Comments on: benefit #21 – display what you value most

By: BrightStar

BrightStar — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:50:38 +0000

I have been pursuing minimalism and decluttering for a while now, and I feel my house is fairly minimal and streamlined. With one exception- my own bookcase. It is stacked to the brim with books, framed art courtesy of my child, a few knick-knacks, and several pots/vases scored at flea markets that hold remotes, gum, marbles, and other odds and ends. This is done completely on purpose. I think it’s visually interesting (it’s like a really big collage!), and when people come over they are drawn to it, and since I stack my favorite books in the front we usually end up having good conversations about these books. As a reformed pack rat, going completely bare-bones wasn’t something I wanted to do, so I have added this bit of controlled chaos to my otherwise streamlined house. :)

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:17:12 +0000

Just starting the journey toward minimalism. I thought before that we didn’t have enough stuff displayed. Any thoughts on how to display pictures well so they don’t look like clutter?

By: minimalist.minimalist.minimalist. « Adventures Wherever He leads.

minimalist.minimalist.minimalist. « Adventures Wherever He leads. — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:22:02 +0000

[...] benefit #21 – display what you value most [...]

By: The 10 most important things to simplify in your life « Ethereal Visions

The 10 most important things to simplify in your life « Ethereal Visions — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:50:44 +0000

[...] benefit #21 – display what you value most Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)The Art of Being Minimalist: How to Stop Consuming and Start LivingWhat defines me?IDEA/VIDEO REVIEW 2Clutter-busting by … Practicing Voluntary Simplicity [...]

By: Christy Z

Christy Z — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:13:47 +0000

I love that people ask me about the things in our house – everything that’s left has a story and is loved.

But we have to take care that because we have chosen minimalism, we don’t impose it on others – your post sounds very judgmental of your friend. It may be more cluttered than you would choose, but it sounds like the contents of her shelves make her happy and DO reflect her values- reading, travel, family etc.

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:05:04 +0000

> intentional promotion of the things that you most value

Excellent point! My living room is pretty minimalist (compared to the rest of my house) – but I can do more. I can make sure my living room includes *only* those things I value. Thanks for the nudge.

By: sarah

sarah — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:40:06 +0000

This is my favorite benefit of minimalism! Not only does it communicate to others what I value, it also reinforces those priorities to myself every day -and that is what is most important.

By: Marci@OvercomingBusy

Marci@OvercomingBusy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:58:23 +0000

When people walk into our living room, usually the first thing they remark about is the lack of a TV. There is not a lot of stuff sitting around either. People are generally amazed that our family actually talks and plays together instead of watching TV!

By: FatStupidAmerican

FatStupidAmerican — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:47:10 +0000

Music and art, as you can see with my instruments and my original art work that is all over the place : )

By: rachel

rachel — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:30:59 +0000

I am a minimalist, too. I understand your thoughts about your friends bookcase. Last time we visited the outlaws, we were all watching TV. I could not focus on the program, because of all the stuff in the room and all over the walls. I started counting items just on the TV wall. I stop count once I hit 100 and I was not done. It hard to look at all that stuff.