The Joy of Less, a Minimalist Living Guide (14 page)

“Narrow it down” is one of my favorite steps, because that’s where the real minimalist fun begins! I’ve always had somewhat of an anti-establishment streak, and breaking the rules of consumer (or decorative) propriety is my little way of “sticking it to the man.” Nowhere is this more fun, or socially acceptable, than in the bedroom!

Our bedrooms are our own little worlds. Few outsiders enter this intimate space, and those that do know us pretty well already (and presumably won’t judge us by our furnishings, or lack thereof). Therefore, we can feel free to explore our minimalist fantasies here, without regard for social norms. That sounds fun, doesn’t it? In your living room, it may be awkward to seat guests on the floor; but in your bedroom, nobody knows (or cares) if you’re sleeping on it.

As a child, I had a well-appointed little princess’s room: a beautiful canopy bed, floral duvet and curtains, and entire suite of vanity, dressers, and bookcases. Almost every inch of floor space was occupied by a piece of furniture, save a few feet on each side of the bed. Though it was very pretty, I found it suffocating; I never felt like I had enough room to stretch out my young limbs and move around freely. As a teenager, however, I cajoled my parents into letting me “redecorate.” Out went the dressers, vanity, and nightstands, and I traded the fancy bed for a mattress and box spring on a simple frame. My bedroom went from 80 percent furniture, 20 percent floor space to the opposite—and I loved the transformation. (Thus, a minimalist was born!)

Today, my husband and I have nothing in our bedroom save a futon mattress on the floor. That may not work for everyone, but it works for us. By eliminating the bed frame, we also eliminated the need for nightstands; we each keep travel-size alarm clocks on the floor beside us. Instead of using dressers, we store all clothing in our closets, organized with hanging fabric shelving and a handful of containers. We don’t have a vanity, preferring to perform all grooming in the bathroom. Keeping things to the bare minimum gives our bedroom an open, airy, spacious feel—exactly what we need after a day in a crowded, urban environment.

The point I want to emphasize is that you don’t have to own certain pieces of furniture simply because it’s “expected.” Not everyone needs a vanity; not everyone needs a dresser; not everyone needs a nightstand. Heck, not everyone needs a bed! Forget what all the design magazines tell you about how a master bedroom should look. Instead, stop and contemplate what
you
really need. If you find it fussy to have a vanity, get rid of it; if you’re always bumping into the dresser, move it out; if you never sit in the corner chair, find it a new home. Narrow down the pieces in your bedroom to a functional minimum, and reclaim all that glorious space—the neighbors never have to know that you live without a nightstand.

Seek ways to minimize your linens as well. Question whether it’s necessary to have separate winter and summer bedding; in most climates, simple cotton will suffice year round. By the same token, choose a duvet cover that’ll work in every season; skip the heavy velvet, for example, in favor of something more versatile. By making wise choices, you can reduce the contents of your linen closet without sacrificing comfort. Instead of stockpiling sheets for an army, pare down your collection to the essential—be that two sets per bed, or just one. If you don’t have frequent overnight visitors, your guest sheets can double as your backup set.

The bedroom may not see the same traffic as other parts of the house; however, it still needs daily maintenance to keep it clean and clutter-free.

Number one on the agenda: make the bed every day! This simple action takes just a few minutes—but it can completely transform the room, and set the tone for your day. A made bed is one of life’s little luxuries, inviting you to slip in and relax after a hard day’s work. Furthermore, it exudes calm and order, and is a powerful influence in keeping the bedroom neat and tidy. When the bed is undone, a mess in the rest of the room doesn’t seem out of place; everything just looks a wreck. In contrast, when your bedding is smoothed, tucked, and folded just so, the clutter has no camouflage, and is much less likely to accumulate.

Number two: scan the room for wayward clothes. Sometimes when we take off a jacket, sweater, or pair of stockings—especially if we’re falling into bed after a long day—the item fails to reach its appropriate spot. As soon as you notice such a stray article, put it away. Don’t save the task for “later;” by that time, more items will have joined it, and the chore will have grown. It can be particularly hard to corral shoes and handbags; these items like to go out on the town, and you’ll often find a crowd of them waiting at the door. Give them their own special space in the closet (to which they’re returned each night), so they don’t take up floor space in
your
part of the room. Properly storing clothes and accessories—on hangers and shelves, instead of heaps on the floor—makes for a longer-lasting wardrobe, and a more pleasant environment.

