Grace Burke - Minimalist Home Secrets

Minimalist Home Secrets

The Ultimate Guide to Declutter and Organize Your Home Through Minimalist Living

By

Grace Burke

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

This book is for entertainment and informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of the purchaser or reader of these materials. The reader is responsible for their own use of any products or methods mentioned in this publication.

This book includes information about products and equipment offered by third parties. As such, the author does not assume responsibility or liability for any third party products or opinions. Third party product manufacturers have not sanctioned this book, nor does the author receive any compensation from said manufacturers for sharing information regarding their products.

M INIMALIST HOME SECRETS

First edition. October 18, 2019.

Copyright 2019 Grace Burke.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1. Letting Go

Chapter 2. Minimalist Shopping

Chapter 3. Living Room

Chapter 4. Bedrooms

Chapter 5. Laundry Room

Chapter 6. Kitchen and Dining

Chapter 7. Minimalist Home Office

Chapter 8. Minimalist Storage

Chapter 9. Minimalist Exterior

Conclusion

Introduction

I inherited my 3,000 square foot clutter-filled home from my mother when she passed away. When some children inherit their parents' homes with their contents, they call in a service to catalogue and tag items to sell. They talk to a real estate agent about listing the house. They talk through division of profits with other heirs. Unfortunately, there was none of that when I found out the house was mine. My mothers house was thoughtfully built as a retreat for immediate family and to accommodate family members during important holidays. It wasnt supposed to be near a major metropolitan area and it wasnt meant to be sold off to provide a nest egg to anyone in my family. The house contained the clutter of countless possessions of my mother and past generations. It contained pieces I remember growing up with and ones more recently salvaged and made new again. It wasnt going to be a cut and dry inheritance. It was going to be so much more.

Soon after receiving the keys, I found myself standing in the entrance feeling both emotional and overwhelmed. Each item was brought here by my mothers hand, but altogether, the clutter was too much. Too much to allow myself and the rest of the family peace when staying here. Too much to wrangle in a weekend of furiously packing boxes. This house needed more than the conventional walk-through and gathering of favorite pieces before selling off the rest. It needed a heavy dose of minimalism.

It was fairly easy deciding to keep the house rather than sell it. It maintains its own charm sitting nestled in the mountains with trees lined around it. Winter nights deliver such a remarkable stillness you feel as though youre the only being left on Earth. When the wind whips through the lush trees on a summer afternoon, you feel revitalized. The decision to keep the house was easy, but accepting the task of applying minimalist principles was a bit daunting. There were many items in the home I knew could never leave. There were other items, however, that still held important meaning in the family, but did not serve a purpose anymore. Unfortunately, that distinction was lost when I found everything piled together and covered in a layer of dust. In its current state, there was no way to honor the special pieces and separate them from curbside finds. Accepting that fact, I found applying minimalist principles to my mothers house was the best way to bestow honor on family heirlooms. It would allow me to bring focus to the pieces that represented us best and to the items that serve us well.

Honoring my familys pieces was important, but I wasnt looking to build a museum. I wanted the house to fulfill its original purpose as a gathering place for family. I wanted to see twenty or so family members seated around the dining table originally used to feed workers on my great-grandmothers farm. I desired each of the bedrooms perfectly appointed for peaceful rest. I envisioned the grand living room hosting family for game night while a fire in the hearth kept us warm. The goal I envisioned would bring the serenity and respite one expects from a vacation home. The practice of minimalism helped me achieve my goal and this book is here to help you achieve your own.

I found my family especially supportive of my goal. They, too, could see how the clutter and extraneous items distracted from the beauty of the home. The prospect of retreating to the home on holidays and finding comfortable uncluttered surroundings was irresistible to them. It was time to get started. Items not suitable for hosting family were donated to charity or sold. Some items called out to be given to family and friends as reminders of their relationship with my mother. For all the physical and financial gain, this particular emotional gain stands out as a highlight. I even found new homes for items I had moved in with, but ended up being duplicates. When finding homes for these duplicates, I considered their usefulness for the intended recipient. I had found a new balance in my relationship with objects in my home and wanted to make sure I didnt tip the balance of someone elses home with my gift.

I knew my experience practicing minimalism in my new-to-me home contained many lessons others would find helpful. I wrote this book with those lessons in mind. Each chapter can help you methodically transform your home into a place of peace, gratification, and purposeful living. For our purposes, Minimalism simply means movement toward simplicity and away from consumerism. The push and pull actions inside the definition lead to balance. Balance that can fuel a more fulfilled life. Even if you arent a devotee to modern minimalism, this book contains lessons to benefit all homeowners.

You may have tried a minimalist approach before and found it too daunting. Or perhaps youre like me and received an inheritance of clutter. It may be your first foray into the practice of minimalism. Wherever you begin, the words on these pages will support you in letting go of unnecessary items. Youll learn how to part with the many extraneous heirlooms passed down from generations before you. You will learn the best strategies to avoid overspending and discover actionable steps to open up every room in your home.

Minimalism is not synonymous with perfection. Modern minimalist living is a practice of awareness and intention regarding your belongings, time, and energy. By practicing minimalism, it becomes the lens through which we see the world and ourselves. It creates alignment with the objects in our lives and our purpose. When I stand in my mothers house now, I see only the best representations of her and our family. Before, my relationship with the objects in the house and the purpose I envisioned was out of alignment. Frustration and stress levels both ran high.