House Tour: The Bold Barcelona Home of Minotti London’s Creative Director. Image courtesy of Minotti London.
Creating a beautiful, minimalist home can be done in one fell swoop with the help of some major de-cluttering, but maintaining a minimalist home is a whole different story. Clutter is an inevitable part of life. It tends to accumulate rather quickly, which is why implementing a few mindful habits at home—like these five below—is essential for preserving the minimalist look and functionality. Whether you’re a seasoned minimalist or just want to dip your toes into the minimalism movement, these easy habits will keep your home looking its best.
1. Wash Your Dishes as Soon as You’re Done Using Them
The Minimalist Result: It’s safe to say, no one particularly likes washing a sink full of dishes. By washing your dishes immediately after using them not only does it become easier to maintain a clean, clutter-free kitchen, it also means you’ll need fewer dishes to begin with.
2. Sort Through Mail as Soon as You Receive It
The Minimalist Result: Mail is another one of those things that tends to pile up fast to clutter your clean aesthetic. Instead of sorting through a massive pile of bills and junk mail at the end of the month, it’s way easier to do it on a day to day basis. It literally takes just a couple of minutes. Immediately trash or recycle any papers you don’t need and scan and save digitally any important documents that you might need to reference later.
3. Clear Off Counter Tops Every Night
The Minimalist Result: No matter how neatly lined-up your appliances are on your kitchen counter are or how organized all of your beauty products are on your bathroom sink, if there’s too many things on your countertops your home will look very visually cluttered. Make it a point to store things away into cabinets and drawers when you’re not using them.
4. Be Very Strict About What You Bring Into Your Home
The Minimalist Result: Maintaining a minimalist home isn’t just about keeping organized the things that are already have in your home, it’s also about keeping out things that you don’t really need. Be more mindful about what you say yes to. Your space is precious. Only take in the things that you absolutely love and know you will use. Don’t let family members unload their junk on you and give yourself at least 24-hours to think before you hit confirm order on that online purchase. You can further minimize unwanted clutter by sharing wish lists with loved ones for birthdays and other special occasions or by asking for experiences (like tickets to a rad concert) instead of material things.
5. De-clutter Little Spaces on a Regular Basis
The Minimalist Result: Although doing a major cleanse of your home in one fell swoop is ideal, finding time to do so is tough, so don’t let that deter you from minimalism. By de-cluttering one little space of your home at a time you can still achieve minimalism bliss. Make Sundays (or any other day of the week) your de-clutter day and tackle just one junk drawer, kitchen cabinet, or closet shelf. It doesn’t have to take long at all. You’ll be amazed at what you can get done in a short 15-20 minute time frame.
Jessica Estrada is a freelance writer based in sunny Los Angeles. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her scrapbooking, eating churros at Disneyland, or on a beachy getaway somewhere.