In the mind of a minimalist, less is most definitely more. There is more to a minimalist lifestyle than meets the eye, though—it goes beyond just cutting out clutter. While a minimalist home features fewer items, that doesn’t mean the mindset requires less thought.
Minimalism is all about intention: having a home for everything, surrounding yourself with items you both love and use and nixing all the excess. We tapped two organizational experts—Ashley Murphy and Marissa Hagmeyer, co-founders of the luxury home organization company NEAT Method—for their insider knowledge of how minimalists maintain a tidy home.
Envisioning Where Something Will Live at Home
Ready to click “add to cart?” First, https://e-sms.id/ pause and think: what would a minimalist do? Murphy knows. If you can’t immediately envision the perfect spot for it, that’s a good sign you don’t need it.
“Before you walk your next vase or sweater to the cash register, stop for a moment and imagine where it will live in your home,” Murphy says. “You can go home, create a space, and then come back for it—but always have a spot before inviting something new into your home.
Enforcing a “One In, One Out” Rule
For every new piece of home decor or clothing you bring into your home, add that same number of items to your donation pile. Say you add a new throw pillow to your couch: consider it time to retire the raggedy one that doesn’t fit your style anymore.
“With a ‘one in, one out’ mentality, you will no longer be accumulating, but rather replacing what needs to be replaced,” Murphy says.
Keeping Ongoing Shopping Lists
Impulse buyers, take note. If you’re prone to haphazardly buying items you don’t need, step away from your shopping cart, whether online or in person, and start a running shopping list instead. Hagmeyer suggests categorizing shopping lists by different areas of your, which you can reference every time you’re tempted to buy a piece of home decor.
“If you find yourself thinking about buying something new, you can check the list to see if you actually need it,” Hagmeyer says. Turns out, you don’t need yet another throw blanket when you already have a half dozen and no more room for another.
Keeping a Donation Basket Nearby
What good is y
our donation bin if it’s tucked away in the deep, dark corners of a rarely used closet? Instead, Murphy suggests placing a medium-sized basket dedicated to items you want to donate in a high-use area like an entryway or mudroom. It’ll routinely remind you it’s time to part with that dish set that’s collecting dust. Then, when the basket is full, take it directly to your local donation cente
Decanting Pantry Goods
We’ve all been there, aimlessly wandering the grocery store stocking up on, well, everything. Then you get home only to realize you already have three (unopened!) boxes of rigatoni. Minimalists have a trick to save you money and pantry space: decanters.
“Decanting food like cereal, snacks, and pasta is a great way to immediately see what you have so you don’t overbuy,” Hagmeyer. says “Before heading to the store, open your pantry to quickly see which canisters are still full.”
