. Empty the Walls
Sometimes having too many pictures or home decor on the walls can make your house look messy. Having just a few things on your walls will make your house look neater and spacier at the same time. The items on my walls are really meaningful to me and so I take the time to really think before I buy. For example when we visit a new place I like to buy a small piece of art. I have a wall that i put my favorite pieces that I find.
#8. A Home for Everything
Everything that is in your home should not only have a purpose, but have a home for it as well. This way, everything is tucked away and out of sight when you’re done using it. this is the biggest piece of advice that I give to people who want to live a more minimalist lifestyle. If an object has a home then it’s out of the way and isn’t cluttering your space!
I hope you have a better understanding on the steps that you need to take on how to set up a minimalist home. If you’ve been a minimalist for some time, tell us what other things you do to have a home that is in perfect order.