Often when people visit my home, they are a little taken aback by the décor and detail in each room. If you haven’t met anyone who has subscribed to a minimalist lifestyle before, you’d probably think that they live with the bare necessities and not much more.

For me, living minimally isn’t about ruthlessly counting the number of items I have in my home. I don’t subscribe to living with three t-shirts, one plate and one cup like a lot of people do. It might work well for them and if it does that’s great, but it wouldn’t work for me.

Instead, I live with what I see as necessary. In order for an item to remain in my house it has to be either:

Functional

Something that enriches my life

Sentimental (to a point)

I could easily move about my home and explain why I have each and every item. So yes, you can expect to find candles around the rooms. Not for decorative clutter, but because candles help me to unwind after a long hard day. I like to light them all, put on classical music and unwind with a book.

I have photos on the walls and in frames, because I love seeing friends and family members across my home. Making memories and spending time with loved ones is one of my top priorities in life, and seeing these reminders of good times each day makes me realise what I need to focus my time on.

If something isn’t useful, or if I feel a room is getting a little too busy, I do reassess my situation.

Around three times a year I take a box and put everything in one room into it (aside from the big pieces of furniture) and if I think about it within a month, I take it out and put it back.

If I don’t think of it, I donate it to charity or sell it online.

Additionally, my home has a colour theme, so this helps ensure everything within it can move from one room to another. Great for reducing waste.

Does your home need decluttering? Are you accumulating so many things which just line your shelves collecting dust?

Perhaps you could firstly choose one room and box every non-functional item up. Hide it away for a month, and only take out things you miss or need.

Everything else, donate to charity or sell.

Then start theming your home using this post here.

Lastly, going forward, only buy with purpose. Do you really need that 10th scatter cushion? Think of how that £25 could be spent instead. On a meal out, on a day trip with friends.

Make more memories, invest in less stuff, and see if you become happier and live a more meaningful life.

Inside my Minimalist Home: