Minimalism isn’t just a personal aesthetic choice—it’s a streamlined, organized, and refreshing way to reorganize your home so you’re only holding onto the essentials. If you have a lot of different odds and ends lying around your home, creating a minimalist living space might seem a bit daunting. There’s no need to worry! There are plenty of easy, stylish ways you can simplify your home, even if you’re on a budget.

Here are 14 tips for creating a minimalist home that you love.

1

Simplify your home one room at a time.

  1. Break things down so you don’t have so much to do at once. Creating a minimalist house or apartment is a really big undertaking, and it’s understandable if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. Take a deep breath, and focus on 1 room a time. There’s no deadline for reorganizing your home, so give yourself as much time as you need to get your home exactly the way you’d like it.[1]
    • It might help to target your messiest room first, and then branch out from there.
    • You might also reorganize your rooms in the order that you usually walk through them. For instance, you might start in your bedroom, then move on to the bathroom, living room, and kitchen.
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2

Get rid of anything you don’t need.

  1. Start with the biggest items and work your way down. Look at each piece of furniture, and ask yourself if you really need it or not. Then, work your way down to smaller items, like household appliances, pieces of decor, books, and other personal belongings. See if your home really needs the item, or if it’s just taking up space—this can really help narrow things down.[2]
    • For example, you might have an old armchair that you never use or sit in. You can donate this to charity, or resell it to a new owner.
    • You might have too many lamps in 1 room, or lots of books and magazines that you never read. These are things you can get rid of to simplify and “minimize” your space.
3

Discard any duplicates.

  1. Donate or toss out any extra items that you don’t need. Look through your drawers and cabinets to see if you have any duplicate items lying around, like measuring cups, extra silverware, throw pillows, blankets, extra cosmetics, and more. Ask yourself if you’re using these extra objects frequently—if the answer is no, then it’s probably safe to throw them out.[3]
    • For example, if you have an extra tube of lipstick that you never use, consider throwing it out (or giving it to a friend if it’s unopened).
    • If you have 5 or 6 throw pillows on your couch, donate most of them so you only have 1 or 2.
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7

Hide any unused items in storage.

  1. Keep everything out of sight unless you’re actively using it. Find a place in your home for all of your leftover items, whether it’s a cabinet, dresser, ottoman, or some other form of storage.[9] Choose an assigned space for every item in your home, so you can remember where everything goes in the future.[10]
    • For example, you can keep a few DVDs stored in an entertainment center, and your basic toiletries stored in a bathroom cabinet.
    • You can keep your clothes organized in a dresser or wardrobe, depending on what your closet space is like.
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8

Opt for just a few meaningful decorations or accents.

  1. Decorate with a few accents you really love, then get rid of the rest. Chances are, you don’t need dozens of pictures or pieces of art hanging up on your wall or cluttering up your counters and surfaces. Look through each decoration—does this art, photo, or decor item hold a lot of personal value, or is it just taking up space? Focus on the decorations and accents that really add a personal touch to your home, instead of hanging up random paintings and photographs.[11]
    • For instance, you might hang up a piece of art that a friend or family member made instead of a random accent you bought at a store.
    • You might prefer hanging up a tasteful family photo instead of a bunch of random nature photos.
    • Limit 1-2 accents for each room, so your home isn’t overwhelmed with odds and ends.
10

Create a neutral-toned color scheme.

  1. Don’t decorate your home with a lot of distracting colors. Instead, focus on calm, neutral-toned hues that really balance out your living space. Play around with subtle tones, like whites, tans, grays, and browns. You can create a really inviting and engaging living space, even if you don’t have a lot of colorful decorations.[13]
    • Neutral tones don’t have to be boring! You can add a lot of life and character to your living space by adjusting the tone. For instance, you can repaint basic white walls with a warm, coconut milk color.[14]
    • If you want to jazz things up, choose a single, warm color to liven up your room. This could be something like a bright red nightstand or a yellow area rug.

Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How do I make a minimalist living room?
    Kathi Burns, CPO®
    Kathi Burns, CPO®
    Board Certified Professional Organizer
    Kathi Burns is a board certified Professional Organizer (CPO) and Founder of Organized and Energized!, her consulting business with a mission to empower people to master their environment and personal image by assisting them in taking control, making change and organizing their lives. Kathi has over 17 years of organizing experience and her work has been featured on Better Homes and Gardens, NBC News, Good Morning America, and Entrepreneur. She has a BS in Communication from Ohio University.
    Kathi Burns, CPO®
    Board Certified Professional Organizer
    Expert Answer
    Stick to one or two styles of decor to keep things consistent. It's okay to mix styles a little bit, but for a minimalist feel, you'll want to keep the majority of your decor in one style.
  • Question
    I'm an 11-year-old girl and I'm trying to go minimalist, but my family are hoarders. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You could just stick to maintaining a minimalist bedroom, but you might also try talking it over with your family. Maybe you could convince them to get rid of some stuff they don't need anymore, or at least put some things away in an attic, basement, or storage unit.
  • Question
    What is the best color to paint a room that gets sun in the afternoon, to create a minimalist look?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    A nice teal does wonders. It will brighten your room even when there's no sunlight.
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About This Article

Kathryn Cherne
Co-authored by:
Interior Designer
This article was co-authored by Kathryn Cherne and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Kathryn Cherne is an Interior Designer and the Co-Founder of Design Inside, an interior design firm in Chicago, Illinois. With over 15 years of experience, Kathryn specializes in designing, remodeling, and decorating spaces. Kathryn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the Harrington College of Design. Kathryn uses her background in Psychology and Interior Design to ensure her design spaces are unique, beautiful, and functional. This article has been viewed 300,074 times.
25 votes - 92%
Co-authors: 21
Updated: September 12, 2021
Views: 300,074
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