November 12, 2018 | Homeownership
Minimalism is one of the biggest trends in interior design these days. This upsurge may be due to the success of Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” If you haven’t read it, we highly recommend it.
The book teaches that if certain items in your home don’t bring you joy or serve a purpose, let them go. Disposing of unnecessary things is a fantastic way to make your place cleaner, more organized and more aesthetically pleasing. Here’s how to embrace minimalism:
- Make A Plan
First off, you need to decide how you’re going to declutter. Are you going to go from room to room or by item for example: by clothing? It’s important to decide before you begin so you don’t get side-tracked. Schedule a significant amount of time to organizing. We suggest doing this on a weekend where you have no plans and expect no guests.
- Organize
Once you’ve made a plan and scheduled time, the fun begins. Start by removing all of your items out of cabinets, drawers, closets and laying them out on a flat surface like the floor, a table or your bed. Go through and make “donate, keep or throw away” piles.
Remember if it doesn’t serve a purpose or bring you joy, there’s no reason to keep it. Think about the last time you used or wore the item, if it’s been more than a month you should likely get rid of it. If you know someone who could benefit from the item more than you, let them know. If you don’t necessarily know someone, but feel like someone else could use the item, put it in the donate pile. If something is broken or no longer functions properly, either actively figure out how to fix it or if it is beyond repair, put it in the throw away pile.
- Make Final Decisions
Finally, go through the piles once again and make your final decisions. If it helps, think “less but better” while you’re deciding. Contemplate all the times you’ve had to search for something in your home and it’s taken too long because of how much you own.
Once you’ve determined your complete throw away, donate and keep piles, deal with them immediately. If you leave the items in your home you may end up feeling you’ll keep them and they’ll likely stay untouched until you decide to de-clutter again. Go with your gut and get these items out of your home right away so you don’t have any second thoughts. For everything you’ve decided to keep, try organizing them in a new way and you’ll feel like you’re in a brand-new home. There’s nothing more satisfying than a new clean, minimally decorated household!
If you’re looking to embrace tasteful minimalism in a new home, contact Michael Maxwell Homes today. We’ll help you find a new stunning new space; just ensure you keep it organized!