10 Tips for a Minimal Home

One of the reasons I love Scandi-influenced interiors is how minimal they look and feel. I feel calmer when things are kept simple and the longer I live in our home, and the older I get, the more I want our home to be a calm space, free of clutter.

I don’t want to live in an ultra modern house void of personality or mementos; this girl needs a home to house her ever-growing mug collection after all. But I am happier when the house has some order and that can’t be ignored any more.

But realistically how do you stop yourself from spending hours on Pinterest pouring over minimalist decor, and instead doing something about it?

Have a week offline outside of working hours. Use the time you spend personally online during the evenings (or whatever schedule you have) and put it to good use in creating a space that makes you feel happier. Every time you want to pick your phone up distract yourself with decluttering for 10 minutes. The digital world will still be there in 7 days, I promise.
Give yourself motivation by thinking about the benefits of having a minimal home. Rather than thinking of current trends think about how those photographs you see on Pinterest or in magazines make you feel. Visual clutter generally ends up cluttering the mind, so the less clutter, the calmer we feel. Plus minimalist homes are much easier to keep clean – that’s my style for sure.
Take it one room at a time and be mindful that these things always take longer than you think. As long as you’re aware that it won’t take a day to reinvent your space the less likely you are to give up/get bored. Be realistic.
Prioritise which room you want to begin with. Start with a room that you use a lot so when it’s finished it will motivate you to do the rest.
Start with the furniture and identify what you need. Is there anything that can be removed, reduced in size or located to a different room in the house. Are there too many surfaces? I always think the more surfaces, the more room for clutter (hello dining table mess). Be realistic, what is used every day and what isn’t.
Use light to decorate. When you don’t have a lot of furniture, lighting becomes incredibly important. Understand where natural light hits the space and how it looks. Invest in LED lighting, where you can tailor the colour to suit the space, and opt for a statement fixture. Pendant lighting over a kitchen countertop looks incredibly stylish, and spotlights recessed into the ceiling won’t disrupt the space, ideal for smaller rooms.
Look at ways for your space to appear more tidy; for example keeping the floor tidy and using smart storage.
Immediately put things back in their place when you’ve finished using them instead of a week later. Little steps, big impact.
In the future, try the one in, one out rule. If you want to buy something, get rid of something else that you no longer use. This can be as simple as recycling old magazines when you buy new ones.
Make time for regular de-cluttering sessions throughout the year and remind yourself that it will make you happy in the long run!