cozy minimalist

Every home needs an empty surface zone.

This is a surface in your home that you are deciding is no longer a home for things.

This is NOT to be confused with a surface that you are demanding to be absolutely empty at all times. No way. This is a hardworking surface, preferably the most used surface(s) in your home that you are no longer letting pretty things, often used things, random things live there indefinitely and without question.

I don’t know if it’s a “now I’m 40” thing or a “mom of three teenage boys” thing or a “we moved to a much smaller house” thing but I used to fuss over what to put on every available surface in our home. Now I allow (CRAVE) some surfaces to be gloriously empty.

But that doesn’t mean they never have stuff on them.

I’ve learned to not assign decor objects to a few of the main public surfaces in our house.

Right now those surfaces are the three hardest working, most often used surfaces: the kitchen island, the one main table in our space and the coffee table.

It doesn’t mean they are always empty, but the opposite, stuff is on them often.

However…

There’s something luxurious and quieting in our home when it’s time to straighten up and put away the day’s odds and ends, these much used surfaces are cleaned up and turned into pure emptiness. It’s a feeling so good that it’s not usually worth me junking it up with some decorative item no matter how pretty.

IF I need to get a great photo or want it to look extra special, I will put something pretty on my tables, I get to change my own rules whenever I want. But in our everyday living, it’s nice to have some much needed empty space.

Besides, our mantel is a space that can be filled with meaningful beauty day in and day out without us having to move a candlestick so we can write a check or put our coffee down. Most of us don’t lack in surrounding ourselves with beautiful things, most of us are lacking in a moment of silence in our homes. Some of us have forgotten what its like to experince the joy of an empty surface.

cozy minimalist

Why don’t you join me today?

That table, the one your family eats all the meals at, where the bills get sat down, where the homework gets signed and piled? At some point today, clear it completely off. Empty. Down to the naked bones. And wipe it down with a steamy hot rag. You might just hear your surface utter a cry of deep gratitude like mine did. Then, simply let it sit gloriously empty.

The goal isn’t to keep it empty forever. Oh, that would be a tragedy. That surface is there to serve you well, use it up, spread out, get things done! The goal is to at some point have it empty so you can enjoy the nothingness. It’s a simple way to add a little white space, a little margin to a working home.

You might just get addicted and want to empty it off to nothing every evening or morning or afternoon in between it’s hard working sessions just for the little joy that a quiet surface can bring.

The One Simple Trick To Make Your Space More Luxurious Right Now? A cleared off space.

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