Our home has changed a lot over the past year and a half.
It feels much more peaceful and calm and pulled together and meaningful and useful to our family now. You might have liked it better before and that’s ok because you don’t live here. I’ve been going through a stage where I want to be surrounded by less stuff. I still adore homes filled with all sorts of trinkets and collections and tchotchkies but I’m not organized enough to keep my house with them. I’m finding that it’s much easier for me to keep our home running smoothly when I have less stuff. And I’m finally learning how to have less stuff and still feel like my house is pretty. It was hard and I had to learn a new skill.
I had to learn to EDIT.
Yep, for me, getting RID of stuff was actually the key to starting to get the home I wanted. Ohhh, ouch that hurts!
And although our house looks really different, I didn’t get rid of very many large pieces {although I did makeover most of them}, I mostly got rid of small things, or Little Junk as Emily and I like to call it. When we were younger and played Barbies for about 8 years straight, we called the box of Barbie shoes and hats and cameras and dishes and sunglasses and plastic brushes and pretend foods and anything else accessory: “Little Junk”. I looooved, the Little Junk, no surprise there.
My Process
I didn’t start by emptying out a room and selling everything, I started by moving out all of my little junk things that I loved, like pillows and plants and tchotchkes. I quieted the house. And when I did I was left with the sofa and chairs and armiore and rug and lamps and tables. I knew I had a problem when I didn’t really like what I saw. A worn out red toile sofa, lots of black painted furniture, a green hued area rug and a weird layout. Not to mention renter walls with a pink hue. Instead of trying to mask all of that with pretty pillows and potted plants, I finally decided to tackle my issues head on.
I moved everything out of the room but the big stuff and then found the best placement for those things. I kept most all my little junk packed away in the garage for a few months so I could concentrate on the big stuff and not get distracted by a cute birdcage.
I’ve written an entire long post about the slow transition from toile to white sofa which will explain how we lived during the SLOW, enjoyable, developed over time evolution of our home. But, today I want to tell you how or why I was able to get rid of things.
I got MORE of the house I wanted by having LESS stuff in it.
It’s magical irrational decorating math.
Even though this stuff is pretty, I simply didn’t need this many things but I didn’t realize it until I loved my basic items, I wasn’t willing to risk letting them go until I knew I could still love this room. Now I love it 100 times more without this stuff.
Once we made those changes in the family room {fresh paint, slipcovered sofa placed in a better position, thrifted leather chair, window mistreatments, gallery wall, poster board sunburst mirror, Ikea shelf, pair of lamps from Home Goods, yard sale dresser, moving the tv} I didn’t want to clutter it up with my precious Little Junk. And Little Junk quickly adds up to make A Bunch of Junk.
It was that simple.
Once I liked our basic, big stuff like the sofa and walls and windows and rug and tables~ the small things didn’t matter as much. And I noticed if I put too many small things in the room {like pillows and vases and birds and nests and on and on it goes} they seemed to take away from the look. Now I want more and more of less stuff. It’s like I’m addicted to Less.
Most of you already know that secret. But some of you are like me. Some of you have gone for so long with something you don’t like you forget that there are ways to change it without buying all new stuff. And sometimes, those are the best solutions~but they still cost, maybe even a greater cost because they involve risk and creativity and you are right now making excuses why you can’t do it and then complaining about what you do have and what you don’t have. But, I promise the results can be even better than buying all new furniture.
And maybe it starts with Little Junk.
{our house is always in transition, right now my friend Angela is painting our coffee table}
Clearly, I’m no minimalist. I still have lots of Little Junk. But, it’s probably only 20% of what I’ve had in the past and it’s all past my ruthless evaluation. If I don’t love it, it’s not here.
Next post we’ll talk more about how to declutter, destuffify, destuficate, quiet the house and edit out our Little Junk.
Do you have a name for your Little Junk? Do you even have Little Junk or is it just my sickness?
