Decluttering for the maximalist

I admit it: I love things. I think things can be beautiful, meaningful and useful. Having a home that is bare and minimalist is not for me, it just seems too cold. I think many of us feels this way: Cushions, blankets, candles and pictures add warmth and cosiness to our homes.

However - I really dislike dusting, I'm trying to own fewer things, and I have a kid who does not necessarily respect the things that I like so much. So, some middle ground has to be found here.

I have so far come up with these guidelines to keep the maximalist in me in check:

1. Only keep things that are beautiful, meaningful and/or useful. Be honest with yourself. Is this vase/picture/bowl/candle really enhancing your home? If not, it's probably better off at the charity shop or fleamarket, instead of being yet another item for you to dust and organise.

2. Group items together, to leave some spaces bare. Having assigned spaces for these little tableaux, makes it easier to avoid clutter creeping into every surface.

3. Identify the colours/materials you like the most, and try to stick to them. This will make it easier to decorate, and will make your place look slightly less "busy", even though you have more things than the average minimalist.

For me, this means having a lot of Little A's artwork on display, along with some photos (there will be more when I get my photos organised) and some decorative items (vases and bowls, mostly) that I think are especially beautiful. Natural elements (stones and wood), yellow, orange, light pink and light green are also found throughout my home. Trying to find the sweet spot where minimalism meets maximalism is a work in progress for me, but the pictures show where I'm at right now decluttering/rethinking the decor of my living room.

What about you - are you also drawn between minimalism and maximalism? Or perhaps you have other ideas for balancing the two? I'd love to hear about it!

My little decluttering assistant

Have you ever come across this sight? If you have small kids (or a dog?) I guess you have. 

Little A sometimes gets into a frenzy of "tidying", which essentially means that he throws everything out of a cupboard/drawer/shelf with wild enjoyment. This has really frustrated me (a lot) in the past, but recently, when I saw how he had thrown all of my winter scarves on the floor, I imagined what he might be thinking. "Mamma has this many scarves! I can throw them on the floor! I can make a mountain of them! I can swim in them!" 

I know that I have a lot of scarves. I love them. It makes me feel good and cosy to wrap myself in a soft scarf, and I like to match them to my clothes. When you add the fact that Norway has scarf weather from August to May, you can imagine that I have had plenty of opportunities to buy and wear scarves. However, when I saw the pile on the floor, and knew that these were only my winter scarves (not the spring/autumn ones), I decided to take the hint from Little A. 

Nine scarves went to charity straight away, and I'll have another look when winter comes and I see what I'm actually wearing. 

A few days later, Little A threw half our DVDs on the floor. Making me realise how we don't even have a DVD player anymore... so why do I have two cupboards filled with DVDs? Most of them will go as well. 

So, I have realised that I should see Little A as my decluttering assistant, instead of a clutter monster. Decluttering and more peace of mind, wrapped into one.