There are some key benefits to creating a minimalist home such as achieving a more attractive and calmer living environment. But is it possible to turn an ordinary home into a minimalist one?

There are some secrets to minimalist living but once you know them they are easy to follow. The key to a minimalist home is clearing away clutter – this includes all that stuff that you don’t really need and rarely use as well as frequently used items that simply look untidy. So minimalism is not about simply de-cluttering and throwing away, recycling or donating to charity all those unnecessary possessions that we all seem to accumulate. It is also about being able to store away everyday items that we do use regularly in a way that makes them easily accessible when we need them but out of sight when we don’t. There are some great Instagram accounts about minimalism if you need inspiration on just how to do this.

But before considering what minimalism is, let’s think about why you would even want to embrace minimalism in your home. What are the advantages to the individual and the family? Can a minimalist home really work with young children and provide a stimulating environment for them to grow up in?

The 3 Advantages of Minimalism in the Home

1. Your home will look more attractive – imagine the clear uncluttered surfaces with everything neatly stored away until it is needed. No more tripping over children’s toys littering the floor. No more shelves full of ornaments you neither like nor want. Just elegant statement pieces of furniture that are shown off to their best because they are surrounded by clear spaces – room to move and room to relax.
2. Your home will be easier to keep clean – it is so much easier to dust and hoover if the floors and other surfaces are free from too many objects. You won’t have to move items on shelves and surfaces before you can clean them so cleaning the home will be a much quicker task.
3. Home life will be calmer – it is much less stressful when it is easy to find everything you need and in a minimalist home everything is neatly stored away in it’s own allotted space so is always easy to find. No more rushing around looking for a particular item only to find it under piles of papers and children will always know where to find their favourite toy or book.

So these are the advantages of a minimalist home but how can you turn an ordinary home into a minimalist one?

The first step is to de-clutter, whilst minimalism is about more than simply de-cluttering, this is still an important phase because once you have de-cluttered your home you will have a better idea of how much new storage space will be required to house all your essential items.

Then you will need to create the additional enclosed storage – for a truly minimal look this should be as unobtrusive as possible – simple cupboards painted the same colour as the walls (neutral, of course) so they blend in – and should make use of existing alcoves and niches to avoid encroaching on a room’s floor space. An essential part of minimalist living is keeping the floor clear of any unnecessary items.

Always over-estimate how much storage you think you will need – one of the biggest factors in the failure of a minimalist home is not actually having the storage space to easily keep those belongings out of sight.

Next, consider whether you really need all of the furniture that your rooms contain. Clearly there are certain essential furniture items that every room needs: chairs, tables, sofas, beds, wardrobes etc but there are also many that you can live without. But there are also some things a minimalist would never have in the bedroom. But a minimalist home should still be comfortable so ensure there is enough seating for the family and guests. There’s little point your guests admiring your sleek, minimal home if there is nowhere comfortable for them to sit down.

Just because you are aiming for a minimalist home does not mean that you can’t have books, magazines, CDs and DVDs in your living space but they will need plenty of storage space behind doors and out of sight wherever possible. Shelves of books and DVDs are dust magnets that not only look cluttered but are difficult to keep clean and dust-free.

Choose any ornaments or other decorations very carefully – you want to introduce something of your character into the room otherwise it would be a completely bland space but, at the same time, it is very easy to overdo it with ornaments, family photos etc. The perfect decorations for a minimalist room are paintings hung on the walls – they add colour and something of your own style without cluttering any surfaces, and maybe a modern vase or a structural houseplant. Plants in particular can add to the sense of calm in a minimalist room.

Stick to neutral colours for the walls and as many of the storage cupboards and drawers as possible, and avoid patterns on any fabrics, floor covering or soft furnishings as even the simplest pattern can create a feeling of clutter in a room. If you can’t live without curtains (which might not be practical in a cold climate) then choose a plain, and preferably neutral, colour, but in warmer climates simple blinds are preferable or if you don’t need privacy then no window dressings at all.

