5 things that a minimalist home will bring you

5 Jan, 2023

The space that minimalism gives to us, in our minds and in our homes, is powerful and life changing…

I have often heard people say that there’s no personality or fun in a minimalist home, or that It feels sterile or lifeless…

Sometimes I think that this opinion (or perception) abounds because the philosophy of minimalism can easily get misunderstood or misconstrued. A life of less doesn’t mean that you should empty out, or discard the possessions that you have thoughtfully or heartfully acquired. All minimalism really means is that we acknowledge and stay true to the fact that we have the right, the power and the obligation to let go of the things that weigh us down.

So, although minimalism can mean different things to different people, within it, there is all the space for the things that fill us, inspire us and that serve us, whatever they may be. The mere difference between a minimalist and someone who isn’t, is that the possessions of the latter might be held onto or saved out of feelings of guilt or fear, where the former will more likely, have the freedom and the tenacity to choose with intention what they keep and what they let go of for the sake of their own piece of mind.

As such, what remains after we declutter, can shine unimpeded without the excess or stress dimming, shadowing, hindering or hiding the things that remain.

So here are 5 things that a more minimalist home just might bring your way:

1 serenity and calmness

There’s just more space for peace in an area containing fewer physical items. When people come to my home, almost every one of them says something like, “I like your home. It’s so calm.” People have equated it to the wall color, and to the organization, and although these things I believe are a part of it, I know it’s a bit more than that. Everything I have here I respect, I appreciate and I know. The things in my minimalist home, have been chosen (and rechosen) with intention, and with thought. And that is why the home of a minimalist has the opportunity to feel calmer than a home with excess. Because it is entirely in line with who we are, what we love, and how we are growing. This is the simple serenity within minimalism.

2 knowing where to find things

With less, everything you own can easily have a permanent home. And it just seems to naturally happen when you have fewer items. If we have 12 cooking pots throughout the kitchen, chances are, they ‘belong’ where they will fit in the moment that they are cleaned and ready to be put away. It could be one cupboard, it could be another. It could also be a spot on the counter. But, if we have 3 cooking pots, it’s more likely that our space (and our appreciation for the 3 pots) will allow us to create a designated area for them. Naturally having gone down to 3 for our household, makes them all more special, necessary, and therefore appreciated. So, by having less, and likely having only kept our favorites during the decluttering of the other 9, knowing where our belongings go is less of a chore.

3 a cleaner and easier to maintain home

Now that our things have their own respective spaces and that the extra padding of clutter and obligation has been decluttered, there is just more room. And with more of that commodity, it is significantly easier to clean up. Wiping down a counter, or shelf, or mopping a floor, no longer has the pre-workout phase of the process. There’s no longer the part where you shuffle around all the items sitting on the area you want to clean. The space is just there, easily open for you to give it a quick wipe and move on. Next… 🙂

4 a respect for your possessions

When you only have what you need in your minimalist home, the relationship you have with your possessions inevitably changes. None of your items are drenched in the guilt of buying them and not using, or peppered with the memory of dreams that you didn’t follow. They are merely items that make your life better. There is nothing that is in the way of that. There’s nothing that’s presence makes you feel incomplete, uncomfortable or like you have somehow failed. The things that you have take on a new role, one of making your life genuinely better, easier or contented. And so your appreciation for them is clean, and without unhealthy or depleting layers. Simple!

5 a newfound internal clarity

When we only have what we genuinely desire within our space, there can be room for new things. In a minimalist home there is room and respect for our new ideas, and for our passions to change. There’s room for these ideas to be looked into and pondered without being stunted by impediments of mind or matter. And so there will be more space for any new idea or plan to ruminate, and to cultivate. Simple empty space is bigger and so much more integral than we realize sometimes. And in having it, we are able to carry on with our creating, recreating and cultivating a life that we desire. And a home that we love.