When you think of a minimalist home, you may visualize an architectural masterpiece with not a single visible belonging in a place that isn’t furniture – okay, maybe there is one vase – but generally quite austere. The reality is, though, most of us don’t have the means to have an architect design our dream home, then have said home built. And, even if you could, would you want the house completely empty? I mean, you spent all that time figuring out how to choose window coverings, and now you’re lusting for a minimalist aesthetic; what gives? The truth is, you can have both! Your typical “normal” minimalist home isn’t empty and can still be functional and inviting. Let’s look at how we can accomplish our dreams of living more minimally but still feeling “cozy” at home.
Does It Spark Joy?
You almost have to laugh out loud when you hear that phrase now because we’ve listened to it so much over the last few years unless you’ve been living under a rock. While there is a fantastic method behind the Konmari process, and it has worked for countless individuals and families, it’s also okay to call yourself a minimalist while still keeping a few things around that don’t necessarily “spark joy” when you lay eyes on them. It’s also worth noting that the term “joy” is relative, isn’t it? So, don’t cast out everything in this minimalistic whirlwind that you may regret later. Take time in your downsizing to determine how you genuinely feel about items. If you are unsure, set them aside in some storage boxes to revisit later. You may come back after six months and decide you don’t need it – or you could decide it needs to be front and center on your bookshelf.
Does It Serve A Purpose?
We all know that feeling – we’ve donated an ice cream scoop or potato masher and then realized that we needed the darned thing within a couple of months! So, don’t toss out the baby with the bathwater when you’re trying to organize the cabinets and drawers in your home. For some minimalist homes, it’s more about “out of sight.” There is no set amount of items that minimalists need to stay under when it comes to what they choose to keep in their homes. So, if it serves a purpose, even if you don’t use it a lot, it’s almost always worth hanging onto. Sure, you could replace it for less than twenty dollars down the road, but a penny saved is a penny earned, right? But, how can a house be cozy without the perfect set of hot cocoa mugs when it’s snowing outside. Hang on to these items, and it’s worth it!
Clothes Call
See what I did there? Close calls/clothes call? Seriously though, do you need all those clothes overflowing out of your dressers and closet? Did you know the average person wears less than twenty percent of what they own? That’s quite alarming when you think about it! But, we all know the drill. We wear what we look and feel best in. So, it’s worth going through your wardrobe and trying everything on to determine if you’re going to grab said item when you’re getting ready for the day. You want to have a few articles for daywear, workwear, even black tie, but beyond that, everything else should just be the basics that you wear day in and day out. Additionally, if you have an affinity for women’s designer watches, you don’t have to stop collecting them! Focusing on buying the most quality clothes within your budget will also help you get many years out of the initial investment – making those purchases “cheaper” than splurging over and over on fast fashion that wears out quickly and ends up in donation bins or landfills. This adds to the cozy factor when you think about how much more time you can spend enjoying your home and not doing piles of laundry.
Minimalism isn’t for everyone, and there’s an equally significant movement of people who consider themselves “maximalists” when it comes to how they choose to decorate. There are also relative definitions of coziness. The point is, even if you’re heading down a path of more intentional living, you can still have an air of comfort and coziness in your home. You get to decide what your version of minimalism is.