And a final reminder about storage space – it is essential that there is ample storage space and that there are designated, and easily accessible, places for all items that you will need to retrieve on a regular basis. That includes enough drawers and wardrobe space so clothes can be stored easily. Putting some serious thought into your storage will help you to maintain the minimalist look that you have worked hard to achieve in your home. In fact the right storage can be a viable alternative to extending your home or even having to move to a larger home. Many people prefer to simply get organised and remain in a smaller home that is easier and cheaper to maintain – there’s even a trend for tiny homes, but I have to wonder if that is through genuine choice.

The post Embracing Minimalism in Your Home appeared first on Twits Guides.

Many people have an impression of a minimalist home as a mostly white, bland space with very little furniture and a not very welcoming feel. But a truly minimal home can also be comfortable and reflect something of the owner’s character with carefully selected statement decorations. Minimalist living is not about removing comfort and personality from a space but about injecting a calm, stress-free atmosphere by removing all clutter and storing the majority of necessary items out of sight.

As with all styles of decorating and living, there are different levels of minimalism that work for different people but every minimal home will have some of these common elements:

Clear surfaces – the majority of visible flat surfaces will be clear of any items. There may be a few open bookcases and the kitchen surfaces may contain a few items that are impractical to store away such as the kettle and toaster, but, in general, even the most frequently used items will have an allotted storage space inside a cupboard or drawer.

Simple Furniture – rooms will only contain essential furniture and it will all be of a simple, elegant design, without any fancy decorative touches. Soft furnishings will be in neutral, or pale, muted colours and there will be no patterns in sight.

Simple Window Treatments – a minimal room may have curtains but they will be a plain feature of the room (no tie-backs, pelmets or fancy rails) but more often the windows will be unadorned or have just a simple blind for privacy.

Plain Neutral or Muted Colours – one of the ways of creating the calm atmosphere of a minimalist room is to use neutral and soft, muted colours only starting with plain walls and contemporary tile flooring or a classic wooden floor. This will not create a bland or cold room if combined with some textural elements in the furniture. There will be a distinct absence of any patterns however subtle.

Personal Touches – it is important for a home to reflect something of the character of the owner and no one would wish to live in a completely impersonal space so a few carefully chosen items will be on display; maybe an elegant Scandinavian vase on the window ledge or a simply framed family photo on the coffee table.

Decoration – good paintings often play an important part in the design of a minimalist space; they enable colour, texture and vibrancy to be added to a room without encroaching on the physical space. They also reflect the personality of the owner and bring character to the room to prevent it from seeming too bland.

Abundant storage space – this is the most essential element in any minimalist home, without which a minimal lifestyle would be impossible. The storage space should be abundant but also well organised with a defined space for every item that needs to be stored away.

To many of us moving to a new house it may seem like an impossible ideal to live in a minimalist home but it is possible to start to move towards that calmer and more serene way of living by taking one step at a time. Start by de-cluttering and creating plenty of storage cupboards and drawers. Attempt to make the easiest rooms minimal first – those that already have the least amount of furniture and clutter and discard all but the most essential pieces of furniture. Next, redecorate in neutral colours and you are already nearly there.

The act of redecorating a room will involve removing almost everything from the room so it is then simply a matter of resisting the temptation to put everything back again. Review every item again, even if you think you have already discarded everything possible there is always the opportunity to remove even more stuff. Try to ensure that all flat surfaces are completely clear and store away the essential items you have kept in their pre-allocated space in the storage cupboards. It is vital that a minimalist home has plenty of good, well-organised storage space from which items are easily accessible.

The post What is a Minimalist Home? appeared first on Twits Guides.

But, do you ever look at your home and wonder how you can use it better? With some small changes here and there, it could become an even better place to live. Updating your home, giving it a modern tweak on it looks inside and out maybe something you would love to do – but stop short because you think – or you know! – that it is a big job and you have no idea where to start or how.

In this article, we offer five tried and tested steps to getting a modern twist on your home without necessarily taking out a second mortgage, moving home or engaging in disruptive, expensive work. Making changes starts with small steps, one room at a time.

Step 1 – De-clutter

De-cluttering is a time-consuming but cathartic process. You will come across things long forgotten, enjoy some of the memories that they bring flooding back but also sad and anxious about other memories they recall.

