There's something to be said
for simplicity in
home
design.
There is a relaxing
atmosphere to a room that just contains the necessities for
comfortable living. Minimalism works to conquer clutter, to
make a room easier to live in, to clean and, in the event
that you are trying to sell your home, makes it so much
easier to stage.
One thing that has to be made clear: minimalism does not
mean sterile, no-personality furniture and decor. In fact,
furniture should be comfortable to look at and use. Wall
prints should be suitable for the color of the room and
inviting. The color scheme can work in warm and cool. While
decoration should be kept to a few pieces, it should be
present, to lend some character to the room. Never think
that minimalism means soulless!
One method of simplifying a target room is to strip it of
all - ALL - non-essential things. Take a bedroom - the only
thing you really NEED for it to be an effective bedroom is a
decent bed. A bedside table would be nice, too. A lot of
people dress in their bedrooms - drawers are an advantage.
Also, a laundry hamper might be needed for dirty clothing.
If you're a reader, you might want a bookshelf. A chest for
sheets and blankets might come in handy.
Do you have too many
clothes? Go through them and cull the ones you haven't worn
for a year. If you have
a chair in your bedroom that just serves to collect tossed
clothing, get rid of that too - it's more of an incentive to
fold or hang or hamper your clothes. Check window sills for
knick-knacks and either toss them or reorganize them on a
special shelf that gets them where they can be seen and out
of the window area. The same goes for all the other
paraphernalia that collects in the bedroom: get rid of some
or repurpose it to a more useful venue.
Storage solutions need to come into this as well. It's not
enough to have bins, shelves, hooks and boxes. Everything
needs to have its place and be put back in its place. If you
establish the rule 'A place for everything and everything in
its place' (clichéd but useful), you will find that your
clutter magically disappears anyway. When you don't have
room for something, you should seriously consider whether
you need it before creating/buying/making space for its
especial benefit.
The results, once you have gotten the room down to just what
it needs, can be stunning, both in terms of decor and in
terms of sheer space. There is a real feeling of freedom
when one is confronted by a tract of sheer space. It exudes
possibilities that need never disappear if you keep it at
this beautiful, simple, clutter-free state.
Think of this 'new' bedroom and how much easier it is to
clean and prepare for visitors. Think of how much easier it
would be if your entire home was like this. It starts with
one room, but can encompass the entire house, leading you to
a simpler, less cluttered, and ultimately less stressful
life.