I’m with you on the less is more thing. We just sold our house and had to declutter a lot of our “junk”. Its amazing how much bigger & cleaner everything looks. And the funny thing is, I don’t miss the junk. :)
I love seeing the transformation. I almost forgot about the red toile and the check curtains! I love how clean and simple your look has evolved to. I am a perpetual edit-er. I can’t stand trying to clean my house and having to move 82 million things around just to get to the surfaces, walls and floors. Maybe I’d like the “more” look if I had a cleaning person :)
I have been going through the same “process” and I ADORE how your home has turned out. Because I am looking at “stuff” all day long, I want a simple, clean look when I get home. And because I am so busy, I don’t want to have to deal with all that “stuff” everyday. You are right it is much simpler to deal with less stuff. I just feel very fortunate that I have this problem!!!! Keep up the posts they are wonderful!!!
SUCH A GOOD POST. I NOTICED THE CHANGE FROM DARK HEAVY TO LIGHT COLOR AND FEEL. IT IS VERY SOOTHING AND CALMING. AND I SO LOVED IT BEFORE. IT IS MORE THE YOU, YOU ARE NOW. THANKS FOR SHOWING US JUST HOW IT CAN BE DONE.
HUGS FROM MY HEART
I too love little junk. love this post.
I love my “Treasured Memories” , with all the tales they have to tell. Oh to have the strength to put them all away.
You are inspiring though, the pain is worth it looking at the results and will you please get out of my head, seriously you have named every reason I have not done this already. Looking forward to the cleansing with help from you. Thank you
“Little Junk.” I love that term! Yes, I have my fair share of little junk around here…trying to slowly, but surely wade through it and toss/donate. My MOPS group is having a yard sale during our meeting this Thursday to make some extra cash. I’ll probably take a box of stuff…and try not to come home with anything. ;) Great post!
I get a little nervous if my personal space begins to feel crowded with things. My house is probably quite boring because of it.
I love that you did this. THe hardest thing for me about arranging my house how I wanted it was the overwhelming idea (taken from the Internet, of course) that we needed more stuff. LIttle knickknacks and tchotchkes. I not only have no skill in arranging groups of knickknacks, I don’t like them. I’m so glad to see how pretty your room looks simplified.
We’ve been working on our living room for about 8 months. We slowly add in little bits and then wait to see. It’s been a slow process, but we like the results which is what counts.
Looks like less really is more! I’ve never had too much ‘little junk’ in our home – mostly because I feel like I lack the vision to put it all together. ;) However, I got the nicest compliment on the ‘look’ of our home the other day. She said, “I just love spending time at your house, it feels so peaceful in it’s simplicity.”
I had not ever thought of it in that way, but really appreciate her words.
I don’t have alot of “Little Junk” mostly because I hate cleaning around and lifting alot of little things just to dust. It makes me crazy. And having alot of little things makes me feel like the house is cluttered and then I can’t relax.
I’ve been bringing in more stuff recently as I start to turn my house into a “cottage” of my dreams, but it’s still very edited for the sake of my sanity. ;)
I’ve really come to enjoy the less is more look too. When we moved last September I got rid of half our stuff and I’m actually ready to do it again!
Can your new room be soothing and refreshing? It is, and I want it!
While I am completely inspired to remove all my really good “junk” aka “little stuff,” it will not be removed by the time you come , so love me anyhow. I still have LOTS of the little stuff…everywhere, but it’s going….slowly. It may take me awhile, but the slow process feels great! And I am all about the baby steps!
I’m loving your less is more look! I’m finding myself editing more and more from my house and bringing in less and less. I’ve come a long way, but have a lot left to go. Thanks for the push to clear out more clutter :)
I love your new look! I agree it looks like less is more. I also had forgotten about the check curtains, you really have done a great looking transformation. I have really enjoyed seeing all of the wonderful projects you have taken on this past year and look forward to seeing many more.
Great post! I call it “dinky junk” and try to ban it from my existence, but it is hard as it calls my name when I am out shopping. I have become good at editing and am living a happier life because of it. My motto – ” Life is too short to be the caretaker of the wrong details.” I chat this quote when I enter stores like HomeGoods and feel relief when I walk out empty handed.
My best- Diane
I thought your house was pretty before, but now its pretty AND looks easier to maintain the prettiness. We minimize too around here. Its so much easier to keep things up without so much “little junk.”
I discovered this awhile back…. I have a few little junk things that I absolutely love – everything else has disappeared and I like being home a lot better now.