Third, monitor the bedroom for uninvited “guests.” As private a space as it is, some things still manage to sneak in (usually in the arms of other family members). If you catch your toddler’s stuffed toy or spouse’s tennis racket lurking in the corner, don’t invite it to stay the night—boomerang it right back where it belongs. Similarly, when you’re finished reading that mystery novel, or watching your favorite romantic comedy on DVD, don’t let it take up residence by your bedside. Unless you keep a bookshelf in your bedroom, return it to its appropriate module in the living room or office. Clear the room before you close your eyes, and you’ll wake up to a wonderful, serene space each morning!

It’s time to tackle the clutter in our closets. If you have plenty of clothes but nothing to wear, this chapter’s for you. We’ll explore how paring down our attire can save us time, money, space, and stress—while making it
easier
for us to look well-dressed. Having a streamlined wardrobe is one of the true joys of being a minimalist!

Cleaning out your closet doesn’t have to be a chore; on the contrary, it can be a blast! In fact, it’s one of my favorite decluttering activities. The task is certainly easier than tackling an entire room: there’s no furniture to worry about, tchotchkes to deliberate over, or other people’s stuff to deal with. To be honest, I think of it more as “me time” than cleaning time. I like to put on some music, have a glass of wine, and stage my own personal fashion show as I rummage through my wardrobe. Purging dowdy old things and planning fabulous new outfits makes for a fun couple of hours; and having extra closet space in the end is a wonderful reward.

To Start Over, take everything out of your closet, your dressers, your armoire, and everywhere else you store your clothing, and lay it out on your bed. And by everything, I mean
everything
! Reach into those dark recesses and pull out the bell-bottoms, bubble skirt, and bridesmaid dress from your sister’s wedding. Dive into the back corners and fish out those cowboy boots, platform sandals, and strappy stilettos you’ve never been able to walk in. Dump all the underwear, socks, pajamas, and pantyhose out of their respective drawers, and line up your handbags for inspection. Nothing stays behind—keep going until you’re left with empty drawers, bare shelves, and naked hangers.

Before we continue, though, let’s stop for a little soul-searching. In order to create a minimalist wardrobe, we need a good handle on what’s
right
for us—because when we have a limited number of clothes, they all have to pull their weight. Therefore, spend some time pondering your personal style: is it classic, sporty, preppy, punk, bohemian, glamorous, vintage, romantic, or modern? Think about your favorite colors: do you prefer light pastels, dark jewel tones, or bold primaries? Do you look best in clothes that are closely tailored, or loose and flowing? Do you feel more comfortable in natural fabrics like cottons and wools, or high-tech ones like polyester blends? Keep your answers in mind as you evaluate your clothing; pieces that don’t fit your style or preferences are likely to spend more time in your closet than on your body.

Next, imagine this situation: a fire, flood, or other disaster has wiped out your entire wardrobe, and you must rebuild it from scratch. (Yikes!) Your funds are limited, so you have to make smart choices. Consider the absolute essentials you would need to get through a typical week. Your list will likely include socks, underwear, one or two pairs of trousers, a couple of shirts, a jacket, a versatile pair of shoes, and perhaps a sweater, skirt, and pair of pantyhose or tights (forget the last two if you’re a guy!). You’ll want to choose items that are appropriate for both work and weekend, and can be layered to keep you comfortable in a range of temperatures. You’ll need to be able to mix and match them, and create a variety of outfits from just a few pieces. This exercise illuminates your most functional articles of clothing, and lays a good foundation for your minimalist wardrobe.

Once you’ve nailed down your essential requirements, and your favorite looks, colors, fabrics, and silhouettes, you can make your ideal wardrobe a reality. This is the fun part: you get to be your own personal stylist! As you sort through your clothing, keep in mind the image you want to project—cool professional, chic bohemian, Ivy League prepster—and select (and reject) pieces accordingly. If you’re aiming for a more glamorous look, keep the dresses and ditch the dowdy sweats. If you’re climbing the corporate ladder, favor pencil skirts over peasant shirts. Be the curator of your clothes: pick out the items that fit your style, and make you look and feel your best.

