Less Is More: The Basics of Minimalist Homes

The “less is more” mentality is a must when creating a minimalist home. This mentality values simplicity and that by having fewer things, you can create a lifestyle of “more.” However, minimalist living also entails that you’re intentional with the things you decorate your house with.

There is no right way to create a minimalist home, however, but getting your house decluttered and organized, then that’s already a fantastic start. It may be daunting to get started at first, but luckily for you, below are some tips that you can use and how you can turn every room into a minimalist’s haven.

5 Tips to Get You Started on a Minimalist Home

Buying a tiny home? Get your home inspected. Don't be fooled by cute staged minimalist decor. 

Before purchasing and decorating your home to make it your own, get your house inspected by professionals. Sometimes a beautifully staged house by a builder or seller can distract from significant flaws. Inspection can help you save money in the long run since you’ll be factually seeing the house based on its quality.

Apply for property inspections in Melbourne or wherever you live. Companies like Landmark Inspections provide quality professional services and ensures that you receive all the necessary information about the ins and outs of your house. For many, even if you own a tiny house, it’s not a big problem at all. However, for tiny houses on wheels, you may need to seek out the certification records from the original builder or certification company.

Ask yourself why?

The first step to decorating a home is asking yourself “why.” Ask yourself why you want to create a minimalist home. By asking yourself, you are encouraging yourself to ask the right questions and thus being more emotionally aware of the reasons for your actions. It will help you decorate with intention later on.

Always declutter!

When you’re living a minimalist life, it entails that you’re living with less. So, it would be helpful if you always decluttered when you could. A rule among organizers is that if you haven’t touched it in over six months or a year, get rid of it. The secret to having a spacious tiny house is also keeping all the unnecessary things away.

Repurposing takes minimalist living to a new level.

A minimalist home is not just about owning less, it's about wasting less. Before going out in stores, look around your house and see if you can repurpose anything. It’s better to do this after decluttering. An excellent example of this is when you’ve recently bought shoes, and now you have to throw out the box. Well, you can reuse the box as an organizer (after painting it or covering it with peel & stick wallpaper).

Purchase with intention.

When one purchases items out on a whim, they usually accumulate clutter, which should be avoided when living a minimalist lifestyle. When purchasing items for your home, ask yourself if it will benefit you and your home. By doing so, you can lessen clutter in your home.

How to Turn Every Room into a Minimalist Home

Living Room

The most visited room in a house is the living room, especially in a tiny home. Thus, it’s prone to accumulating more clutter. You can start improving this area by clearing off the extra stuff you don’t need and cleaning up the space.

After clearing the surfaces, you can now move on to the furniture and decorative pieces. Remember, minimalist living entails that the details you have in your home have a function (or something that's deeply cherished). For example, repurposed an old tin collection into functional items like a mini-junk drawer for cords.

Ask yourself if it’s simply a decorative piece or does it have an importance in your home that makes your life easier. If it doesn’t add value, it would be best to donate it instead.

Kitchen

Indeed, there is no denying that the kitchen is the most functional area in a household. Most kitchens are overloaded with food, tools, and appliances. You wouldn’t want to ruin a beautiful marble countertop by hiding it with these items.

Creating a minimalist kitchen might require some hard work, especially in traditional homes. But the first step to do is empty every cabinet and place it outside. By doing this, you may see some items that you’ve forgotten you had or duplicated items. When you do, be sure to donate, throw or sell these items.

Minimalist kitchens help to make your home feel more airy and frankly, more calm. Keep things neatly stowed away and off the counter so that your kitchen looks tidy and open. Utilize shelf and drawer organizers to help maximize your available storage space. Also, discard duplicates and any damaged items and can't be repaired.

Bedrooms

Keeping your bedroom simple can help you get more relaxed and create an improved haven where you feel comfortable resting after a day’s work.

When tinkering with your room, the golden rule you should follow is that there shouldn’t be an excess of anything. Minimalist living doesn't mean you only get the bare minimum of clothing. However, it does mean curating a solid collection of items most love and most useful to you. Say goodbye to the rest.

Look at your wardrobe. See if there are items that you no longer wear, or if something doesn’t fit anymore, consider giving it away.  Indeed, it can be hard to do this, but this will help you in the long run.  This isn't something you do once; plan to evaluate your clothing every 6-months to 1-year to make sure you're not falling back on old habits.

Also, your clothes should be stored inside cabinets or drawers, not lying around. Staying tidy and returning items to their "home" helps maintain a feel-good minimalist home.

Also, you can decorate by using candles, a few books, a diffuser, but not a framed collection of family photos. It may be unique to you, but sadly your nightstand may look cluttered which adversely effects the soothing feeling you're trying to acheive through minimalist styling. How many extras do you really need in a room you're mostly in just to sleep?

Minimalist Home Decor Basics

When decorating, focus on what works best for you and what represents you as a person. At the beginning of creating a minimalist home, it may seem that you have to hold yourself to a particular limitation or rules. However, decorating your house should be about expressing yourself while helping you acheive the simple lifestyle you desire.