The feeling of clarity that comes with a thorough spring cleaning is similar to that of spending a full day meditating (or at least, that’s what we imagine). Throwing all those clothes you don’t wear, items you don’t use, and junk you forgot about into a giant bag and donating or selling it is incredibly cathartic.
While spring cleaning (which, by the way, doesn’t always have to be in the spring) is well worth the effort, it can be hard to know where to begin. Becoming a minimalist takes a lot of work, but you don’t always have to go full Marie Kondo when it comes to decluttering your home. A minimalist house means something different for every homeowner. While some folks fully embrace the minimalist lifestyle, others just want to limit how much stuff they have in their home.
Whether you’re looking to get down to the bare minimum or just create a space that feels a little more open and a little less cluttered, here are three simple steps to take to abandon the clutter and clear your home excess.
Create a Plan
It’s important to create a plan of attack when it comes to embracing the minimalist lifestyle. Like the saying goes, “How do you eat a whale? One bite at a time.” By breaking down your decluttering process room by room, you’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed and will instead make the project much more manageable. For example, having a tidy bedroom can have substantial benefits for your mental health, so that is a great place to start.
Once the bedroom is done, you can move to the living room or kitchen. But, make sure to thoroughly go through and clean the room before moving on to the next. That way, you’ll be sure that you didn’t miss anything, and knocking off each room one by one will help you gain momentum as you go along.
Ask Yourself the “Spark Joy” Question
Whether you’re going for a full-on minimalist house, or simply want to clean things up a bit, it’s still good to ask Marie Kondo’s now-famous question of whether or not an item sparks joy in your life. The idea here is that you’re getting rid of any item that is merely taking up space and doesn’t bring any benefits to your life. Remember, joy is not synonymous with being sentimental. While there are cases where items can be both—like a picture of your family on your dresser—there are plenty of sentimental items that simply don’t bring joy.
For example, an old t-shirt from a trip you took many years ago may have sentimental significance, but if you haven’t worn it in forever and it just takes up space in a drawer, it may be time to move on from it.
If you’re not sure what category an item falls into (joy vs. no joy), then consider placing those items in a pile that you can return to. Although, if you’re looking to go full minimalist mode, unsure items should be thrown in the donate or sell pile to keep things simple. Remember, how you go through your decluttering mission is entirely up to you.
Consider How Minimalist Interior Design Can Help You Declutter Your House
Just like how you go through your closet and get rid of old clothes to make way for new ones that fit your updated style, you should be doing the same to the interior design elements of your home. For example, is your furniture a little too bulky these days? Perhaps the amount of furniture or other items were adequate when there were more occupants, but now your kids are off at school or have places of their own, meaning you can get rid of that large couch or extra armchair.
The kitchen is another area to look for some potential opportunities to create a more minimalistic home. Are your appliances taking up too much space? Or, perhaps your cabinets are too old and take up more space than you’d like.
If this is the case, consider swapping out those old cabinets for new, modern, and minimalist cabinets from Puustelli. Our cabinets are authentically Scandinavian and are perfect for homeowners looking to create a more minimalistic home.
To create a kitchen that features a minimalist design, reach out to Puustelli today!