my gravitation toward minimalist spaces was born initially out of necessity. my last four homes have been 708, 935, 753 and 619 square feet, respectively. in spaces this small, every square foot had to be intentionally, meticulously planned. and the less whitespace there was in the home, the more the four walls of any room would close in on me, leaving me feeling disorganized at best and claustrophobic at worst. 

but living what has come to be known as a minimalist lifestyle can feel daunting, unattainable, or not your style whatsoever. what if you own a lot of things with sentimental value, things you could never part with? what if colorful spaces full of life, pattern, and lots of decor make you happy? what if you just love shopping for beautiful things (::raises hand::), and keeping your possessions from growing over time is just near impossible?

I relate to all of the above, and yet embracing the essence of minimalism — living a simple enough life to hold your space sacred for only the things that really matter to you — has breathed whitespace into my existence that I desperately needed in the middle of a volatile and uncertain world full of physical and mental clutter. 

but more importantly, minimalism does not have to be an absolute. our approach to “things” and “stuff” can be fluid and evolving as we lean into principles that resonate with us and dismiss those that don’t serve us. I hope some of these tips might help along the journey:

clear as you go: you know how the cleanup after a laborious homemade dinner is exponentially less painless when you clean up your messes as you go, rather than collecting one huge mess to be dealt with at the very end? the same applies to the home at large. funneling incoming things like mail, new items, gifts, and trash/recyclables to their rightful spot in the house right as they enter makes it less likely you’ll accumulate the barrage of clutter that ultimately becomes a junk drawer or laundry chair.

one in, one out: as a self-identifying shopping addict, the thrill of finding new and beautiful items for the home is never lost upon me. but as much as I bring in, I make equal effort to take out, meaning that as much as I am able, when I bring a new item into the home, I seek to find an item that I own to let go in tandem via selling, donating, or recycling. it’s the best strategy for keeping the volume of things I accumulate under control. I also feel incredible satisfaction when something that hasn’t been working for me or that no longer has a place in my space finds a grateful new owner and a second life in their home.

embrace calm through whitespace: more is not always more. after thinking for a long time that every wall and surface needed adornment, I have since learned the beauty in editing the home much like one might edit an outfit. our eye can’t be everywhere at once, and when it tries to be everywhere at once our minds feel stress. by instead thinking of letting our eye dance fluidly around a room, we can instead feel balance and serenity in a space that would otherwise feel chaotic.

the new year is a perfect time to let go of the old, the stale, the no longer serving us. here’s to breathing space and new life into your personal surroundings, in 2023 and beyond.