Hopefully we’ll move to a bigger house soon and when we do hopefully I can get one of those glass-doored corner thingymabobs that I can put the precious little junk that I can’t get rid of because I love it because of what it represents into – so that it’s all in one place, behind glass, easier to deal with than being all over the bookshelves in front of the books! We’ll see…
I’ve been following for a long time, and am convinced you are a bit of a decor genius (of course) however, that big blank white couch eats away at me every time I see it. I know it’s not my home, but I can’t be the only one who thinks it looks like a hole in the room? There’s something to be said about neutrals and blank canvases but its just crying out to be painted… fluffy throw and 100000 brightly covered pillows — please? for us?
Oh yes, WHERE on earth are my pillows in that photo? I think I was washing some of them. Trust me, I have entirely too many pillows for that sofa, part of this blog is showing a real home in process so none of the photos are finished which I know can be totally confusing when I’m talking about decorating. I’ve got a photo on the sidebar with a few pillows and a throw if you need proof that I do have pillows!
Good observation!
On a day to day basis, I have a very minimal amount of ‘little junk.’ I feel suffocated by it. But for Christmas decorating and things like showers/parties, I love to pull out those ‘little junk’ touches. Probably because they are pretty to look at, but I know that they won’t always live there:)
I’ve shed 5 garbage bags of little junk toys yesterday. The kids rooms feel bigger and we call it “little crap”. I’ve made my way through my whole house clearing out. Now I’m heading down to the basement to finish. This has been very refreshing and freeing to get rid of all this stuff. Can’t wait to read your next post!
I have a love/hate relationship with my little junk. We are getting ready to sell our house, so I’ve been purging….it feels soooo goooood!!!
I even went thrifting this weekend and didn’t buy anything, just took lots of pictures for the blog.
Your home is beautiful.
My husband and I refer to them as “Dustables”. I hate dusting, have allergies, have 2 cats, a dog and dirt that gets tracked in from the farm, so anything that could potentially need to be dusted is just not in our house, not that we don’t have stuff on the walls here and there…Our process of getting rid of them started about 7 years ago, and while we are pretty much done with the house, I have now turned my attention to my sewing room, and have started to use up or get rid of stuff I will never use, things that might be useful some day, and it is amazing to see how much space you have to actually create things instead of being overwhelmed by all of the stuff in there. Once it is gone, you notice how pretty a jar of thread is, or a basket of yarn, and it inspires you to just sit down and get to work on a project.
Great post by the way!
I call Little Junk “Stuff I Don’t Need”. This however does not include the various candle holders I’ve been collecting. LOL
i’m enjoying your journey, as i’ve been on it with you, since you were still into the red & blue, and “little junk”–and that’s what initially drew me to your blog. but as i watched you purge, i was inspired to purge too. as i watched your process of realizing your “style change” (lifestyle change??) i realized i was on the same journey. i’m WAY behind you, as I myslef have AD/HD, and i have 4 little ones (8 and under) and a husband with clinical depression. but your blog gives me something to shoot for, especially since even in your “junk phase” your home was less cluttered than mine, in it’s DE-cluttered phase! LOL! it’s your vision that’s helped me the most. keep posting. some of us may never have homes that are “pretty” but we can have homes that can “breathe”….
Oh, I am so with you on this! Hubby and I just reloacted to a smaller, bungalow house, in an attempt to simplify so much of our lives. I have been all talk-talk-talk about decluttering and getting rid of anything we don’t love…but sometimes it can indeed be a tough process. Recently, while clearing out rooms in order to paint, I stood back and saw how much more I loved the rooms without all the “little junk”. They were awesome! Clean, fresh, and streamlined. I’m addicted. And now I also don’t have to find a perfect home for all the junk, or think of a place to store it. Freedom!!
I JUST told my husband last night I wanted to simplify…I am amazed to read your post this morning and see you talking on that very subject!! I have a tendancy to decorate as if I am doing store displays with vignettes and tablescapes but I have always felt that my surroundings are a direct reflection of what’s going on in my head so it would be nice to start with a clean slate…I have a baby boy (who will be one tomorrow!) and his stuff alone is enough to clutter our little rented house…So I want to edit and be able to breathe when I walk in a room…Our word for “little junk” is “knick knack paddy crap” (give a dog a bone…get it?)…thanks for sharing this today…I can’t wait to get everything off every surface!
