My Organizing Philosophy: Abundant Minimalism
As a Home Organizer, I am constantly met with requests to tidy up one’s home with this that and the other container. Clear containers abound in the world of home organizing, and this to me can veer into messy territory indeed. What if you forget what’s in your bins? What if you label a bin ‘paperclips’ but the paperclip bin overtime mysteriously and inevitably turns into a foreign coin bin?
Your things should be contained of course, if it maximizes functionality. For instance, it’s quite nice to contain your cleaning supplies in a bin for easy toting around the house. But putting your chip bags in clear bins only to slide them onto their own pantry shelf feels like a bit much, no?
Your things should have room to breathe too! You want to maximize the flow of energy in a space, and feel like you can reach for things freely and with ease. Which brings me to my home organizing philosophy, which I have dubbed abundant minimalism.
What is abundant minimalism, you may ask? It’s about owning two sets of very luxe sheets and not five sets of tattered sheets covered in holes and bleach stains. It’s about owning one sofa in your home, but maybe it’s a deliciously plush sofa made of French Linen. It’s a sofa that would make you hit pause before crashing into it with a bowl of melty chocolate ice cream in hand. It’s about quantity over quality, always. With this philosophy in mind, you might not need so many containers to contain all your items in the first place!
Abundant minimalism differs from pure minimalism in its celebration of well, abundance. I tend to associate minimalism with a kind of sterile sober environment; a wind chime in the corner, a lone impossibly uncomfortable wooden bench in a massive room. Abundant minimalism, however, embraces this ‘less is more’ approach but with a mind towards MORE. Fewer sheets means MORE space in your linen closet and less cramming and clutter. Fewer statement pieces of furniture means MORE sashaying around your home, more cartwheels and frolicking. Maybe no cartwheels, but the suggestion you COULD do a cartwheel somewhere on the floor, should you desire it.
When you live in an abundantly minimal space, you also think more abundantly. The possibilities seem endless when you can look around an open airy space, as opposed to one that’s weighed down by endless books, clutter and Fabergé egg tchotchkes.
When I think about minimalism, my mind goes towards white walls. Abundant minimalism is all about celebrating color, too! You could drench the walls in Yves Klein Blue if you wanted. It’s about celebrating big and bold aesthetics, so long as it’s grounded in less.
Being a minimalist shouldn’t have to be so austere. You can be an abundant minimalist and live large and very well by relishing the multitude of well-made items you own.
If you feel like your space is starting to have control over you instead of the other way around, the first thing you can do is declutter! Then curate. You’ll be right on your way to becoming a chic, abundant minimalist.