Minimalism Challenge: Zone 4
Welcome to Zone 4 of our Minimalism Challenge! Today we are focusing on the area when you walk right into your home. For most homes, the dining room and formal living room/library is near the entrance. You might not have this room in your home, so you can skip this part or insert a media room, additional family room, or any other space here.
When you walk into our home we have the Dining Room on one side and the Formal Living Room on the other. Both of these rooms have been put to new uses. The Dining Room is no longer used for that. We swapped the small kitchen table for the large table and now it’s an extra work room. We also have our piano here and my daughter plays here often with her mini kitchen.
On the other side is what was originally intended to be the Formal Living Room. We did not need a space for this, so we added bookshelves and a media center. This is where my kids watch movies and play games.
In the entry way I have a small cabinet and a closet that was originally a coat closet. It now houses cleaning supplies and my daughter’s toys.
Additionally, there is a half bath here.
This month we will systematically move through these spaces. Let’s get started with week 1!
For deep cleaning in each of these rooms I will do the following:
Spot clean the carpet/hardwood flooring.
Wipe down all wood work including the baseboards.
Clean all windows.
Wipe down all furniture.
Vacuum and spot clean upholstered furniture.
Week 1: Entry & Hall Closet
This space is primarily deep cleaning. However, in the entryway I do have a small chest. I will go through each drawer. In the closet I have some toys in baskets for my daughter. For each of these spaces I will do the same thing:
Take it all out.
Decide what I am keeping (declutter/minimize.)
Put it back neatly.
Sell or donate what I am not keeping immediately.
Week 2: Half Bath
This room is simply a deep clean. In addition to the above list I will do a thorough clean of the toilet and pedestal sink. I will also reevaluate the hand towels (the only linen needed ini this space.) Is there anything here that is clutter and needs to go? Do I need new hand towels?
Week 3: Library
Last year we went through all of my books and my husband’s books. He is a pastor and his books are his thing. Remember, being a minimalist doesn’t mean you can’t have a collection of something. It just means you are really intentional about the things you do own. And he loves all of his books and is intentional about the ones he purchases.
I will go through my kids’ books. I let my son go through his. He is at the age to determine the books he will enjoy. I go through his donate pile and decide if I want to keep it for my 5 year old. She is at the age that some of the books she enjoyed last year are too young for her now, so we will pass these on to someone else.
The only other area of storage here is the cabinet under the TV. Half of this cabinet houses our games. I go through these with the kids to determine the ones we do and do not play with. If it’s a game we haven’t played in a while I will pull it out for the next family night. If we don’t really care for it, we will let it go.
For game organization, I have found it best to get rid of the original boxes and put the games in little bins that are stackable. If you do not have the space for this, I recommend using mesh bags like THIS. This keeps the games neatly organized.
The second half of the cabinet houses all the electronic things. This is something I get my husband and son involved in since all of it belongs to them. We have bins to contain these items and keep them looking neat.
Week 4: Dining Room
Even though this room for me has zero storage in it and does not have anything (other than a small table) that pertains to a dining room, I will go over dining room related things with you.
I do have a buffet with storage in the kitchen. While it keeps my china from a lot of dust, I will take everything out and clean this cabinet. I will also look through the pieces and be sure they are things I still use. Many times spaces like this can fall under “out of sight, out of mind.” Be sure you actually use all of the things you keep in your dining space.
If you keep dishes that are used for entertaining, think of the last large dinner party you had. Did you use this? If not, think about letting it go.
Remember, I will be cleaning along with you on Instagram. Be sure you are following me there!
If you missed the previous zones, you can find them here:
After this zone, we are over halfway through systematically deep cleaning, minimizing, and organizing our homes. Doesn’t it feel great??