It’s easy to get wrapped up in the allure of all these home transformation shows we see on TV.
A family, somewhat dissatisfied with their current space, entrusts a designer to work some magic or they recruit an agent to find their perfect home.
There’s always a predictable mix of suspense, anticipation, and inevitably a twist or hurdle that needs to be overcome. Finally, when the dust settles, we witness the big reveal—a home that looks perfect for the pages of a magazine.
But if you’ve noticed, behind the glitz of newness, there’s almost always an unchanged undercurrent: the very same volume of possessions. Sometimes, there are even more possessions. Just repackaged, reorganized, and often, more costly.
I often wonder what the room (or home) looks like just a few months later when the cameras and staged lighting are removed and the home gets lived in full-time. Probably a lot different from that initial reveal.
Behind the new carpet, renovated walls, and fresh paint lies an age-old question: Does the new decor genuinely make their lives better? Or did it just add a fresh cover over the same problems?
Does the new home actually resonate with the owners’ values and dreams, or is it just a new setup that ends up demanding even more maintenance and effort?
Now, I understand that most of us are never going to appear on one of these grand renovation shows. (Although I was once asked to host one for a major streaming platform.)
And almost none of us will be followed around by television cameras the next time we look to buy a home.
However, many people do resonate with the feelings of unease and discontentment within their own four walls. We wish the home was larger, the cabinets were painted a different color, the appliances were newer, or the furnishings were nicer.
When that is the case, feeling trapped, it is easy to think the answer is to acquire more or to upgrade. Maybe that is why these home improvement shows are so popular—we think that’s the answer to solving the discontent we feel about our home.
But what if the answer isn’t moving, bringing in a team of designers, or being swept away for a week only to return to an extreme home makeover?
What if the homes we’ve created, unintentionally, are just reflective of the messages advertisers and marketers bombard us with, rather than mirroring our genuine desires? Maybe our homes have inadvertently turned into storage units for every product that’s been marketed as ‘essential’ to us.
This is where I propose a novel idea: What if the makeover you truly need is entirely within your reach already?
Not the kind that requires you to remove walls or buy new bedroom furniture, but the kind where you deliberately decide to own less. By doing so, you’re not just tidying and changing a space; you’re reshaping your life and aligning your surroundings with what genuinely matters to you.
And here’s the beautiful thing about this minimalist approach:
There is no interior designer required.
No need for renovation teams or real estate agents.
The budget requirement is only $0.
And the time you spend is an investment that promises focus, contentment, and purpose.
Let’s challenge the mainstream narrative that’s marketed to us every day.
Instead of seeking happiness in a new space, find it by redefining your current one.
The simple act of owning less can breathe fresh vitality into your home. And as you clear out the clutter, you might just find that the home you’ve been searching for has been right under your nose the whole time.
When your home is filled with only the things you use and love, you’ll discover a home you love to use.
Maybe the secret to finding a home you love isn’t living in a different home, it’s simply owning less stuff.
Tony W says
No matter where you go, there you are. That was the feeling I got while reading this.
It’s like a few days after Christmas. The thrill of the presents is subsiding and all you are left with is more stuff to store, manage, and the big clean up.
I guess It’s better to redecorate the way we think instead of our surroundings for better a lasting change.
Mel C. says
Well said Tony.
James Payne says
I love this idea. Thanks for sharing this great information!
Sue Ellen Scheppke says
OK, I admit we just had the interior of our house painted. But – we were able to do that because we’d gotten rid of so much stuff in the three years we’ve owned this house. Painting it (from dull brown to a nice warm white…) was a breeze because there was so little in the way. And now I look around and see things that are truly useful or truly beautiful. All the superfluous is gone. Well, maybe there are a couple more things to get rid of…
Joan P says
This is a perfect reminder! I am in the final stages of a 10 month home decluttering/deep deep clean and I cannot tell you how magnificent our home feels. It’s like completely brand new and feels so relaxing, open, and comfy. We didn’t change a thing to our finishes/layout anywhere only a fresh coat of paint where needed. Cleaning has become a breeze and my mind is so much quieter without having to think about these big projects. Just do it! One step at a time (deep dive) – It feels amazing and you will be surprised how quickly time goes as you near completion.
SB says
Love the ideas for you hosting a show on the topic of minimalism ‘same place:more space’. The other home shows are so predictable, this one would not be, and would represent really more of the truth of how we all could be living more freely, minus all the expensive reno’s and updgraded everything. From chaos to calm.
Mark says
We are moving to be closer to my wife’s parents. I am astonished at the amount of items we have collected over the years in the house we are moving from. We started following you over a year ago and made great progress eliminating things from our lives…at least we thought that. Once we decided to move (to a house 700 sqft less) I was appalled at how many things we had stored, stuffed, and pushed off to different areas. It’s somewhat depressing. Our home had become a storage facility. I am confident that 75% of the things that we have pulled from our current house will not end up in the new house. My family is staying with my wife’s parents, and I am staying in our empty home until it sells. There is nothing in the house except for a chair and a cot that I sleep on….and of course a coffee maker. I finally understand how little we need to survive. I also have figured out that it is much harder to mess up an empty house, and cleaning is now a breeze. Can’t wait to live this way in our new home.
lori says
love the article, I realize I start well but more distractions of unfinished projects end up on my work space making it cluttered and therefore over whelming ! I need less of all things.
thanks for the motivation to do without so many things in our lives! xo lori
Megaffin Sharon says
Food for thought
Like your posts
Discontent needs to be addressed a different home does not help
Deborah Wharton says
In the UK at the moment we have a couple of shows that help people get rid of around 50% of their belongings and then organize and redecorate the house.
It seems like a much better idea.
Wendy Hanophy says
Sometimes life circumstances, rather than desire for more, better, newer require a move. I developed a spine condition that required surgery in 2021, and the specialist explained how my spine was unstable and that lots of intervention might be necessary in the future. He suggested that living in a single story home would be a good idea. So, we sold our home of more than 25 years (small, but 2 stories with laundry in the basement) to search for a ranch style home. We were outbid on the existing homes that met our needs, and it turned out to be cheaper to build a new home during that time. The new home is about 400 sq ft larger than the old. We didn’t want a bigger home, but the model we chose was the smallest any of the 3 developers would build in the community. We ended up with more, better, newer even though we were just searching for ‘flatter.’ We didn’t try to fill up the extra space – we just let it be. This definitely was the right decision though, as I have another surgery next month. So, this is about safety and independence rather than upgrading a lifestyle.
Stacey Johannessen says
I’d love to see you host a tv series! Show us the possibilities of owning less and seeing how free that feels! Same place, new space!!
Adrienne Castro Castro says
I second that I would love that and that tag line was spot on, same place new space… or maybe …same place more space
Rhonda says
I love that idea, and the catchy phrase, “Same Place, New Space”!
Shane Campo says
That is the best idea, we would watch, how about a makeover show where you just show minimalism techniques before & after, no money spent, perfect, love it.