De-cluttering is no one’s favourite job because it can take so long, as well as feel like an enormous task. But, if you want to make changes, whether it’s decorating a room or making big, structural changes, you need to begin with the process of decluttering.

It is a job that once started, can overwhelm you. When it comes to de-cluttering, there are a few tips that can help you de-cluttering more effective:

• Don’t start BIG – if you decide to de-clutter a whole room in one go, you may find that a few hours in to the task, you run out of steam. Start small: de-clutter the items in a cupboard etc. Deciding to declutter the whole house will only mean you run out of energy and determination sooner rather than later.
• Don’t forget you need to remove and recycle – de-cluttering can be a cathartic process but only if you see it through from start to end. You may be left with a de-cluttered lounge or hallway but, if the stuff is piled up in another room ready to be recycled etc. – and stays there for months – you have only completed half of the task.
• DO set aside plenty of time – you might think it’ll take half an hour to de-clutter the sideboard but it can take three times as long. Set aside plenty of time; even half an hour is better than not doing anything.
• DO have an idea of what you want to keep – there is no hard and fast rule about what to keep and what not to keep but if you haven’t used it in the last six months or more, then consider recycling, upcycling or donating.

Step 2 – Organise storage

De-cluttering your home is a great process and once you start to come to the end of it in a room, you can start to really see what space you have to work with.

However, there is a common, often forgotten issue when you have sorted through everything: storage. Once you know what you have and what you want to keep, you need to look at effective storage options.

Storage is not just about buying plastic boxes and hiding them away in cupboard; it is about prioritising access and using the space you have in the most effective and efficient way possible; using storage units that work in your space..

Prioritising and ordering items can be a useful way of ensuring that you can find what you want when you need it:

1. Eye level – keep things at eye level that are the most important things and ones that you will access on a frequent basis. This is especially true in wardrobe and cupboard space. Finding things quickly and easily usually depends on your eye being able to spot it amongst a sea of things.
2. Below the knee – the bunch of things that you will want to access from time to time is given storage space ‘below the knee’. This could be in cupboards or the lower portion of a wardrobe. There may be more effort involved in finding something but if you order your things correctly, you won’t need to access them as often.
3. Above the head – and finally, anything that you want to keep but will access infrequently should be kept above your head. This means making more of an effort to access – like climbing a small step ladder. Storing things like winter blankets etc. in the space above your head in the top portion of a wardrobe is a prime example of this.

One way of updating to the look of your home is to use parts of it that are hitherto ‘wasted’. Small nooks and crannies, under stairs spaces and so on can, with shelving and lighting become great storage spaces. Have a look online for inspiration on how to include bespoke and unique storage solutions in your home.

Step 3 – Snag list

Now that you have de-cluttered and started to deal with storage solutions, you can now spend some time looking at the space or the room. The objective is to create a snag list of what you want changing, followed by how you will go about doing this.

Consider these questions;

• What do you really use the room or space for? What would you like or need to use the space for?

It may be a dining room but is this what you really need it to be? It might a space that for the next few years, would be better used as a playroom or kid’s hangout. The best use of your home will depend on how you need to use it, so don’t think you have to follow a prescribe list or set of traditional ideas.

• What tasks can you complete yourself? Which do you think needs professional input?

Some changes are structural so before you start knocking walls down or ripping fireplaces out, it is a wise move to have a professional check for any structural changes or modifications that need to be made. You may feel able, willing and skilled with the right tools to take on certain tasks. Many people find it satisfying to be able to take on a project and complete it.

Step 4 – Create a mood board for each room and project

Updating your whole home is a mammoth task, especially if you decide to take it on all at once; this is why, taking it as a room by room project is a great way of completing it.

Once you have a snag list, you can set a budget for the updating the room or space, as well as deciding on the final look and uplift you are looking for.

In some cases, it may be as simple as painting and decorating or laying new porcelain tiles in the kitchen  but you want it to be stylish and practical. There are many ways of doing this, including creating a mood board.

A mood board is where you gather all the ideas you have about the final look of the room all in one place. Some people spread it out over a poster-sized piece of card but other people keep theirs in folders or a scrap book.

