Creating a space that aligns with your taste and personality is, in my opinion, really important to happiness. Coming home to a place where you can relax and feel safe to be yourself has such positive downstream effects on everything you do in life that it should not be ignored or underestimated.

I mean, why would you not spend a bit of effort on turning the place you spend most of your non-working hours into a place you enjoy being in? In this post I talk about decorating, specifically “decorating with less.” Making your space cozy and personal doesn’t mean filling it up with stuff or maxing out your credit cards, there’s a balance between overconsumption and spartanism.

To kick off, you probably already know that I believe the first step to creating an environment where I can thrive is to get rid of excess. If I’m always maintaining/cleaning/organizing a bunch of stuff I don’t use or particularly enjoy, how can I enjoy my space? Then after getting rid of the stuff I don’t need, storing what’s left over in a user friendly way helps me stay effortlessly organized. 

With the foundation laid it’s then time for the aesthetic side of things because I believe in the importance of both form and function, not form over function or vice versa.

Minimalist Style vs Minimalist Lifestyle

Before we get into decorating I have to address something that trips a lot of people up: minimalist style versus a minimalist lifestyle. Many people confuse the two, and while they often go hand in hand, there is a difference: 

Minimalist style is based on a form of abstract art which focuses on simplified (geometric) shapes, fewer visual elements, and pared down color palettes. You’ll find this minimalist style or aesthetic in everything from interior design to fashion, and gastronomy to music. 

A minimalist lifestyle is where you intentionally own fewer things and focus on what you need and love. There is no “correct” number of items to own, and contrary to popular belief, doesn’t really have anything to do with aesthetics. 

BUT there’s a reason people confuse the two: A lot of people who enjoy living with less also like the pared down aesthetics of the minimalist style: Simple lines, fewer colors, and empty space are often embraced by people, like myself, who are a little more sensitive to outside stimuli.

You can be a minimalist and still enjoy a maximalist aesthetic and you can enjoy a minimalist aesthetic and still have a bunch of stuff you don't need stuffed out of sight. ⁠While I don’t believe in counting how much stuff you have, to illustrate my point, I’ve made two images with the exact same “number” of things in them except with extremely different aesthetics: 

See what I mean? Now that we are on the same page when it comes to minimalist style vs minimalist lifestyle, let’s get into what we are really here for:

Decorating with less

When we think of “traditional” decor we often think of trinkets and art scattered around our homes to add a bit of personality. You’ll find these traditional decorative items in the home decor section in places like Target, IKEA, or H&M Home, as well as in independent boutiques and thrift stores.

Decorating with less means changing how you think of decor. I believe every item in our space is an opportunity for aesthetic and creative expression, this is why I am very particular about what I bring into my home. I’ve broken down this more "non-traditional" decor into three categories, but there is a lot of overlap between them.

1. Functional Decor - Decorating with the stuff you use

^{Photo by laura adai on Unsplash}

I call decorating with the stuff you use: functional decor. This can be any item that is both a decorative element in your space as well as an actual item you use. 

In the kitchen this can be stuff like crockery, pretty cups and bowls, tea towels, or cutting boards. In the bathroom it’s towels, bath mats, or loofahs. In the rest of the home it’s things like jewelry, certain items of clothing or leather goods, the books on your bedside table, bedsheets, and the throw on the couch.

I’ve spoken about these kinds of items in the past in my post on Hidden vs Display storage, because functional decor is really two for one: it’s both a form of storage and decor!

As a side note: you’ll probably never find purely 'decorative' functional items in my space (e.g., decorative cutting boards or towels), they might be pretty but if they can’t be used I’m out.

2. Consumable Decor - Decorating with the stuff you use up

^{Photo by Pixabay on Pexels}

One of my favorite ways to change up the energy of a space is through what I call “consumable decor.” There’s definitely overlap between this and functional decor, except that this type of decor is more temporary because it either expires or gets used up.

In the kitchen this can be stuff like fresh herbs, oils, spices, and bottles of wine or spirits. In the bathroom it’s cosmetics, soaps, and maybe even backstock. In the rest of the home it’s things like candles, fruits, flowers, branches, or other natural elements. 

Again this can also be a form of storage, especially when it comes to cosmetics and stuff to eat. I also love this type of decor because it allows me to experiment with color and different styles without the commitment. 

3. Intangible Decor - Decorating with stuff that isn’t stuff

^{Photo by Matthias Groeneveld on Pexels} 

At its core, decor is all part of an overarching experience. How homey, safe, and comfortable a space feels is largely up to our senses. Unfortunately the hyper-visual nature of the online world has made us all focus a little too much on “stuff” and not on experience. 

To illustrate why the non-visual matters: Imagine you're standing in an empty room with bare walls and wooden floors. It’s cold, it’s quiet, and it smells vaguely of mildew. Now imagine standing in that same room with the same bare walls and wooden floors but it’s warm enough to comfortably wear a t-shirt, soft music is playing, and it smells like freshly baked bread. There's a real difference there right? Nothing changed visually but it feels like a totally different room. This is something you can't show on Instagram.

Paying attention to things like temperature, acoustics, music, and scent, are incredible but intangible ways to change how you feel in a space. For more on engaging the senses, check out this post.

There are also some visual “non-stuff” ways to decorate, those come down to changing the attributes of existing things in the space: changing the color or pattern of the wall, for example. Or changing the color of other things like dressers, doors, ceilings, or sofas (with paint or a slipcover for example).

Another, and probably my most “important to get right” design element, is light. Temperature, brightness, and location. In a nutshell:

Temperature - How warm (orange-yellow) or cool (white-blue) is the light? Use yellow for general lighting around the home (so cozy) and white for task lighting, like cooking, putting on makeup, or working.

Brightness - Bright light that lights up the whole room is great for finding things and staying awake, but it doesn’t do much for the ambiance of the space. During the day and while doing tasks it’s preferable, but in the evening when you’re winding down it can get in the way of the experience.

Location - You’ve probably heard this before but I’m not a fan of “the big light.” The one in the middle of the ceiling that lights the whole room up. Again, it’s great for finding things but in my opinion it detracts from the experience of the space. By placing light sources at different levels instead of directly above you, you can completely change how a space looks and feels.

Other notes on decorating

What I’ve shared so far is really practical, but I also want to leave room for fun and potentially purely aesthetic decor. The type of things that you can’t really use but you feel connected to or simply make you happy.

Sentimental items and collections

^{Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels}

Remember, a minimalist lifestyle is not the same as minimalist style. Getting rid of excess is a way to enjoy what’s left behind. One of my favorite ways to do that is by displaying it. This is especially the case for sentimental items, which often end up being hidden away and forgotten.

Another part of this equation, and a question that’s often asked by people who first get into the minimalist lifestyle, is “Are collections minimalist?” My answer to this is: usually. If your collection is intentional and brings you joy, then I don’t see why not. We aren’t counting objects, we are getting rid of excess and being intentional about what we bring into our lives. Now, if you collect things and stuff them away in boxes never to be seen again, that might not be very minimalist but I’ll leave that up to you.

Displaying things like sentimental items, collections, meaningful art, photos, and craft projects can be a perfect way to inject personality into a space. The photo above might not look very minimalist but if you imagine that two of the three drawers in that sideboard are empty, it feels a whole lot lighter. How you decorate your space is all about personal preference.

Seasonal Decor

^{Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels} 

There’s a reason I’m posting this in October: In my life, October is the start of a four month period where I get extra decorate-y. I’ve always loved making my space cozy, especially when the weather and daylight have me spending more time in the home.  

During these months I lean heavily on my consumable decor. I go for oranges, reds, and browns when I choose candles, flowers, and fruits in Autumn (think pumpkins, leaves, branches, persimmons, apples) and I play light jazz, burn pumpkin spice scented candles, and drink apple cinnamon tea to complete the experience. If I’m feeling extra nostalgic, I might do some crafts and make bats and other spooky things out of paper for Halloween. 

I celebrate Christmas, so once December 1st rolls around I switch everything out for greens, browns, whites and golds. I’ll bring in pine branches, dried eucalyptus, and pinecones, and nuts in shells. On the non-stuff side I’ll play Christmas-y piano music, burn spiced chestnut scented candles, and drink teas with ginger, orange peels, clove, and cinnamon. Once again, if I’m feeling extra nostalgic, I’ll make stars and garland chains out of paper, or maybe even get creative with oranges and cloves. I also have a string of fairy lights, because that’s one of those things that just completes Christmas decor for me.

At the end of the season, most of the stuff I brought into the home will be used up, recycled, or ready to compost, meaning I don’t have to store anything (except my fairy lights).

Final Thoughts

Living with less doesn’t mean you have to forgo decor, fun, and aesthetics. It means being intentional about what you bring into your home, focusing on items that are meaningful and prioritizing experiences over excess. A thoughtfully curated space allows you to enjoy your surroundings fully and makes each day just that little bit better.