Our suburb is littered with post World War II houses, each of them either a carbon copy or a flipped version of the same design. Many have been modernised and extended. Ours is small, and very original. It stands strong, but as with most old houses, it is quite hard to maintain, and it’s often difficult to make it feel really clean. When you live in a house with two wild boys, a permanent Lego trail, and a big hairy cattle dog who prefers life indoors, you can feel as though you are always living in a bit of a mess. That feeling can make you feel quite unsettled.
It’s a beautiful airy summer house, and conversely it’s a breezy, freezing winter one. Every year as soon as the cold weather sets in, I seem to become possessed by minimalist fever. Running around seeing what I can offload to others, to charity, or just ‘out’. In a way it helps me to regain control over a home which has been a bit neglected over the summer. It’s also a step towards feeling less unsettled during the cooler, more home bound months of the year.
One of the main principles of spring cleaning (or Autumn cleaning if you’re me), minimalism, and probably many other domestic activities, is to start small. To work on small areas and make micro differences that add up over time. I like to have (at least) one small uncluttered space in our home, which regardless of the chaos in the rest of the place, brings some calm. Mine is our dining table area, which is in our main living space. It’s set simply with greenery, but otherwise it’s kept perfectly clear. It means dealing quickly with school bags, mail, shopping, washing and anything else which threatens to impinge upon my calm space. It’s in my direct line of vision from the kitchen, and the unclutteredness of it helps me find peace amongst whatever else is going on.
Linked with Essentially Jess for IBOT
my slow living adventure 
I’m having that very same feeling right now..the de-clutter bug has been caught. The seemingly sudden change in the weather has meant a bit more time indoors and the need for more clear space in the house and in my head..
You have a very minimalist home Annie, considering 4 kids live there too. I always feel inspired by the simplicity of your place.
I love the simple calming effect of decluttering. Our house isn’t the cleanest but it is fairly uncluttered and we have some greenery to brighten the living areas and make it feel even calmer.
I’m a huge fan of tidying. It’s often the best I can do! I think greenery makes such a difference to how a room feels. I seem to be killing a few of our indoor plants recently though. Need to find the perfect plants for each space I think.
Hello,
This is the first time I have visited your blog, and it certainly wont be the last : )
I feel exactly the same way, being a busy house hold with four teen boys is chaos, but if my dining table is clear of clutter i have peace of mind x
Hi Bec, thank you for visiting! It’s amazing how one area being clear can affect how you feel inside.
I can’t seem to help myself with spring cleaning. I tend to turn the whole house upside down in the process. We are in an older house too, one that despite the endless cleaning, never really seems clean enough.
I absolutely love old houses, but it can be quite disheartening trying to keep them clean.
Omg I could have written this exact post. You described our house perfectly and just substitute girls for boys and add a second dog. I am aiming to get things under control before my mom arrives on June 21 for a month long stay. Xx
We are all in similar boats by the sounds of it! All looking for a bit of peace.
I tackle our home in much the same way, Michelle. I like clear horizontal surfaces, but because that hardly ever happens, I like ONE clear horizontal surface of the week. It works for me! Your corner looks lovely. x
It’s the magic of the clear horizontal surface isn’t it. Yours eyes are drawn to it.
I never thought of it that way – that we are more house bound during the colder months so a perfect time to clear things out. You have inspired me.
Mmm, that’s great. I guess I’ve noticed the pattern of my behaviour since I’ve been writing about it. Last year I did the Minimalist Challenge for the month of June. It was awesome…might have to do it again.
It’s beautiful Michelle – especially being in the midst of things to have it calm. My coffee mug says ‘ peace isn’t about being in a place where there is no noise or trouble, but being in the midst of things and still being calm in your heart’ – so well done on keeping that space calm for yourself. We are lucky to have two living spaces, plus an office cum TV room. Yet still our dining table gets congested. I have an armchair and corner in our bedroom where I have my yoga ‘shrine’. It is opposite my desk and I really try to preserve it – it makes me feel warm.
What an inspiring message/mantra to have on your mug. It’s so true. Having peace in your heart despite the chaos. I’m not sure I would find it any easier in a bigger house, probably harder!
I recently got a desk put in our master bedroom so I’d have a quiet place just for me! It’s wonderful and peaceful:-) #TeamIBOT.
I try to keep the kitchen bench clean; that brings me peace! But it often gets dumped on. It’s a job to keep it tidy.