Posted in Simple and Frugal Living
When one first opens the door to our home, she notices the decor immediately. There is no entry way of anykind, you walk into the main living area as the main part of the house has an open living plan. There are a few sofas, a piano, and a TV, and a few pieces of art on the walls. Nothing else. Yet, whenever someone comes for the first time, we usually get a compliment such as, "Oh my this is beautiful, you should be a decorator." We chuckle and say thanks.
Interestingly, I have been to many of the houses of the people who have made these comments, their houses aren't any less decorated than mine. If anything they are more decorated and they have much more stuff. Often I have wondered, what's the appeal?
Well, I feel it's simple. Less is more. We don't have any end tables or coffee tables. Mind you, this didn't happen because we were thinking about living simply. We didn't get any because our kids play sports in the room...from one end to the other. Soccer, hockey, racing, golf, football, tag, etc. When we were asking a friend in the flooring business about wood floor or tile for our living room, he laughed and said, "Your kids play full contact hockey with real sticks and real pucks, I don't think it makes a difference." Our home is set up for living, but set up simply.
We do not have an entertainment center, there are no book shelves in the room. The room gets its warmth from its sparesenss, which shows off the few decorations that we have. Choosing to live simply also means choosing a simple living space. Simplicity isn't strictly about frugality and living within your means, it's about your choice of lifestyle.
Think about the rooms in your home. Do you have a room that never seems to look neat, with shelving everywhere, lots of furniture, tons of stuff on the walls, etc. For me it's the office. I never feel simple in my office. When I think about it, I always let my mind say, "but everything in here is useful." That may be true. For us, simplicity is having a mostly simple house, with 2 rooms that don't seem simple at all. When I feel overwhlemed, or distracted by being in a non-simple room, I head to a simple room and veg for a while. It works for me.
Want a simplistic space? Choose a room(s) and ponder what about the room is not simple. Do you find it to reflect you and your lifestyle? Are you comfortable in the space? Do you feel relaxed and at ease in the room? If the answer is yes to these questions, leave it be. If the answer is no to these questions, think of ways you could simplify the room, and still be functional. Simple! Believe it or not, there is an item in my sparse living room that causes me distraction that I would like to get rid of. It's the TV. It's kind of big, and my focus goes directly towards it when I enter the room (because I don't want it there). I have considered removing it, however, that doesn't work for our family as it is the viewing space where we all sit as a family, like the Waltons gathered around the radio. So, the TV stays. Don't empty a room of items that your family uses frequently. For example, if a room has lots of end tables that you use for schooling littles, then you would not want to remove them from the room. However, you might consider taking away the things you showcase on them...flowers, knick knacks, clothes, lamps, etc. Just removing those few things, might give the room a whole new feel. Try it, it's simple!
These are my thoughts.
· Leslie and her husband homeschool their 4 children in
· Leslie finds her respite in reading, anything frugal and simplistic, cooking, scrapbooking, art, music, and continuing to expand her knowledge of homeopathics, natural living, and walking lightly on the earth. She also maintains a group for barter and trade to help her community become stronger and more resourceful.
· Visit Leslie at: www.homeschoolblogger.com/Boltbabe
www.homesteadblogger.com/Boltbabe
