From the outdated kitchen to the pastel-colored walls in the downstairs bedrooms, walking into my grandparents’ house was like entering a time machine. It was a world of midcentury furniture (not the kind from special art dealers or collectors; these were the default options, purchased mostly in the 50’s).
There was a desk in the hallway, reading chairs in the living room, classic rugs, houseplants, and a grandfather clock in the entryway. The sectional was minimal and left room for plenty of guests. My grandmother would always read on the couch, and stacks of magazines filled many of the nearby cabinets.
They never identified as minimalists when I was growing up—frankly, the term hadn’t been popularized yet—but everything had its purpose and place. The home felt complete with pieces that fit together like the perfect puzzle.
Growing up, I looked in their home with awe. I have countless fond memories of summer vacations and family holidays in their loving home. They seemed to have it all together. I wanted that.
When I was older, I felt this social pressure to make a complete home from day one. To leave anything incomplete seemed somehow against a cultural norm.
It wasn’t until adulthood that a simple realization clicked: my grandparents took years to purchase a household of goods. They had decades together to acquire their belongings. And their home wasn’t always like this; they consciously acquired things when needed.
Stuff was expensive, too. This was all before the cheap labor and overseas manufacturing of the Walmarts of the world (heck, they didn’t even exist back then).
My grandparents lived within their means every step of the way, depending on what was in their wallets. They carefully analyzed every purchase, and reused everything they could. Maybe that’s the consequence of being a product of the Great Depression? Who knows.
What we do know is that our world has changed dramatically since then. The rise of easy credit has allowed for ballooning consumer debt—from about $2,000 in the 1950s to $16,000 in 2016.
Now, we are instant gratification generations—swiping now and paying over time.
We expect to have everything at once, but we’re going broke in the process. Our credit cards have larger limits, products are cheaper, and buying is as easy as a click online.
We make pilgrimages to furniture stores, fantasize about spaces before we’ve set foot in a place, and browse websites that give idealized examples of carefully crafted rooms. The world is primed and expecting our consumption.
Each represents a radical departure from the lifestyles of the Greatest Generation.
I can’t help but think our ancestors knew something about minimalism that society downplays now.
When my wife and I first got married, we moved into a two-bedroom apartment and purchased only a table set for $99. Oh, and a bed—we needed that (for a number of reasons). Our living room furniture and bedroom set were hand-me-downs from her family.
We received a television set as a wedding gift. Our next purchase, months later, was a computer and desk.
We replaced the living room furniture 18 months later during a cross-country move. We used the $99 kitchen table and chairs for 13 years. And still use the bedroom set handed down to us from her grandparents.
Our home took years to make whole. And I don’t think I’d change a single thing about the process. It is a story of slow acquisition.
But outfitting a home slowly and intentionally carries a number of benefits:
1. It prevents debt. Buying home furnishings and decorations is a costly endeavor. Accumulating slowly helps prevent the danger of starting out with costly consumer debt—it can take years to overcome financial mismanagement.
2. It spurs intentionality and thoughtfulness. When we accumulate slowly, we are more likely to thoughtfully weigh the significance of our purchases. Is this really needed? If so, what is the best option and avenue for purchase? The more deliberate we are in our timeline, the more intentional we become in the process.
3. It slows the accumulation of clutter and excess. The slower we purchase, the slower we accumulate life-draining clutter.
4. It grants freedom in lifestyle. Consumer purchases inhibit freedom. They require money, time, and energy to acquire and maintain.
Therein laid my grandparents’ powerful lesson: to make our home ours, we couldn’t buy stuff immediately to recreate or mimic another’s space. Instead, we thoughtfully considered what we needed and budgeted carefully for each addition.
Despite living in a world of accessibility and easy consumption, we all need to find ways to slow down. The “perfect” item will remain or can be recreated, if necessary. Sales come and go. And your favorite big-box retailer probably won’t be going out of business any time soon.
Give yourself the opportunity to make your space yours. But as you do, don’t forget to consider the merits of acquiring pieces slowly.
Never be in a hurry to spend money you don’t have.
Kate beckett says
We just got our first home, our only debt. I have this major urge to buy a new sofa and bedside tables and a dresser etc. We’ve had hand me downs always and theyre less than desire able, yet functional. I have had the same observations of my grandparents home (born in 1919) and have always remembered and longed for a warm but minimalistic home. Ive been drawn to mjdcentury modern, I believe, because of this. And my new home was made in the 50s! And has the deal of a real farm home without the more modern “farm home” style. And I fight the urge to spend and make “homey” in ordsr to live in the space and learn what we need. And save to buy quality that I enjoy, for a long while hopefully, instead of settle for less than I like to fill a space. So our home is bare and full of functional as we wait. I’m a purger and dont keep but this urge to fill with new is idly strong for me.
Kate beckett says
Sorry for misspellings. I obviously failed to spell check my phone before submitting.
