De-clutter for Fall

It's that time of year again. The leaves are starting to change color, the weather is getting progressively colder, and the smell of pumpkin spice permeates everything. Fall is almost here, my friends. The calender says that September 22 is the official day, but I can feel fall in the air already, and I love it! I like to take this time of year, just like spring, and re-evaluate all of my organization. After all, I will be stuck in the house all winter long, staring at my stuff. I want it to look and feel good for as long as it can so that I don't get sick of looking at it. It needs to be aesthetically pleasing, at least until spring, when I do it all over again. Today, I would like to present an idea to you that works great for clearing clutter permanently. It's called minimalism.

I like to keep minimalism in mind when I organize and decorate. The Japanese have successfully made an art form out of minimalism. For those of you who aren't familiar, minimalism is keeping only what you need or what is necessary. A minimalist theme creates more open space and a calmer feel to a home. Below are some examples of minimalist rooms to give you some inspiration before we move on. I also like to call pictures like these organizer porn.

These are just a few examples of minimalist home decor. They create a clean visual effect. They aren't cluttered, but they don't feel empty either. Everything has a place. This is the easiest form of organization to maintain and the space is easier to clean. 

If you would like to employ the idea of minimalism in your home, I would suggest that you start with one room and work from there. Here is a short list of things to get you started.

1. Start with the furniture. It's the biggest thing in the room. If you have any furniture that can be eliminated without sacrificing convenience or comfort, then do so. 
2. Keep only the essentials. You don't want to keep things that you don't use or don't need. Toss out things that are out of date. 
3. Clear your floors. Nothing should be stored or stacked on your floors. If you can't store it out of sight, donate, sell, or trash it.
4. Clear off all of your surfaces. Items should be stored in drawers or baskets out of sight. This creates the illusion of less stuff.
5. You will want to clear your walls of excess decorations. In a minimalist home, there are only one or two pieces of art on the walls of any given room. Think about choosing simple art as well to compliment the theme you are working with.
6. As you are storing things out of sight, you may be running out of room. Before you head out to purchase a bigger storage container, stop. Re-evaluate the things that you are keeping. Are they all necessary? Do you use them all? The answer is probably no. Down size. Minimalism is about owning less. 
7. Plain window treatments and simple patterns work the best. Simple bamboo blinds look great with this kind of style. Do not put curtains with blinds. It over complicates things. Block prints or plain colors are great for furniture and bed clothes.
8. When choosing colors, try not to go with overly bright colors. Most minimalist designs work with a simple color pallet. Classic black and white are favorites. Don't be afraid to add a pop of color to each room, but do it with something smaller, such as a rug or pillows. Working with a complimentary color pallet for each room adds uniformity to the overall appearance,
9. You must have a place for everything, and everything must be in its place. With this kind of decor, anything left sitting out or simply out of place will throw off the room. 
10. After you have finished, sit back and enjoy the peaceful feel of the room. Without the over complication of clutter and things you don't want or need, your home will feel entirely different. Also, without all that unnecessary stuff, you will have more space and more time because you won't be constantly re-arranging your things. 

Keep in mind that this style is not for everyone. I find it to be a great concept and thought that I would share it with you. I strive for this sort of organization, but often fall short. If this is something you really want to implement, don't give up. Our homes are all works in progress. Over time, with being persistent, you will achieve your goal.

I hope that you enjoyed this post. Questions and comments are always welcome, as are stories and pictures. I would love to hear from you. Good luck, and happy organizing!