Your mood board will contain important information:

• Measurements and dimensions – measure the floor, as well as height of walls and the windows. These measurements are handy for when ordering curtain, blinds, flooring and so on. If you have these to hand, it makes the whole process a lot less stressful.
• A floor plan of your room – drawing an accurate floor plan, with fireplaces, and any other features can also be a great way of understanding how some things may or may not work in a space.
• Photos – clippings from magazines or from internet sites of colours, patterns and ideas are all kept on your mood board. This way, you can start to visualise how the finished room will look. Many people find visualising the final room difficult; if you are one of these people, a mood board is essential.
• Samples – if you are opting for new furnishings in a space, textures and colours are important. Keeping samples of these in a book is a great way of being able to compare how certain paint or wallpaper could work with them and so on. All too often, in our mind’s eye we may think that the carpet is a perfect match only to find that once laid, it makes the room look smaller or clashes with the décor and so on.
• Inclusive – everyone should have a say in how communal spaces in your home look, and mood boards are a great way of bringing ideas together and how they will work (or not!).

Step 5 – Maintenance of your ‘new’ home

You have worked really hard. You have a de-cluttered home, great storage solutions, a feeling of space and you and your family find that the house is once again, versatile and responsive to your needs.

Keeping it this way is not as tough as you think and this is why;

• Identify your buying ‘patterns or rituals’ – have you noticed how some people’s homes seem full of trinkets without it feeling cluttered? This is because these purchases are considered and thought out ones. This is how you need to be with every purchase you make in the future. Think carefully before every purchase – and never shop when tired – it’s so much harder to resist things.
• Visualise the coming months– you have come across a beautiful, hand blown vase. You must-have it! But, think how it will look in your home in six months’ time. Will it still fit with the décor? Or, if you change the look of that room, will the vase still have a place in it?
• Compulsive buys rarely work out… – everyone has had some kind of impulsive buy. Sometimes they work but more often than not, the item becomes an object that is passed around from room to room, and then put in a cupboard and forgotten about. When it comes to buying something for your home in the future, you need to be confident that it is a well-thought out purchase.
• Regular de-cluttering – staying on top of clutter is important. It doesn’t take long for it to all start to mount up again. Recycling and upcycling are a great way of reusing stuff that you no longer need, or no longer need in its current format. If you do want to recycle items, take advantage of the kerbside collections. Local authorities are now collecting a wider range of items as part of their weekly collections, from clothing to small electrical items. Many local recycling centres also offer collection for larger items and don’t forget that your ‘rubbish’ or unwanted stuff could be just perfect for someone else.

Updating your home takes a little effort and organisation but, get the basics right and you will soon see the fruits of your labour – remember the below and you won’t go far wrong.

• De-cluttering is great but only if you make arrangements for items to be moved/recycled/upcycled and reused.
• As well as budgeting, you also need to plan your time; some aspects of updating your home can take longer than others.
• Mood boards or books are a great way of gathering inspiration and ideas so that you get the final look that you want.
• Not also changes are DIY tasks; structural changes should be OK’d by a builder first or by a structural engineer.
• Get the whole family involved and remember, just because a room has ‘always been used as a dining room etc.’, doesn’t mean it has to stay as one. If you need a play room, then make space for one. It can always be changed back when you no longer need a play space.
• Awkward places make great storage solutions, especially if you use the space available creatively.

The post How to update your home, one room at a time appeared first on Twits Guides.

Living in a minimalist way can be incredibly liberating. With less ‘stuff’ in your life, you’ll find you spend less time cleaning and tidying, and are able to relax more frequently when you’re in your home. However, the concept of living with very little can be fairly daunting to many people, and often the popular misconceptions about what minimalist living is all about serves to put people off the idea entirely. If you are new to the concept and would like to understand better what it is all about, here are some of the most common questions answered to help you on the way.

• What is minimalist living all about?

The essence of minimalism is to get rid of the things you no longer use or need, giving you more room to enjoy the things you really love. It’s about living more simply and lightly, and shrugging off the obsession with having and needing too much.

