Anyone successfully gone minimalist?

Allexie

I really like the idea of clearing out the clutter from a country cottage style of decor in favour of a more streamlined and easier to maintain style. So far I've got the light wood floors and ditched the darl oak furniture but am a bit hesitant to finally commit myself by changing the curtains for blinds, ditching the chintzy sofa and chairs in favour of leather and sweeping away all the itty bitty bits and pieces that serve no purpose but to collect dust.

Has anyone done it? Does it take a lot of getting used to? Does it feel a bit soul-less? Is noise a problem? Did the clutter gradually creep back? Were you happy you did it in the end?

I've nobody to please but myself, (no children - just one very tolerant kitty). I'd love to hear of any other experiences or thoughts....

elvis_bloggs

I'm a minimalist, some people just call me tight, I hardly have any furnature, all I have throughout my home is what I use and nothing more.

EXTRA INFO. Clutter does creep back in but a clear out on a regular basis helps to keep on top of it and it is only small stuff.

If you get rid of a lot of big stuff then the space that was taken up by it takes a little getting used to but housework is a doddle.

Finding something you want becomes easier and on the whole you tend to be tidier and keep everything in its place.

In the final analyses I would say having a clear out and keeping things to a minimum makes one feel good, try it and see.

lush_walrus

From the sounds of it, you might actually be better off with a mix of the two. Minimalist may well be trendy, but trends are set as a way of giving new directions that suit some to follow to the tee, but not others.

If there are things you like from your existing style, such as curtains and sofas, then why not keep them and combine a few elements of minimalist style as you sound like you have started to do.

Also think about the style of your house etc. Complete minimism, (in my opinion) only really suits modern flats and some houses. Lots of people in the past made the mistake of ditching all of the good features from the victorian era and then we went full circle and tried to put them all back!!!!

I personally do live pretty minimal, but part of the reason for that is that I use my house as a studio and have clients visit and need to appear to date with design. But still in other parts of the house which are more private I have snuck in things which reflect more my personal taste and perhaps are more querky and less minimal.

My advice take the best from both your own style and the influences which are coming from the media and peers and create your own look.

lush_walrus

Also the other point I meant to make but forgot, is that anything trendy is always on the edge of changing. So if you do make the full switch over, be prepared to switch again shortly. Trends date, and fix a property exactly onto the era at which they were applied.

At the moment the real trend which is trying to break is for showers which are effectively likle rain and fall in 1m long lines, rather than a round head. I can bet that within the next couple of years that will be in the DIY shops and 2 years on from that gone completely!!!

frizz_head

Lush walrus is right - remember how mad we all went for borders in the early 90s - they look awful now!!

Creams and Browns are the must have colours at the moment, but there was a time, again in the early 90s, when Magnolia was considered 'too old fashioned'.

robowen

Hi Allexie,
Having read your description of 'minimalist' you seem to have described my house to perfection.......and I haven't even tried to be a minimalist.

Blinds, leather sofas, wood floors, beige painted walls.........sod all in the way of ornaments

I think this happened accidentally in my case. After buying the house and a car for work, there was nothing left to buy anything with. :doh: Which again proves my point...not all plumbers are millionaires !! :think:

I prefer not having any clutter lying around. If it's not been touched in a year it HAS to go. The house looks so much bigger and cleaner. :j

rob

nadnad

its sounds to me as if you don't really like the minimalist look - don't change your house for the sake of the current trend - if you did that you'd be permanently broke from trying the keep up. Keep your chintzy sofas and your curtains if you like them don't be dictated to by fads!! It appears that you just want rid of the clutter - so get rid of all the rubbish but keep the aspects of the rooms that you like.

My house is reasonably minimal but still homely with warm colours on the walls and blinds no curtains - no patterns anywhere this way its very easy to change the look of the whole room - a lick of paint and change my paintings and finishing touches, and the room is transformed!

plumb1_2

Allexie wrote:

I really like the idea of clearing out the clutter from a country cottage style of decor in favour of a more streamlined and easier to maintain style. So far I've got the light wood floors and ditched the darl oak furniture but am a bit hesitant to finally commit myself by changing the curtains for blinds, ditching the chintzy sofa and chairs in favour of leather and sweeping away all the itty bitty bits and pieces that serve no purpose but to collect dust.

Has anyone done it? Does it take a lot of getting used to? Does it feel a bit soul-less? Is noise a problem? Did the clutter gradually creep back? Were you happy you did it in the end?

I've nobody to please but myself, (no children - just one very tolerant kitty). I'd love to hear of any other experiences or thoughts....

Haven,t tried the minimalist look,swopped over to the Naturalist:eek: look a couple of yrs back and been clutter free,except for my hanging bauldbells.

scheming_gypsy

my house is minimalist, except for blinds. Although i cheated and just slung everything when i moved house

Allexie

I think perhaps what I'm aiming for is 'classical minimalist' look (if there is such a thing!), rather than a high tech, industrial, bare brick/concrete sort of thing. I hate pattern, wallpaper and drapey fabric, (ex-husband's taste) - have no existing architechtural features to preserve - just want neutral colours on walls, floors and furniture with the odd accent colour here and there that can be easily changed. (For instance I'd love a huge 'statement' modern art painting as a feature in my main living room but have yet to find it!)

I know some people can mix styles very successfully but I think I would just end up with a mis-matched jumble, rather think it's going to be an 'all or nothing jobbie'.

Having said all that I just worry that it will look and feel rather cold and unwelcoming at the end of the day!

Allexie

plumb1 wrote:

Haven,t tried the minimalist look,swopped over to the Naturalist:eek: look a couple of yrs back and been clutter free,except for my hanging bauldbells.

Hanging whatters??????? :eek: :rolleyes: :rotfl: