Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff

A CoMi will want to hang her drapes in such a way that, when open, the drapes fall against the wall on either side of the window. The inner edge of the drapes will just cover the outer edge of the window pane to create the illusion that the window keeps going on either side behind the drapes. This makes your window appear larger, which adds more visual interest yet still maximizes the view and natural light.

Recent scientific research has shown that the level of cortisol—a stress-response hormone—rises in women when we are faced with the excess stuff in our homes. It’s fascinating. The study reveals that this level doesn’t change in men, only in women. Yep, clutter and chaos cause us to feel actual anxiety, stress, and even depression.

I knew I liked having less stuff, but I also had all this extra stuff I liked. How was a person like me, with my hoard of cute stuff, supposed to figure out what to get rid of?

deciding what to focus on and then giving yourself permission to stop worrying about the rest.

Unnecessary noise is the most cruel absence of care that can be inflicted on the sick or the well. —FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

Each item in your room has a voice and adds to the chorus of the room. The more stuff you put in a room, the louder it gets. We often don’t even notice the visual roar our rooms create until we make them quiet. It’s time to quiet your space. You are going to remove as many voices as possible from your room so you can see it with fresh eyes. This means you’re going to temporarily take a bunch of stuff out of your room and give it a chance to breathe.

The race to the bottom is just as meaningless as the race to the top because the focus is still on the race.

Be sure your surfaces [in your home] reflect your purposes.

God is in the business of creating places for his people. He is the original homemaker... It's no wonder we sense that making a home is an important calling... We were made to crave a home. That's not a bad thing! Let's move forward with creative purpose to make a home that serves us well, so that we, in turn, can welcome and serve others well.

In the same way that we need a rest or a Sabbath every week to help us slow down, focus on what's important, and reconnect us with God and those we love, what if we gave our eyes a visual Sabbath at home?

We long to create because we were made by a creator. God is in the business of creating places for his people. He is the original homemaker. So here we are in the gap somewhere between the garden and the city. We are made to crave beauty. We are made to crave home.

When home feels out of control, no matter what the reason, unsettledness and anxiety can seep in, and then the chaos becomes internal as well as external. Our home influences us both positively and negatively. it's wise to take notice and make a few small, immediate changes.