“Instead of trying to mask all of that…I finally decided to tackle my issues head on.”
You know, despite the fact you focus on house and home and this quote was clearly about such things, I think you have quite a bit of life-wisdom to offer as well. I could take this sentence and apply it to the many things in life I try to mask when really just dealing with them would be much better.
Anyway, on a more house related note – when we bought our first place six months ago, I thought I needed to fill every nook and cranny. Little did I know I’d live with a relatively empty house (we do have furniture and a teeny bit of Little Junk here and there) for a while and find myself loving it. The clutter-free, open space is perfect for us.
Totally, and my sister is writing an entire book about that very subject {masks and all}~due out in September!
http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Good-Girl-Letting-Try-Hard/dp/0800719840/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304345409&sr=8-1
You had me at the word “edit.” From now on I’m going to edit my house until I get it exactly the way I want it to be. So often I feel inadequate to decorate or create or even clean my house, but edit, now that’s something I can do! Thank you ever so much for that one word!!!
It’s so true, you are an editor at heart, and when it comes to our homes, knowing what NOT to have is equally important as knowing what TO have
I loved that word, too!
I call our stuff “major miscellaneous”. It’s not as low as common miscellaneous, you see. We recently relocated from central IL to NE PA and are living in a rental until our house back home sells. ALL of my decorating stuff (boxes and boxes and boxes) are packed up and stored in the basement. I have an unhealthy addiction to my things. Granted, most all of it came from thrift stores and such, but I have too much. I’m afraid to get rid of any of it until we buy a house out here and see what I have to work with. Sick, I know.
It looks awesome! I love it! As I look around I’m realizing the same thing, I need to get rid of some CR@P, *ehem* ,stuff too:) Have a wonderful day!
So motivated by your creativity! We’re trying to simplify, too. It’s scary and exciting and beautiful all at once.
I just love everything about that room now. The curtains are so simple, but PERFECT. I’m going from a house to an apartment and will be getting rid of lots. It’s freeing, really:)
Thank you for your willingness to change, and to show us those changes! I appreciate your honesty and vulnerability – very inspiring.
I love this post! I agree that getting rid of the tchotchkes makes a huge difference. We just had a yard sale and I sold some things I loved, but that we didn’t really need. We have little kids in the house and they bring enough clutter with them (exersaucer, etc) that I don’t need “deco-clutter” as well. Some is nice, but there is a fine line!
What a beautiful post and concept. I love the idea of just packing the stuff away to see how it feels. I don’t have too many things in my house, but it does seem to feel cluttered to me. However, I wasn’t sure what to do because I love the things that are there. I’m going to pack some things away just to see how it feels.
Wonderful inspiration.
I LOVE THIS POST!!!!!! I am ruthless in my decluttering, but I think my problem is still not loving the bare-bones of what’s left. Thanks for the enlightenment. Now I know where to focus.
And love the new look in each room. So nice.
So, I’m curious, because I’ve been thinking of pairing down my geegaw (that’s my stepmom’s name for it and I think it fits)… do you flat out get rid of all of the little junk that doesn’t make the cut, or do you keep some but only a small amount.
I’m still unsure of what to do w/certain items that do hold sentimental value, but that I don’t really… like. I have a hope chest, so I’ve been thinking about only keeping what I have room to store in there.
Nonetheless, I’ve been reading a lot of simplemom lately and have thought long and hard about the effect that less stuff will have on my ability to clean (and how long it iwll take).
Come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you what I do with the geegaw!!
Can I just say that this is one of the most inspiring posts i have read in a LONG time! I can’t tell you enough how I truly believe that less is more… though I am not always perfect at it. I really do try and share this mantra with anyone I can- not only does it give you mental clarity and room to breathe, but you usually save money because you aren’t spending on little things that don’t matter. It’s amazing what less can do for your life! Thanks soooooo much for sharing your story. If you don’t mind, I am going to post a link on my blog leading to this post. I LOVE it!!!
