As sustainability becomes a top concern for consumers, the “less is more” mentality continues to grow in popularity. It’s easy to see why: Aside from the environmental aspects, minimalist living offers lots of benefits, many of which are linked to lower stress and better mental health. A clutter-free lifestyle can help lower cortisol levels, and it’ll open up more room in your apartment to do healthy activities like yoga and at-home exercises. A minimalist mindset also helps you save money, as you’ll become more conscious of your purchases and will only buy the things you need. If you think it’s time to give your space a minimalist apartment makeover, here’s our best advice for how to make it happen.
Your Guide To A Minimalist Apartment Makeover
Clear The Trash
Before you begin the decluttering process, get rid of trash. It’s best to get this task over with before sorting through the rest of your stuff. You won’t be donating or repurposing any garbage, so toss it in your trash to make room for the stuff you’ll keep.
Clear Off Surfaces
Now it’s time to dig in to the decluttering process. As you go room by room, clear off any surfaces and gather up your clutter to decide if it’s worth keeping or donating. Our previous posts on the KonMari method of cleaning will give you a step-by-step process for this project. You’ll get a good idea of how to determine what items you should hold onto and which ones it’s time to part with as you declutter your home.
Gather Similar Belongings
One of the best methods for decluttering is to group similar belongings together and then evaluate them. When all of your similar belongings are in one place, you’ll be able to spot any excess items you own. For example, gather up your skincare products and see if there are any repeats. You can toss or donate the items you no longer need. Marie Kondo recommends doing this with things like books and paper, but it can work for anything in your home.
Create Space
Minimal living is all about having less clutter and more room to breathe in your home. Once you clear out your clutter, it’s time to evaluate your apartment’s furniture. It’s best to choose quality over quantity. If you spot any items of furniture that aren’t essential or that take up to much space, consider donating them to a thrift shop. Edit your furniture down so that you’re left with the most essential items you need.
