Minimalism Myth #1 - Everything Has To Be New And Shiny
Everything must be new and shiny and perfectly curated if you’re a minimalist. This is a myth I’ve heard. And I completely understand how some people could think that. We show our best selves on social media. If you are like me and follow a lot of minimalist accounts it can seem like they are constantly getting new things, while still throwing out the old. This isn’t real life. And it’s definitely not my reality.
Having been a self proclaimed minimalist for over 5 years, I have learned a thing or 2. Here are the truths to refute this myth. (There is a lot more on this topic on the YouTube video that you can watch HERE.)
Truths:
When you own less you tend to take better care of what you have.
Minimalists are typically very intentional about their purchases - by thinking about my purchase for a little longer, I make better choices.
When you own less - it looks neater naturally.
By only owning the things I really love - my personality is naturally reflected in my home and my closet. I am a neutral person. I love neutral decor, neutral clothing. If you are someone who loves color, that will be reflected in your home!
Do you want things to look cohesive? Here are some tips:
choose a color for baskets/bins that you purchase. When we first bought our home I would just grab some cute baskets I saw on sale at TJMaxx. I had some teal ones, black, grey, and white. When I realized I didn’t care for this look, I began to only choose white for baskets or bins. In my pantry I have a few different styles, but they are all white or clear, so everything looks cohesive. For the colored ones I still use those, but in areas like my laundry cabinets.
Save up and buy one large set for things that tend to be mismatched. A great example of this is food/leftover storage. I donated all of my old ones and bought one set from Costco and they all match. Every few years I donate all of my dish towels and wash cloths and buy a set.