Steve Hill says
When I got my first job out of college, I had a few hand-me-down items like a dining room table with chairs, a desk, a sofa and loveseat set, and a coffee table. However, I went on a bit of a furniture “bender” and bought a bedroom set, a tv with stand, and a bookcase. All to “complete” an apartment. In hindsight, I regret virtually all of it, except the bed of course. I had too many clothes, too many books, and too many kitchen items. I didn’t need a sofa AND a loveseat. I rarely watch TV and have both a phone and laptop that are sufficient. In terms of furniture I would have been fine with just a bed, desk/table, the sofa, and maybe a small dresser/chest of drawers. Even then, I could have done with less. Most of that furniture I don’t have anymore. It was just dead weight that plagued my early 20s.
Gloria says
What a great article! Hopefully the pendulum is swinging back to
Less is more, after speaking to some of the younger crowds, most of them don’t want bogged down with material things.
Priscilla says
I completely agree with the idea of slow, thoughtful acquisition. But in the 80s, I got carried away trying to be normal (keeping up with the Joneses, trying not to have the child who was pitied for lack of fine furnishings, trying to fit in with the excitement of others on shopping trips). Ugh, it wasn’t a satisfying time in my life, and I came to my senses. I am much happier now, more fulfilled, and I’m definitely not keeping up with the Joneses. Interesting post, thanks.
Dads Dollars Debts says
I would add to never be in a hurry to spend money you have too.
As our parents are aging, I often wonder what we are going to do with their “stuff”. There are some items with sentimental value for us, but most of the items in their garage are more sentimental for them then us. We will be left sorting through the memories deciding what to donate versus keep; instead of them doing it for us.
I always have thought that for my own child this will not be an issue. We will not accumulate a house full of memories that he will have to sort through when we die. We will purposefully give him what we value if he wants it. If not, we will donate it. That way all of us enjoy the giving and receiving when we are alive.
Betsy says
My parents married a week before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. I was a surprise later in life baby. The thing I always remember from my mother especially was the joy she felt when she would make a purchase of something we really needed that she and my dad saved diligently for. You could just see the pride. I always remember how I felt watching them. It sure has helped me make better decisions in my life. We weren’t rich, our furniture belonged to my grandparents originally and some pieces are still going strong today.
Richard R says
This post really resonates with me.
When my wife and I first got married, we lived in a tiny apartment lightly furnished with hand-me-downs and items purchased at garage sales. We did not get our first house until we’d been married five years. It was a modest place, but we loved it. Also, I can still remember the first new piece of furniture we purchased – we had been married ten years at that point.
My wife comes from a large family and we have lots of nieces and nephews. As you allude to in this post, it is concerning to see young people getting out of school and rushing to buy big homes (no apartments or “starter” homes for them) and filling them with expensive store-bought furnishings.
My wife’s brothers and sisters all had modest starts like us, and so I’m perplexed as to where so many of my nieces and nephews developed such acquisitive tendencies. More concerning to me is that I suspect they’ve taken on significant debt purchasing these large houses and stocking them with brand new furniture, appliance, and (of course) all the latest gadgets.
Vicki Irick says
This is how we started out 49+ years ago. We were 20 and 21 1/2 husband just got out of Marines (Vietnam). We bought an antique bedroom set (which we still use) for $100. That’s all we had for 2 weeks, went to an auction bought a couch, chair, table and chairs. We still have mostly antiques some painted, some refinished, upholstered. It’s sturdy and better quality then what you can buy nowadays. Grandkids are telling us which pieces they want eventually. This is a very good article for young people starting out.
Annie says
When I got married 20 years ago our apartment was furnished completely with hand-me-downs except for the bed. We call our place the Hodge Podge Lodge, (anyone else remember that show?) Over time we have had to replace some of the pieces as they moved beyond repair. (We had a very old table collapse the day after hosting Thanksgiving, a close call indeed!) The best part is being able to take our time to save up for and choose the best quality pieces we can afford and to make sure they are what we really want and truly need. We try to pay in cash so we can be sure to stay in our budget and not carry unnecessary debt.
Andrea Allen says
On the other hand, change is good. For me, at least. I don’t like the idea of permanency and predictability in home decor… I get bored with it. That doesn’t mean I have to stuff my house to the gills with every new trendy item I see. I can go to an estate sale and buy a beautiful inexpensive item to perk up my home. I feel good about that item being reused or repurposed and not ending up in the landfill. And with every “new” item that comes IN the house, 2 or more old items go OUT! I am not purchasing very many items at all these days because “Becoming Minimalist” has changed my way of thinking, but I do enjoy an occasional change in decor. And that change can be accomplished with an inexpensive high quality item purchased from an Estate sale.
Tracy N. says
I, too, just downsized from a large new house to a tiny 1930 bungalow. So happy that estate sales are the norm here, I love reforming someone else’s furnishings from previous times…slow and inexpensive, and I think they enjoy being in their new space with a younger families with kids. Agreed that today’s consumption is out of control and that “trends” are being thrown at us so quickly, there’s barely a trend anymore , all I see are marketing frenzies.