Is your home getting too cluttered? A common mistake that people make when trying to tackle clutter is finding ways to relocate it instead of getting rid of it. In some cases, people may even invest in extra storage such as upgrading to a larger wardrobe, putting up a shelf or buying an extra chest of drawers. This doesn’t eliminate the clutter – if anything, it encourages you to buy more clothes and ornaments in order to make full use of this storage.
A better way to address clutter is to embrace minimalism. By reducing your storage space, you can force yourself to get rid of unnecessary belongings in your home. Below are just a few ways in which you can discourage clutter through minimalist design.
Switch out your wardrobe for an open clothes rail
If your wardrobe is overflowing with clothes, switching to an open clothes rail could be a way of forcing you to declutter. An open clothes rail puts all of your clothes permanently on display so that you’re always aware of which clothes you own. It also gets rid of any space you might use for piling clothes. It’s one of the best ways to keep a limit on your clothing – once you’ve run out of rail, it’s a sign that you need to stop buying or selling something.
Use side tables instead of cabinets and drawers
When it comes to bedroom and living room clutter, it could also be worth considering whether any cabinets can be substituted with side tables. For instance, instead of using a bedside chest of drawers, you could switch to a nightstand table to reduce bedroom clutter. You could also consider switching out a living room sideboard for a narrow console table to reduce living room clutter. This reduces space for concealing clutter, while still giving you a surface for placing lamps or displaying ornaments.
Opt for wall mounted lamps instead of tabletop lamps
Tabletop lamps need to be positioned on a table. This in turn creates an extra surface for accumulating clutter. By switching to wall-mounted lamps, you could reduce the need for these surfaces. An example could include switching out bedside tabletop lamps for wall mounted bedside lamps. This could reduce the need to have a bedside table at all (although some people may still find this surface convenient for placing cups of water or books).
Consider cabinets with transparent doors
To avoid messy kitchen cabinets, another solution could be to try cabinets with transparent doors. This could encourage you to throw away excess glasses and crockery, as well as finally using those canned foods. It could also encourage you to keep your cabinets tidy if you have a tendency to throw items in messily. You could also consider transparent doors for other cabinets and storage solutions around your home.
Convert your attic into a guest bedroom
Is your attic a dumping ground for clutter? A way of finally tackling the clutter in this space could be to turn your attic into a guest bedroom. By turning it into a functional room, it will discourage you from using it as a dumping ground. This could also be a way of tackling other spaces in your home solely used for storing clutter such as a garage (which could be turned into a study or home office) or a large cupboard under the stairs (which could be turned into a downstairs bathroom).
Embrace collapsible furniture
Collapsible furniture is any type of furniture that can be folded away. By not being a permanent fixture in your home, you can discourage such furniture from becoming a clutter trap. One example could be a dining room table – by folding it away after use, you won’t be tempted to use this as a surface for storing piles of laundry or stacks of paperwork when not in use. It could also give you a whole load of extra space in your home to use for other purposes. There are many other collapsible furniture options that you can look into that can similarly discourage clutter such as collapsible chairs and desks. You could even go as far as buying a Murphy bed for your bedroom that folds up into the wall (this could prevent you from using the space beneath your bed for storing clutter).