Now that everything’s out of your closet, try everything on. If you haven’t worn that cocktail dress or three-piece suit in five years, how do you know it still fits? Don each piece in turn, and do a three-sixty or two in front of the mirror. We all know that just because something looks good on a hanger, doesn’t mean it looks good on us; and conversely, an item that’s ho-hum on its own may come alive when we put it on. During your fashion show, mix and match individual pieces: experiment with different combinations, and figure out exactly what goes with what. In the process, you’ll pin down your most flattering and versatile articles of clothing.

Make your Trash, Treasure, and Transfer piles, and psych yourself up for some heavy-duty decision making. It helps to use boxes or garbage bags for your castoffs—not because you’re going to throw them away, but because it keeps them out of sight. Hence, once you’ve decided to toss an article, your decision will be “final;” your eye won’t fall on it again, tempting you to retrieve it from the reject pile. If your resolve starts to waver, take a break and re-read the philosophy chapters; sometimes all you need is a little pep talk to steel your strength and keep you going!

In your Trash pile, put all those items that are beyond repair (or your ability, or desire, to do so): like the blouse with the stubborn wine stain, the shirt with the frayed collar, the pants with the worn-out knees, the skirt with the large tear, the threadbare jacket, the stockings with runs, the stretched-out undies, the socks without mates, and the sweaters with undarnable holes. If you can’t reach into your closet, put it on, and wear it in public, it doesn’t belong there. Of course, that doesn’t mean these pieces are destined for the landfill. If you can recycle or repurpose them (perhaps as dust rags), all the better. Only keep them, however, if you have a specific use in mind.

If we only had to deal with worn out items, decluttering would be a snap! Unfortunately, however, most of our clothes wear out their welcome long before they wear out. Therefore, make good use of your Transfer pile; it’s for all those perfectly good clothes that are no longer good for you. If it doesn’t fit or isn’t flattering, if it’s outdated or unsuitable, or if you’ve simply grown bored of it, put it here. Include any clothes that make you feel self-conscious, uncomfortable, or unfashionable—you know, the ones you remove minutes after you put them on. Don’t let these duds clutter up your closet. They get in the way of your good stuff, confuse you when you’re getting dressed, and make you feel like you have nothing to wear.

While these pieces may be all wrong for you, they may be perfect for someone else. Instead of letting them languish in your closet, give them a chance at a second life. If an item’s still sporting its tags, see if you can return it—most retailers will accept unworn clothing for a reasonable time period (usually thirty to ninety days) after its purchase. Otherwise, consider selling it on eBay, or in a consignment shop; name brands and designer pieces can net you a nice wad of cash. Alternatively, donate your duds to a thrift shop, or charitable organization like Dress for Success; you’ll get a clean closet, some good karma, and maybe even a tax write-off, in return.

Work through the remaining steps to determine your Treasures, and you’ll have a minimalist wardrobe in short order. However, if you prefer to proceed more slowly, here’s an alternative technique that’s almost effortless. Obtain three spools of ribbon: one each of green, yellow, and red. After you wear an item, tie the hanger with a bow: green if it made you feel fabulous; red if it made you feel frumpy; or yellow if you’re on the fence about it. At the end of six months, keep the greens and yellows as your Treasures, and Trash or Transfer the reds. If something doesn’t have a ribbon, it means you haven’t worn it at all—and you know exactly where that belongs!

The number one reason to keep an article of clothing is because
we wear it
. Well, that should be easy, right? Wouldn’t that justify saving the majority of our apparel? Not so fast. According to the Pareto principle (or 80/20 rule), we wear 20 percent of our wardrobe 80 percent of the time. Uh-oh! That means we
don’t wear
the majority of our clothing—at least not often. In fact, we could pare down our wardrobes to one-fifth their size, and hardly miss a thing! Therefore, our mission is to separate our “favorite 20” from our “unworn 80”—that is, identify the pieces that fit us, flatter us, and suit our lifestyles.