About Minimalism (declutter your life)

Minimalism is a movement that first began as an art movement and music movement, focusing on the idea of simplicity and using space. People have adopted the theories of this into the ideas of a minimalist lifestyle, in other words, a clutter free lifestyle.

There’s a lot of advertising that works to convince us that there are things we need that we don’t need. This is often bad for your bank account as well as for the environment.

Avoiding things that aren’t necessary is a mindset that can help give you more freedom. It can also help clear your house and mind from any unwanted distractions.

Minimalist design

It is hard to figure out where the line is between a cluttered apartment décor, a balanced and inviting apartment décor, and a bare apartment, which might feel uninviting and impersonal.

It is nice to have a place that feels like your own and having some apartment décor plays an important part in making a house feel like a home, especially if you are living in a rented place.

A cluttered apartment will usually feel much smaller in space, unorganized, and it will inevitably be much harder to clean and maintain. Apartments with a minimalist design will often appear much more spacious, organized, and well-maintained. Minimalist design has been popular for a while now, and with benefits like these, it is easy to understand why!

Minimalist design isn’t just stylish, one of the great benefits of a clutter free apartment is how much easier it is to clean. Additionally, if you regularly declutter it also makes the apartment moving process much easier, helping in the long term if you plan on moving somewhere else.

To achieve a minimalist apartment, you are probably going to have to declutter! The popular Japanese cleaning guru, Marie Kondo, is famous for encouraging people to declutter and free themselves from anything that doesn’t spark ‘joy’. To declutter, why not think about each item you own and whether how you feel about it, whether it brings you happiness, or whether it is weighing you down.

Minimalist design doesn’t work for everyone. We all have our tastes, and what can be considered clutter to one person who strives for minimalism may be something that ‘sparks joy’ in someone else’s apartment. Don’t feel like you can’t get any trinkets, ceramics, art, or other bits and bobs to declutter and have the perfect minimalist apartment.

1. Keep it natural

Using natural materials can help give an apartment a minimalist design. Wood is very popular at the moment in apartment décor, and luckily Japan is a place where you can get some beautiful wood. Consider purchasing simple, good-quality wooden furniture instead of synthetic materials and bright colors, it will help your apartment have a clutter free feel to it.

If you want to bring some life into your home and apartment décor, perhaps you could purchase some houseplants. Having houseplants is said to have various physical and mental health benefits, and they may be particularly beneficial if you live in a big city where you don’t get to take in much nature. It is a great way to fill cold and empty spaces without cluttering them.

• The floor is lava

Keeping things up in the air, on shelves or tables, can give the illusion of more space. It’s best to have a little on the floor as possible for a more clutter free home. This will also help make your apartment much easier to clean.

Instead of having plants on the floor, have them in a plant hanger. If you can, you could even have a hanging bedside table instead of the usual ones since it will clear up some floor space and therefore make your apartment feel more clutter free.

• Neutral colors (avoid patterns)

Pattern clashing can be great, but it doesn’t usually fit in with the ideas of minimalist design. Instead, having a simple color scheme where you are sticking to a select few colors will create a much more cohesive look and make your apartment feel less chaotic. For a simpler and more minimalist look, use neutral and natural colors.

• Less is more (artwork)

Minimal means the smallest amount or quantity possible, so bear this in mind when it comes to decorations in a minimalist-style apartment.

One beautiful piece of artwork will often be much more effective than a load of different pieces around your apartment. It allows you to focus on that individual piece and appreciate it more. On top of this having clear wall space creates a simpler and more organized atmosphere in an apartment.

If you already have various pieces of art or framed photos, or similar items that you simply must display, you could consider alternating what you display every once in a while, rather than display them all at the same time. If not perhaps having a gallery-style wall that is carefully constructed will declutter your space much more than having the pictures dotted all around.

• Organizing storage space (clear surfaces)

Practical storage solutions are key for achieving a minimalist design. If you can’t fully embrace the lifestyle of minimalism but you still want the slick and polished look, think about purchasing furniture with hidden storage where you can keep things that would otherwise clutter your apartment. Multifunctional furniture is great for this reason, particularly in small apartments.

For a minimalist look, it’s very effective when you can keep surfaces clear. If you have open storage, such as open shelves, only use these for a select few pieces that you want to display. Tables, desks, and other surfaces should be left as clear as possible.

To do this, there are various practical and affordable storage products. In 100-yen stores, you can find simple organizing grids where you can hang the bits and bobs that would usually be on your desk. You can also find under-the-table storage hooks for some more discreet storage solutions.

We hope these tips help you refresh your apartment décor and maybe even help you declutter if you are looking for a bit of minimalism in your life. Having a clutter free life with fewer belongings to tie you down can feel liberating so we hope you can enjoy this!

It’s important to remember that minimalism isn’t for everyone though – there are other ways you can get this sense of liberation that some people get from maintaining a minimalist design and lifestyle!