Less Is The New More

Photo by Francis Smith.

I’ve noticed that people are paring down and unburdening themselves from too much “stuff.”
I see more folks having yard sales or donating unwanted furniture and housewares. By the same token, interior design is also moving away from an over-decorated, shabby-chic look to a more tailored, pulled-together look. I think it’s a natural reaction to the new economic reality.
The streamlined, pared-down space is the opposite of shabby chic: no slipcovers, tightly skirted or uncovered legs, clean lines, low furniture, fewer accessories, more impact. It’s all about cleaner spaces and less clutter. If you like symmetry, set it off with an “exclamation point” – a bright pillow or great patterned throw or rug – to add a quirky, left-of-center jolt.
I work with many clients who decide to edit, and along with removing what’s unnecessary, they decide to unearth and use items like the “good” wedding china every day. Why save it? Use it and enjoy it.
So if you’re feeling like you want to pare down your life, now is a good time to edit your collections, furnishings and accessories. It’s time to focus on surrounding yourself with fewer, more wonderful things. Less is the new more!

How to begin

Create a fresh floor plan. Start with a family space – a living area or family room. You can do it one of two ways:
1. Look critically at your space and try to see it as simple blocks of color/shape; is there too much in the room? Decide what you can eliminate.
2. Take things away to gain clarity. Empty the room completely and sketch out a new plan, then “shop” your stuff and relocate things with an eye to cleaner look. With a critical eye, decide what stays and what goes.

Make it a family project

Be sure to include your family when you do something this life-changing. As you take things out of the room, you can decide together if they should go back in. After you edit your space, give away or donate anything you’re not using. Or you can store it away for the future, like for a young relative’s first apartment.

Once you’ve decided on a fresh layout with fewer but more vital furnishings, you can splurge on new lampshades or Venetian blinds. Add new throw pillows. Relocate artwork for a fresh outlook. Re-paint or add wallpaper. Don’t forget to replace all the important family photos that give the space personality.

What was the last “room editing” project you completed? How did it impact the way you live?