Like styles and trends, my home has changed over the years. My style has evolved which is what we want to evolve, grow, and change. Yes, I follow trends, I don’t mean to but I usually come around to loving a look over time. What usually happens is I don’t love something when I see it the first time but after it becomes more popular and I see it more and more I start to like it. Whether it is clothing or home. Does that ever happen to you? Just a few years ago farmhouse was the trending look. Chip and Joanna made it very popular. Did you love it immediately? Or was it over time that you became a fan and started hanging shiplap and farmhouse signs in your home?
What I am Loving
I loved the farmhouse look. I didn’t go all in like some but there were aspects that I incorporated into my home design. I love things about most styles. The industrial style is one I love but that style doesn’t fit my home. We did build a gas pipe shelf that has an industrial flare. I would love to live in an expansive loft with an industrial style, open vents, and pipes in the ceiling. Or if I lived in the south I would want a Victorian home with a beautiful wrap-around porch.
But I live in Arizona where it’s hot hot hot in the summer. I don’t want a Southwest-style home but I want a home that shows the things I love. When we moved in I liked the traditional with hints of other styles. A little farmhouse, a little industrial, a little traditional, and a little modern.
For some reason I start to get itchy feet and what a change every 7ish years. With each move, I change the look and style of our home just a little. We’ve been in this house for 7 years which means we needed to move or I needed to make some changes. Needed is a little dramatic, there was nothing I needed to do. But I like change, I also like to be creative. Creativity is something we all need. It can and will look different for each of us. For me, it’s cultivating a home with paint, decor, DIY projects, organization, and systems. I was tired of the grey walls and farmhouse signs. Having every space decorated for the seasons and holidays.
I was ready for a change so I’ve spent the past year updating the style and look of my home. Decluttering, organizing, painting, and embracing the minimalistic lifestyle. I still love all the styles but I was feeling a strong need to simplify everything. Get rid of the extra and keep things more modern and clean. This wasn’t a huge shift for me because I like less, if you need a dopamine hit head to Goodwill and donate a trunk full of things.
To make the change I wanted I got rid of things and then started painting. Paint is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to update your home. A beautiful clean slate. Out with the grey walls and in with a beautiful white. Check out this blog post on the power of paint. This free digital download with a list of all the supplies needed to paint your room like a pro.
Finding the right white color is HARD. There are so many variables, after enlisting the help of my local Home Depot Paint Desk Pro I figured out what white looked best in our home. The problem was finding the white that worked with the doors and trim. I also found the perfect dark green/grey accent color and used black as my grounding color. A beautiful step in creating a minimalistic home. Remember you don’t have to do it all at once, one space and step at a time.
Painting and Decluttering Each Room and Space
Doing it all at once is too much for most people. Especially if you’re on a budget and doing it yourself. When I desire to make changes my to-do list can be LONG and feel overwhelmed. Do you know what happens in overwhelm? You start to spin and then nothing gets done. So I started with one room and worked my way through the house one step and space at a time. In each room, I cleared out the clutter, got rid of the old dated decor, and painted the walls. It took me a whole year but I did it, filling my heart with pride and thankfulness. I made many trips to donate items I no longer loved or needed which always feels so good. You will physically feel the weight of your stuff lifted as you drop off the donated items.
My kids are grown so I don’t have to work around their stuff but I had a few boxes of things I hadn’t opened in years. There were things in there that I wanted to keep and some things I was ready to let go of. When I am trying to decide whether to keep or toss a keepsake I ask myself this question. Will my child love this item and want to keep it? I am a firm believer in keeping keepsakes but how many do you need? A good thing to remember is stuff doesn’t equal love. You do not have to keep something to show love to someone who has passed on.
Be intentional about what you keep. If you have a keepsake that you no longer what to keep in your home, share it with someone who will appreciate and love it now. Please don’t think I’m saying you have to get rid of it all but you don’t have to keep it all. If you have a lot of things and making decisions are hard for you set a goal to let go of one item or keep one less box.
Simplifying your Decor
I am a sucker for cute things. I love to walk around Hobby Lobby or a cute boutique. If you live in the Arizona valley you must visit Ivy and Sage. The cutest store with all kinds of things from small business owners. Here is the link to their website with all their store details. You will not be disappointed. They switch up the look of the store with the holidays and seasons so it is always a fun place to visit.
Even though I love home decor I was ready for a change. Simplify and less stuff which equaled more calm for me. In each room, I was intentional about what I kept. I wanted bare walls and open spaces. As a content creator who shares on social media that is a little tricky because minimalism doesn’t photography as well. But I was determined to embrace my authentic self and share what I am loving, knowing I can change my way whenever I want to.
There are no rules to design that you have to follow but a lot of opinions. Someone may not think I have a minimalistic home but that is what I’m calling it. Keeping some pretty decor that I love and donating what no longer served me. Embracing the clean walls and open spaces.
Keeping things I love to create a warm, cozy, and welcoming home while embracing the clean lines of someone who wants less stuff. A simple shelf with a few key items or a mantel with elegant modern candlesticks. A gorgeous print with a beautiful frame, and simple prettiness.
I will still walk around Hobby Lobby and my other favorite stores but I will find joy in looking and only purchase items that resonate with me and fit my goal of a clutter-free, calm, welcoming home.
Create the Cozy
Even though I wanted to have a modern minimalistic home I wanted a cozy space. I achieve this with pillows and throws. It gets cold in the desert in the winter, I can also get cold with the A/C running in the summer so I love a beautiful throw. If you have children they might all need their own but finding a large basket will help achieve the cozy and clean lines.
Throw pillows add warmth and texture to the space. I change them often, but I buy covers so I don’t have closets and bins filled with pillows. When I get tired of them I donate the covers. Because I don’t overspend on them I don’t feel bad when I get tired of them and give them away. Check out this beautiful seagrass basket that would be a beautiful place to store throw pillows and blankets. This cozy throw would be so comfy then add some beautiful pillow covers.
Make a Decision and Donate
Are you ready? Be brave and make a decision and donate at least one item. Or be super brave and donate a trunk load. You will feel so much lighter and free of the clutter. Don’t try and do it all at once, one space and step at a time on the road to big changes. There is so much joy in having a home filled with things you love not with things.
