That is a powerful statement. And is the key to being rich really so simple? If we make our wants less, do we immediately become more rich?
I have sold almost everything I own more than once in my life, so I definitely know what it’s like to live with a lot and with very little. While I think there is a great deal of truth in the idea that wanting for less makes us rich, I also think we are rich when what we have matters to us. Love, joy, and friendship are infinitely more valuable that pretty shiny things, but how does this idea of wanting for less and living more with what matters translate into how we live in our homes? How do we create homes of significance?
Scandinavians seem to have aced the idea of making less feel like a gazillion bucks. White walls and a few well placed things and, my God, we are left drooling and aching for such simplicity. What I have learned through the exploration of minimalism is that the key to minimalism is not solely based on the idea of owning less, but rather living with what really has value to us.
By stripping our homes down to the basics, analyzing how we feel about the things we possess and only allowing in what holds great significance, we free ourselves to live more richly.
As someone who wavers constantly between minimalism and maximalism (ok, I’m actually a closet maximalist. Don’t open doors when you visit my home!), it is my opinion that it is better to build a home slowly rather than just rushing in and decorating the place with a bunch of junk that doesn’t really matter to you. It’s not just about minimalism but slow design. Unless you have a massive budget, it is going to take time to create a home that is filled with things that hold great significance to you. Maybe you need to have a few more birthdays, another trip to your favorite city, or more time to save up for that forever piece before your home feels more “complete.”
Our generation has been very spoiled by the availability of credit and in many ways it has cheated us from the idea that “good things come to those who wait.” ‘Cause why wait till tomorrow if we can have it today?
I have rounded up a few favorite images to prove my point… Less can be awesome. It doesn’t mean you can’t add more with time, but… what do you think? It isn’t such a bad place to start… or end up, is it?
Sources: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, sixteen
Love the photo’s. I am soooo there with you! I also am a closet maximalist. My closets are stuffed,but organized mostly:) I like to “Nest” as my husband describes it,which means having Stuff. Since the beginning 2016 I have started to chip away at it drawer by drawer. Hoping by end of year the craziness will be much less and I can breath a little easier. All the Best,Susan
I like that. Nesting. I nest a LOT. 🙂 Best wishes as you chip away!
Love the photo’s. I am soooo there with you! I also am a closet maximalist. My closets are stuffed,but organized mostly:) I like to “Nest” as my husband describes it,which means having Stuff. Since the beginning 2016 I have started to chip away at it drawer by drawer. Hoping by end of year the craziness will be much less and I can breath a little easier. All the Best,Susan
I like that. Nesting. I nest a LOT. 🙂 Best wishes as you chip away!
Love the photo’s. I am soooo there with you! I also am a closet maximalist. My closets are stuffed,but organized mostly:) I like to “Nest” as my husband describes it,which means having Stuff. Since the beginning 2016 I have started to chip away at it drawer by drawer. Hoping by end of year the craziness will be much less and I can breath a little easier. All the Best,Susan
I like that. Nesting. I nest a LOT. 🙂 Best wishes as you chip away!
Love the photo’s. I am soooo there with you! I also am a closet maximalist. My closets are stuffed,but organized mostly:) I like to “Nest” as my husband describes it,which means having Stuff. Since the beginning 2016 I have started to chip away at it drawer by drawer. Hoping by end of year the craziness will be much less and I can breath a little easier. All the Best,Susan
I like that. Nesting. I nest a LOT. 🙂 Best wishes as you chip away!
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Yes, I suppose you can say that (I don’t need much ) but it looks like you have had a lot of money to do this in the first place!
Yes, I suppose you can say that (I don’t need much ) but it looks like you have had a lot of money to do this in the first place!
Yes, I suppose you can say that (I don’t need much ) but it looks like you have had a lot of money to do this in the first place!
Yes, I suppose you can say that (I don’t need much ) but it looks like you have had a lot of money to do this in the first place!