Are you overwhelmed with how much stuff you have? But you’re convinced you need it all? It might be time for a declutter and organizing overhaul. But wait! Don’t purge your entire home just yet. Take a minimalist approach to home storage and organization.
What does a minimalist approach mean?
There’s a lot to it in the grander picture, but it basically means organizing your home and living with just the barest of what you need. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to throw out everything you own and have just one of everything.
It just suggests that perhaps you don’t necessarily need a collection of candles you never burn or a spare bedroom full of abandoned hobbies in tote bins.
A minimalist approach to home storage and organization looks more like a clean sweep through each room and just downsizing what you have. You don’t need a million baskets and boxes. You just need a plan, and some will power. Let’s take a closer look.
Pros and cons to minimalist home storage
Pros
· Less clutter is good for your mental health
· Your home will be more organized
· Every room will feel larger and more spacious
Cons
· It can be a hard system to get used to
How do I go from clutter to minimalist storage and organization?
Start with one room
Pick one room in your home. Perhaps the most cluttered, the one with multiples of something. Such as the bathroom. (Admit it, you’ve got thirty half-empty bottles of hair product, don’t you?)
Cut everything down to your basics: what do you need on a daily or regular basis?
Keep only that. Now, if you like to stock up on certain things when they’re on sale, then go ahead. Just make sure you store it away somewhere else.
Make sure everything has a home
Take stock of everything in the room. What does it need? And can you find a home for each item? Anything above that is unnecessary and will end up as clutter.
For example, let’s say you have a spare bedroom or a space in the basement where you store hunting and fishing gear. Fishing rods, lures, rifle muzzle mods, guns, cases, gloves, scopes. All these things are no doubt things you need. However, if they’re all haphazardly thrown in a box and cabinet, there’s no organization there.
Having a ‘home’ or place for every item helps keep things neat and organized in a minimal way. And also gives you a chance to see just how much you have. This cuts down on unnecessary purchases, lost items, and more.
Create an outbox system
An outbox system is one of the best ideas I’ve ever tried. You know those bags and bags of old clothes you keep saying you’re going to donate? What about the stack of recycling in the garage or basement? A box of old books you meant to drop off to the Goodwill?
All these things take up space and create mental clutter as well as physical clutter.
That’s where an outbox comes in! Choose one toe, box, or bin and label it. OUTBOX. This will be for things that are meant to leave the house. Once it’s full, you have to take it out. Simply do not let yourself collect more items until you’ve emptied the outbox.
Declutter your wardrobe
Go through your closets and drawers and take stock of all the clothing you have. If there are items that you haven’t worn in years, then there’s a good chance you won’t anytime soon. Donate it. Declutter your space so you can easily see what clothing you have.
Have a drawer full of socks? I bet you don’t need half of them. In fact, I’d wager most have holes. Time to downsize and take a minimalist approach to storage. Cutting down on items like that makes room for better organization.
Pantry reduction
The pantry is one of the best places in your home to apply minimalist storage and organization to. We often forget there’s food at the back, especially in large pantries. Purge the cabinet or closet. Lay everything on the table and/or countertop. Get rid of old, expired foods.
Then start placing things back in the pantry but in an organized, easy to access way. Create neat lines, keep small items in a box or basket.
FAQ
How do I keep my house minimalist?
Only keep and use things you really need. Items you use on a daily or semi-regular basis. Stop stockpiling stuff. It fills your home with clutter and is impossible to organize.
How do you purge and live minimally?
Use the tips above. But the best way is to just dive in. Go through room by room and purge everything. When you start putting things back, you’ll begin to see just how little you need.
How do you live with minimal possessions?
It can be a weird concept to get used to. But, once you do, your life will be better. Physical possessions can pile up and affect us mentally.
In Conclusion
And there you have it! This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it’s a great start to minimalist storage and organization for your home. Take some time and really assess what you have, make sure everything has a home, and cut down on multiples of items. It’s easy once you get used to it! And you’ll love your home even more!