{Greenery Buying}
{polyvore set @ronnieangelpope}
{view from below- paint swatches on white and simple monochromic harmonicas}
{desk/work setting}
{succulents and magazines}
{@imaginarysilhouettes }
{@mersacee}
As time trickled by, I had utterly convinced myself that 'stuff' was the root of all problems. It made me feel heavy and bogged down just looking around me. So, cue what one could call, a moment of epiphany. I knew what I wanted = less. Less complications, less clutter, less confusions and distractions. And more. More time, more focus, more close relationships and mostly- more of a comfortable and peaceful mindset.
Only one problem stood in my way, and this was the fact that I knew of my goals, but just not how to obtain them. However, this problem could be easily solved by researching, planning and my preferred method - making lists. So, here's a compilation points that helped me on my way:
1. Other People's Stories.
I stumbled across this Ted Talk (The Minimalists), which got some cogs in my brain moving in the right direction, yet I needed to make this more personal. I routed around on other video platforms such as YouTube to gather further information on how to transition swiftly. If needs be, you can watch the epitome of sudden, unplanned, hilarious conversion with Edina Monsoon in this AbFab episode.
2. Social Media Inspiration.
In this day and age, social media is unavoidable. Instagram accounts such as those listed here below, motivated me to work on the aesthetics in my space. Social media can connect you with endless sources of inspiration from one hashtag alone, so it's definately worth trawling Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest for plenty of minimalist "eye candy". Some of my favourite accounts for inspiration include:
@mersacee and @imaginarysilhouettes
@love_aesthetics and @fredrikkewaerens
@charliemay and @ageofminimalism and@joycecroonen
3. Polyvore
In my humble opinion, Polyvore is the place to be when planning anything from an event to an outfit to a space. This way, you can not only see everything together, but the monochromic interface is pleasant enough on it's own. It's useful, adictive and certainly worth a go. You can follow me at @ronnieangelpope for inspiration on this platform.
4. Schedule
My transition from my past, regular way of living, to living in a minimalist way, was definetely not an over-night job. Not only does turning minimalist involve de-cluttering physical space, but also mental space and techonological space too. Take time to go through your files, hard drives, people you follow, notes that you've made and so on. It will take a little longer than expected, I suspect, however, it is totally worth it. Don't be fatal, but be firm!
5. Be cultural
Once my preparation was done, and I'd gotten rid of a LOT, I found that storage space was a problem. Leaving tons of mis-matched objects on the shelf no longer looked homey and kitsch, but rather eclectic in the worst of ways. I found that large white cadboard boxes and IKEA draweers saved the day. I certainly learnt that it's not just about the outside of the containers, but the inside too, when I decided to use clear perspex on my desk to store stationary and the like. Here are a few stores that I payed a visit to, and recomend that you do to:
- The White Company
- Muji
- Tiger
- Ikea
- Habitat
- and any Bauhaus related furniture (p.s. I will have post on Bauhaus up soon.)
As a whole, I recommend German or Scandinavian designs when looking into minimalism- for functional and simple, clean lines and so on.
Once I'd done my research, and had my clear out over a period of about 4 days, I was left with a pretty "gutted out" white box of a room. I had simple white washed walls, cabinets, drawers, a 'sofa chair', and desk. I worked on certain aspects of my room to personalize it, but keep it looking sleek and smart and simple.
For example, I filed away my many books (put some in drawers, and some in large, white cardboard boxes). This was a great move- as I found that it reduced the appearance of needless "colourful clutter". As an avid reader myself, however, I felt that this was almost a form of mild torture, so I resorted to moving some of my favourite, most-reached-for and aesthetically pleasing books out, onto shelves and so on. I stacked these horizontally, and perched simple glass candles and cacti on them.
Another decision I made was to sort my school things. I kept stationary in perspex pots and containers, which looked sort of edgy and interesting. This forced me to clear out my many duplicate coloured crayola pencils, and so on- I had much less stationary, but, what I did have left was of a much better quality! Using white files that are super cheap from Ikea was very useful, as was labeling them, for storing old/new school books and notebooks. Finally- with school and work, I placed my iMac on my desk, and used lovely vintage German Art Magazines as mouse mats. Not only do these look great, but I also enjoy leaving out my more wonderful looking magazines, as a treat to read, or to flick through for instant inspiration. I recommend: Gup, Acne Paper, Oh Comely, Frieze, Cereal, Kunst+Unterricht and Openhouse.
Lastly: To improve the dynamics of any minimalist space: clarity of the mind is vital. I accentuated my room with greenery such as Cacti, Succulents and Ferns. These add life and subtle colour to the room: plus, there's something lovely about having living plants in your room, which last longer than your typical fresh flowers. Also, need I mention, that white bedding is a must: you will never sleep better than when in between nice sheets, I'm sure, so it's great to be able to switch it up with throws and blankets and so forth.
I hope that this post came in handy. I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm thinking of posting more interior orientated pieces.
Ciao for now,
R x
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