• What are the benefits?

For a start, your home environment will be clutter-free and so be less stressful. There will be less cleaning and tidying to do, and if you are strict on not buying things unless you honestly need them, your bank account will start to look and feel different too. Think how much easier it will be to clean if you have clear surfaces to dust and clear floor tiles to mop.

• Isn’t is boring to have nothing in your life?

A popular misconception of minimalism is that you have to live in a white room with nothing but a chair, or even better a floor cushion, for comfort. This is not the case at all. Minimalists believe in clearing things from their lives that they no longer need, love, want or use. All the things that bring you joy or that you use frequently can stay, whether that is a painting, a programme on the TV or something else. It is not about being sterile and boring, but more about being streamlined.

• What do minimalists do with their time?

This is the beauty of minimalist living: you can do whatever you like! Imagine all the time you currently spend tidying up, cleaning, searching for lost possessions and generally feeling stressed. With a less cluttered lifestyle and a minimalist environment, you can enjoy more free time to be creative, to relax and to take up hobbies and interests.

• What rules do I need to follow to become a minimalist?

There are no hard and fast rules to minimalism, only guidelines. The essence is that you only keep the things you really, truly need each day, and clear away the rest to leave more room to breathe. It’s about breaking away from the consumerist lifestyles of our culture, and valuing the things that really matter to you. It’s about choosing quality over quantity, and about learning to live with less so that you have plenty of storage space for the things you truly value. It’s about being kinder to the planet and only taking as much as you need.

Minimalism is not for everyone, and very few people will take it to the extreme degrees which most people think is the norm for minimalists. The idea of minimal living can be adopted to a greater or lesser degree, and by taking the elements of the concept that you think will be useful to you.

The post Minimalism: your questions answered appeared first on Twits Guides.

1. Clean as you go

Yes, it’s obvious; yes, it’s common-sense – but that’s because it really works. Keep a cordless vacuum cleaner – so vacuuming is absolutely effortless and doesn’t involve plugs and wires – and a portable ‘cleaning kit’ with sprays, polishes, dusters, cloths and wipes. Don’t leave anything out once it’s finished with. As you walk out of a room, or up the stairs, take stuff with you. Nipping to the bathroom or having a quick coffee? Wipe a surface. Put used crockery straight into the dishwasher. Train the family to do so too – no one should be allowed dinner/internet/to play until they’ve tidied up. It’ll soon become habit and nobody will even notice.

If you’re pushed for time, just clean the kitchen and bathroom. In those rooms, hygiene is a must, so prioritise. If your wall and floor tiles are clean and gleaming it’s easy to overlook the odd bit of clutter elsewhere. Let’s face it, your house is lived in! A quick polish everywhere else should suffice – the scent of polish gives the illusion of a clean house anyway.

2.Storage, storage, storage:

Everywhere. When everything has a place there’s no need for mess. Many stores specialise in storage solutions which you can customise or build up to fit your space and requirements but you could also choose to create your own to perfectly suit your rooms. Any odd spaces or alcoves are crying out for made-to-fit cupboards, shelves or other storage systems, but everyday furniture can offer storage space, too – cabinets with hooks and rails attached underneath; fireplaces with pigeonholes, tables with drawers… the list is almost endless.

3.Stack it up, but decoratively!

Are you a stacker? You know, someone who seems to collect stacks of… stuff. All sorts of stuff, all over everywhere. Catalogues, books, magazines, recipes and the like? Make a feature of them, again with useful storage. There are some really attractive and stylish office or kitchen storage systems which could actually make a lovely feature. Again, customise them or even make your own – fabric covered boxes and files, or prettily-lined baskets will keep the house neat-and-tidy as well as attractive.

4. Lose the clutter

Keep surfaces clear and the house will look cleaner (plus you won’t need to lift things in order to dust). Plants on windowsills and mantelpieces look fresh and clean and will prevent you from adding yet more clutter.

Now, treat yourself to a bunch of fresh flowers – really, they’ll help the house look clean and smell good, too!

The post 4 Ways to Make your Home Look Clean and Decluttered! appeared first on Twits Guides.