When describing my interior design aesthetic, I use the word “minimalist” often. I do sometimes wonder if that’s not entirely accurate. I don’t enjoy owning lots of things. I believe in owning only the items that bring you joy or that serve a purpose. However, when you live with other people you can’t dictate what they own or bring into the home.
I’ve had to learn to enjoy having more things and there is an undeniable coziness about having lots of cherished items in your home. I’ve had to make peace with having more items than I’d like because my partner’s aesthetic is maximalism. I think we’ve found a good balance when decorating our home and I’d encourage anyone who is an aspiring minimalist to think about that word – balance- and what it means to you. Maybe you’ve gotten rid of everything you own and you’re happy with that. Great! But maybe you just like the idea of minimalism or are struggling with trying to balance having a few things that make you happy and buying more to fill your home or heart. Balance is one of my favorite words and I believe, the healthiest way to navigate most things in life. What works for one person may not work best for you. But sometimes in the process of finding what works for us, we have to take a step back and relinquish our control over our surroundings to find peace.
I realize the last few sentences were somewhat rambly and confusing but let me give you an example to make sense of what I mean! My boyfriend and I don’t share the same taste in art or things we’d like to fill our rooms with. While I like a sleek, minimalist interior, my boyfriend prefers a cozy, art-filled room brimming with the items he loves. One way we’ve compromised is that I was given free range to decorate the bathroom however I felt. The issue we ran into was agreeing on how to decorate our living room. We choose some artwork both of us mutually agreed upon, but I did agree to hanging up more pictures on the wall than I would have liked. I gave it some time and realized I loved the coziness the additional pieces brought to the room.
My boyfriend and I are different in many ways and I find so much joy in that. As I look around at my house I am so grateful for him as I’ve realized the amount of things he’s brought into my life that I am grateful for! I’m very frugal and like to take a lot of time reviewing my options before purchasing something I want or need. My boyfriend doesn’t hesitate to buy something he needs. We balance each other out and have learned to live in harmony.
If you live with someone else who also wants to decorate the house, enjoy the process! Even if you are wildly different than the other (or others) in their style, you can learn from each other. I still consider myself a minimalist, but I can enjoy our maximalist living room too!