Love your post…and your home! Need to know where you got your lamps on your IKEA pseudo-drsser (with the wicker baskets). My living room would look great with lamps of those shape…do tell!
When I was little I had a large shoebox for my “tiny toys.” They were my favorite toys!
This is a fabulous post!
“You might have liked it better before and that’s ok because you don’t live here.” Hah! I laughed out loud at that. So true. Unlike you, I DID sell everything in every room at one point. Had a bit of a STUFF breakdown. Tooooo much stuff. Too fluffy, too messy, too MUCH. This was about 3 years ago that I created a calm house. I figure, I’m about as hyper as a gal can get so my surroundings should be as calm as possible. It worked. I still love it. Although stuff is creeping in. And I’m O.K. with it. http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/i-have-a-red-room-and-i-want-to-paint-it-white
With your help, Nester, I’ve gotten really good at evaluating, and then either appreciating or purging. For the most part, we don’t buy decorations for the sake of decorating. We like to display meaningful/useful things around our home — family photos/heirlooms, preschooler art and the bajillion books we acquired either for pleasure or required course reading. And the little pretties that don’t have a good place at home end up in my cubicle at work. (And it helps that I edit as my day job!)
As always, thanks for the inspiration!
Agree, agree, agree!! I can’t stand tons of stuffy-stuff everywhere, making more work dusting & cleaning and taking up mental space, as well. The hard part is what to do with years and years of gifts of knick-knacks. I don’t want it all but how do you give away “Little Junk” that family members have given you?
I must say I love your house and I too have been cutting things back around here. I also have been just dying to cover up my Very ugly 3rd hand furinture but I dont want to waste any money on them due to the fact that we are going to get new, only because the couch and chair are both broke (and not comfy at all). Any ideas on how to do this on the CHEAP?
This post is coming at a perfect time for me. I’ve been thinking about doing that exact thing (clearing out all the little junk) for a while now but other things keep getting in the way…and maybe I’ve been a little scared to do it. I have lots of “things” sitting on tables and dressers and shelves and I don’t even necessarily love them. I just feel like every space needs “things.” But I’m starting to get tired of them and want a cleaner, fresher, less-cluttered look, just like you discussed. Thanks for getting me going.
Do you ever watch American Pickers? Well, we’ve taken their term for little junk…’smalls’ and that’s what we use. Currently we’re selling our home. I have diligently packed away my smalls in order to declutter and depersonalize. I also packed away the vast collection of smalls from my 3 and 6 year old girls (Polly Pockets are the very definition of Little Junk!). At first the home seemed empty; I could almost detect the echo one hears in an empty room. Now, however, I have come to love the newly simplified and clutter free rooms. Clean room, clean soul. I am not so sure those smalls are going to make it out of their boxes in our new home =)
What a timely post for me! We’re participating in a multi-family yard sale this Saturday and I’ve been thinking about all the “Little Junk” I have in the attic, still in boxes from when we moved into our home almost 6 years ago! Plus, all the stuff I have crammed in cabinets here & there. Time to get it all out, mark it $1 (or less) and let it be GONE! Can’t wait for your next post with great tips for letting it go!
I hear ya, sista! I have learned to put my efforts into the basics…furniture pieces, paint colors, cabinetry….and stay away from the accessories. Because you’re right – if you don’t love the foundation, a bunch of stuff on that foundation doesn’t make it any better. I no longer let myself buy nicknacks anymore. None. Because I have an entire basement full of “little junk” that I need to get rid of!
Danielle
I have a question for you, Nester–does a house full of Little Junk affect your mood?
I have three small children, ages 6,4, and 4 months. My house is noisy and chaotic, just by its very nature, during this season of my life. And my HOUSE was contributing to that feeling of chaos! Eeegads! I find that my space is directly connected to my mood, and as I have made my space simpler and brighter over the last couple of years–I am simply a brighter ME!
I feel that God has honored my efforts by giving me an internal sense of peace and calm that I lacked before. I find that the entire tone of my home has changed, and along with it, my mood. When my house feels “busy” or chaotic, my mind does, too.
Totally affects my mood. And red paint on walls makes me feel unsettled. I think it even affects our kids moods, and how they function, kind of like the Montissorri or however you spell it way to organize kids rooms is really peaceful.