Try These Smart & Easy Ways To Become a Minimalist at Home

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minimalist kitchen with clean kitchen island

Live your best life… simply!

Home is where the heart is. It should also be your peaceful sanctuary and a space that feels inviting. If you’re seeking more simplicity in your life, these easy and smart home tips will help you de-clutter and de-stress.


1. Clean out those storage areas.

row of white pantry food in clear labeled containers

About every six months or so, thoroughly clean out the areas where you tend to hide and store stuff. Even in an organized home, items can still get out of control over time.

Tips for decluttering storage areas:

    1. Coat closet: Donate coats and winter accessories that no longer fit the kids, along with coats adults haven’t worn for more than one season.
    2. Food pantry: Add plenty of shelving in pantries for food and household items. Occasionally dispose of expired food items.
    3. Junk drawers: When it comes to drawers, these clear containers are a lifesaver for keeping everything in place!

Hip Tip: Check out how Lina keeps her pantry organized!

cardboard brown boxes on driveway in front of house

Here’s how Alyssa easily donates her unused items:

“We go donate a lot of clothing and toys during holidays & birthdays. The BEST tool we’ve used to keep things simple is Veterans Pick Up Please. I just schedule our pick-up online, leave my bags on my doorstep, and they pick it up and a leave a tax-deduction form, so that I can file donations at the end of the year.”


2. Join the capsule wardrobe club.

woman standing inside organized closet

One of my favorite ways to simplify is with a capsule wardrobe. While I could probably stand to get rid of even a few more pieces, you’re staring at almost all of the clothes I own above!

It’s important to me to invest in pieces I can wear multiple different ways and to also pick pieces that are timeless and won’t go out of style. Plus, the fewer clothes you have, the easier it is to keep it all organized. Additionally, when you own less, you’ll realize where the holes and flaws in your wardrobe are.

Tips for keeping your closet minimal:

  • Every season change, go through clothes and decide what’s not worth keeping.
    • If you didn’t wear it all season, it needs to go.
  • Any time you go shopping, pick a couple of items to donate or sell.
    • Find a local shelter that is accepting clothes.
    • Consignment shops are a great source to sell and recycle clothing.
  • Before buying any piece of clothing, make sure you’ll love it and will wear it multiple times. If you’re not 100% sure, skip it.

Hip Tip: Collin loves using these non-slip hangers in her closet.


3. Find a place for everything in your home.

open kitchen drawer with organized knife block

Yes, everything! I ditched a lot of stuff when we moved into our new home and trashed or donated anything that wasn’t useful or loved. When everything has a place of its own to go, including your knife drawer, cleaning up your home becomes much easier, too!

Tips to ensure everything has a place:

  • Tackle one room and one group of things at a time – i.e. books & magazines, board games, etc.
  • Decide how you’re going to use that room and which furniture pieces make the most sense – ditch the rest.
  • Small items need to be sorted into groups.
  • Get rid of items without value.
  • Look for furniture pieces to accommodate or display your belongings in the most efficient way.

hand pulling white plastic bin with legos

I also love this storage solution from IKEA for the kids. It was the most effective way to store thousands of tiny LEGOs and keep them off of the floor. Plus, the pull-out bins make it convenient for my kids to enjoy playing whenever they want. Win, win. 


4. Consider an item’s purpose over-sentimental feelings.

stack of books next to stone lamp

It’s easy to become attached to sentimental items. Now, I’m not going to tell you to go and throw out all your sentimental belongings and old family photos, but ask yourself these two questions:

  1. Does it have a purpose?
  2. Does it bring you joy?

I ask myself these questions often to consider something’s place in my home. If you can hold those sentimental memories without a “thing” taking up space, it’s time to get it out of the house. Ultimately, letting go of these emotions will help you focus on an item’s function as you strive toward minimalism.

“I donated most of my movies to the public library. This declutters my home, and I can borrow them when I want to watch them.” – Jamie


5. Avoid your favorite stores (no, really).

woman going down escalator with shopping bag and drink

Shopping your favorite stores creates unnecessary temptation to buy things you don’t really need. As much as I love a good stroll by myself through Target, I can’t fully commit to staying a minimalist if I’m buying. Shopping less = having less.

When you do buy something, keep these things in mind:

(If you answer no, you know what to do.) 😉:

  • Is it useful?
  • Is it the only one I have?
  • Do I absolutely love it?
  • Does it bring me joy?

Hip Tip: Wait until you have a substantial list of things to buy at the tempting store. One trip means you’ll be less likely to buy other things you don’t really need (or order them online so you don’t have the temptation of wandering the aisles).


6. Downsize as you’re able to.

white tiny home parked in grass

Okay, okay. I know this one may be extreme, but if you’re ready to totally commit to being a minimalist, then downsize your home! The smaller the home, the less stuff you can keep in it.

Of course, going as extreme as a tiny home like this Perch & Nest beauty definitely isn’t for everyone, but it sure does make you think about how much stuff you really need in order to live happily ever after.


Here are 10 ways to make your small spaces look significantly bigger!


About the writer:

Sara is a self-taught blogger and photographer with 8+ years of experience having work featured in various building, travel, and fashion publications, most notably Bassett Furniture and Fossil.


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