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Minimalist Holiday Decor

One thing I’ve never liked about the holiday season is the proliferation of store-bought décor. Plastic trees, mass-manufactured ornaments, and objects emblazoned with Santas, elves, and reindeer are not only a drain on our planet’s resources; they’re also extra things that must be stored, unused, for eleven months of the year.

I’m certainly not against decorating for the holidays; I simply think we can do it in a lighter, more elegant, and more environmentally-friendly way. Here’s some ideas:

Decorate with nature. Spread evergreen branches across your mantle, or spruce up your table with sprigs of holly. Gather pine cones into a bowl, or place a few poinsettias around your home.… {Read more}

How a Minimalist Loses a Vase

I travel quite often, and rarely bring back souvenirs from anywhere. I’ve learned that once something has memories, it can be a bear to declutter later on; so I save myself the trouble and typically return only with digital photos and some leftover foreign coins.

However, when I visited Oslo, I found myself in a chic Scandinavian design shop—and couldn’t resist bringing home one of its wares.

Before I continue, let me give you the backstory. On our first Christmas in the UK, a dear friend sent us a beautiful bunch of white tulips. My husband and I were 3000 miles away from friends and family, and her wonderful gesture really brightened our holiday.… {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}

Minimalist Decor: What’s in Your Tokonoma?

In traditional Japanese households, décor is kept to an absolute minimum. Usually, just one or two artistic items are displayed in a small alcove called a tokonoma.

The tokonoma generally holds a calligraphic scroll or painting, along with a bonsai or simple flower arrangement. The items are appropriate to the season (like fall foliage or spring blossoms), and are meant to evoke an appreciation for both art and nature.

Of course, you don’t need an actual tokonoma to put this concept into practice. In our former house, we had a small console cabinet in the corner of our living room. On it, I displayed various “treasures” from our backyard, such as fresh flowers from our garden or a branch from our cherry tree.… {Read more}