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Empty, White, and Beautiful

For the first time in months, I feel like I’m back in my element. Let me explain…

My husband and I have been drifting since February—living in a succession of hotels and sublets—because we’re reluctant to commit to long-term housing. It’s an interesting, and liberating, way to live; the only downside is that most short-term housing is furnished, leaving you with little control over your visual environment.

One thing I’ve learned from this experience: my surroundings have a big psychological effect on me.

My last two “homes” both had brightly-colored walls, plenty of pictures and décor, and lots and lots and lots of furniture.… {Read more}

Minimalist Home: Adding Warmth Without Adding Stuff

The most frequent criticism I hear about minimalist homes is that they’re “cold,” “sterile,” or “uninviting.”

Of course, such criticisms usually come from people who aren’t minimalists; and in the end, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about your home but you.

However, sometimes our decluttering efforts can suck the warmth out of our space. We’re so focused on elimination, that we forget about our aesthetic needs—those little visual cues that make us (and our families) feel comfortable in our homes.

Never fear: your living room doesn’t have to look like Pottery Barn to have charm and character. Here are some ways to cozy up your space without adding more stuff:

1.… {Read more}

Minimalist Workhorse: Mason Jars

Those who’ve read my book know I’m a huge fan of versatile items – from both a minimalist and ecological standpoint, I think it’s better to own one multi-functional item than several single-function ones. In my opinion, the more uses something has, the more worthy a place in our households.

When it comes to multi-functional items, I’m hard-pressed to think of a better workhorse than the humble mason jar. Besides their obvious use for canning and storing food, they can fill myriad other roles in our homes: from serving as lanterns, to drinkware, to impromptu piggy banks.

The best part: they can do double-duty as both storage and décor.… {Read more}

Radical Downsizing

A little over a year ago, my husband and I were living in a 1000-square-foot, 3-bedroom house with a 2-car garage and postage stamp backyard.

Now we’re living in a 390-square-foot, 1-bedroom apartment.

I have to admit: I loved the idea of such a radical downsizing, but wasn’t quite sure how it’d work out in practice. But you know what? So far, we’re functioning perfectly well in about one-third of our former space.

Here are the differences between our former (larger) house and current (tiny) flat:

Former house: 3 bedrooms Tiny flat: 1 bedroom Thoughts: Having three bedrooms was a lot of wasted space for us.… {Read more}

My Minimalist Workspace

Today I thought I’d give you a peek at my minimalist workspace – in case you’ve ever wondered, this is where the magic happens. :)

From the time I was a child, I’ve never been a fan of desks. When I was young, I used to spread my homework out on the floor; somehow it felt more expansive, more conducive to creative thought. I was always slightly uncomfortable in schools and offices, where I had to conform to a more proper workspace.

When I moved into my new flat, I was thrilled to see the deep, low windowsills – a perfect minimalist office!… {Read more}

Minimalist Makeover: Barry’s Bookshelf

When it comes to downsizing our possessions, some things are easy — like knickknacks we don’t like, dinnerware we don’t need, or clothes that don’t fit. Others, however, present more of a challenge; and I don’t think I’m the only one who puts books near the top of that list.

Therefore, I was excited to hear from Barry, who recently decluttered his bookshelf. He kindly agreed to share his “before” and “after” photos with us:

Here’s what he wrote about his experience:

As a book lover and a graduate of medical school some years back, I’ve carted half a ton of books around wherever I’ve lived.… {Read more}

My Tiny Apartment Tour: Minimalist Bedroom

After last week’s post (400 Square Feet is the New Black), I received quite a number of emails and comments requesting more photos of our tiny apartment.

Today, I thought I’d give you a sneak peak into the bedroom. I feel a little shy inviting thousands of people into this space, but what the heck – here goes.

To be honest, there’s really not much to see. It measures only 9.75 x 9.25 feet, for a grand total of 91 square feet. Suffice it to say, photographing it was somewhat of a challenge!

A few notes:

* I know a mattress on the floor is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for us.… {Read more}

400 Square Feet is the New Black

Last week, I wrote about my Housing Crisis – at the time of the post, my husband and I had four days to vacate our flat and no prospect of new accommodations.

Well, today I have some good news to report: I’m writing this post from our new apartment! With only hours to spare, we found a place, passed the reference check, and signed a lease. I still can’t believe that everything fell into place at the last minute.

What’s even more exciting: our new place will inspire us to continue to live minimally, and provide me with plenty of blog material.… {Read more}

Minimalist Makeover: Beth’s Closet and Kitchen

Last week, Beth left the following lovely comment on my post about The Joy of Less:

Thank you! I read your book last week and loved it! There is so much valuable information in it! I started today with my bedroom closet. I kept remembering your words and kept going. I did it and the bedroom (which I am going to use as a yoga room too–don’t have a mattress and box spring–just a futon) is next! My closet looks so good! I can’t believe it but I am only using half of the rods to hang clothes on. I feel like a real minimalist–ok maybe a beginner but I’m into it now.… {Read more}

Housing Crisis

Given the title, you might expect today’s post to examine falling real estate values or the number of homeowners defaulting on their mortgages. But no – rather than discussing such heavy-hitting issues, I’m simply writing about the fact that my husband and I have to vacate our flat in four days and have no place to live.

The backstory is long and complicated, but to summarize: DH left his job, we gave up our flat (thinking we’d be leaving the UK), DH found another job, we now need a new one. Unfortunately, this turn of events transpired just weeks before our lease was set to expire, prompting a frantic search for accommodation in the expensive and competitive rental market that is London.… {Read more}