Photography ©️ Ariel Huber

This beautiful sea-facing apartment, located in Mumbai, is the brainchild of Case Design. The partnership between this fantastic team and the owner resulted in a relaxing-yet-character-filled home that’s deserving of an award for their majestic use of locally-sourced materials and products.

Case Design focused on making this home speak of the surrounding culture, affording peace and respite in a chaotic city—bringing in texture, recycled Burma tweak, local marble, Makrana tiles and a stunning collection of objects designed by them with natural materials.

The Rolling Round Light makes an appearance on the bedside table and it’s just as functional as it is a piece of art. The round table lamp relies on its carefully calibrated center of gravity to delicately balance and find rest. A gentle nudge sets it in slow motion to roll, sway and eventually return to its original position.

What a stunner this entire project is, a true oasis of inspiration for the minimalists who appreciate color and craftsmanship. Don't you think?

Photography © Matilda Hildingsson

Home is one of those words that brings us instant comfort when we think of it. We learn the value of home in different ways starting from our earliest memories ... when we had a bad day at school but had a safe place to come back to... when we became insufferable door-slamming teens... and then a little further along the road when we bring our babies home for the first time from the hospital.

It's incredible how concrete, water and wood can become a place that gives us a sense of who we are and where we belong. I still remember the home I grew up in. It holds the same value for me as has every place I've lived in—no matter the distance, the country or the size of the roof.

As minimalists, our spaces teach us valuable truths: A few square meters are enough space for us and our dreams. Living with less is the best way to live freely and clutter-free. Comfort is not found in a cluster of cushions, comforters and scented candles—but rather in making that home truly ours. There's no price to the peace found in one's home but instead we learn that no material things can match the almost spiritual feeling of being at home and the sacredness of a home well loved. A home might be ever changing, it might not be bricks and stones. It might be found in a group of friends, in hugging our little ones tight, in the memories we keep that warm our hearts.

To me, my minimalist home is made of the stories my little E and I have built in it. It's made of our daily battles, of the lessons we've learned in it. In the chattering of friends who visit and the afternoons lying in my balcony hammock thinking of life, feeling grateful or sometimes even defeated, yet at home.

The sense of a home grows fonder as we become less attached to the material. It pulls us closer to feelings, it warms our houses and turns them into homes.

Home can be wherever you want it to be. It's about presence and not property. A home can be full while having only what you truly need in it.

Photography © Emily Laye JM has launched a new Premium concept and the talented Marie Ramse and Emily Laye have partnered to create a beautiful concept apartment in beautiful Sweden.

With over 70 years of experience in residential development projects and 4,000 completed homes per year in Sweden, Norway and Finland, JM has a unique insight into what type of accommodations customers demand. The new trend of premium tailored homes in the response to their customer's demand and a wonderful thing to look at — even from afar.

This home is just a small taste of what we'll be able to see JM do in the future with the help of brilliant people like Marie and Emily.

Photography © Anna Kubel with thanks It took me more than a while to get into the Holiday spirit this year. It usually takes a little time for me to fall into that frame of mind — with family being miles away from us the excitement for celebrating fades very quickly in this house, although, we always seem to manage have a decent time.

This year, we’re enjoying a gift-free Christmas. We’re also not hosting a party this year and instead we will play the roll of guests. We’ve never had a Holiday with no presents and I’m hoping this experiment allows us to hug each other tighter and to focus all our energies into loving one another rather than having to divide our emotions with the expectations of material things.

I won’t lie… I’ve thoroughly enjoyed not feeling the rush to buy presents or the worry that someone would over-spend on a present for me. It’s been lovely to stay at home instead of pushing my way through crowded markets and malls but what I've loved the most is channeling that time into one very important thing: The science behind the perfect Chocolate Cloud Cake — which will be my contribution to the party, so... wish me luck.

Having said that this will be a gift-free Holiday for us, it doesn’t mean that I will miss the opportunity to thank you* with a gift this Holiday. Each one of you who comes to my blog, leaves a comment, emails me, follows me on social media or that simply lurks around deserves a big virtual hug and an extra one for all your light and the good energy you send our way on the daily.

Get a 25% discount on non-promotional themes using the code: HOLIDAY25 and the same discount on my book 30 Days To Minimal Blogging using the code: CHANGE at check out. A lot of people have been telling me they are saving the book for this break so they can read it intently and silently. I hope you get to do that as well.

The biggest gift for me would be that you read my book and send through a review so I can feature you on my book’s landing page. I want to know how the book is changing your vision, how it’s helping you but most importantly how much meaning is adding to your life and blog.

Enjoy a wonderful, meaningful and love-filled Christmas break with your loved ones.
Hugs,
Ana

Photography © Aritzia with Thanks! Talking about minimalism and cutting down on acquiring things is becoming more and more polemical... but it doesn't compare to what I’m about to do now: meddling with your wardrobes.

It’s a reality that people spend the most of their free income on fashion – and even when we value the power of those purchases that much, there’s still a universal, lingering feeling that there’s not enough clothes in one’s closet.

The common belief in any circle, no matter your social background, is that the more clothes we have, the better we dress – and that just isn’t true. Decision making is more difficult when we are swamped with useless options. Have you ever notice that the more clothes a person has the harder it is for that person to find the bulk of it enough?

People create the biggest resistance to living a Minimalistic life when it comes to the point of pairing down their wardrobes - and that is because there’s still the misconception that Minimalists are people with martyr complexes that only wear black or white and have 5 pieces of clothing hanging from a rack.

The truth is that it’s not about cutting down and wearing uniforms every day of the week. It’s not even about not having much – it’s about owning enough, it’s about quality over quantity and about not putting the value of your self-image in clothes.

I will admit when I started cutting down on my purchases I was more an idealist than a practitioner of the art of minimalism. I wanted to make my life easier and I wanted to be able to, in the first place, not want to desire buying clothes as deeply as I did – and instead invest that money in something of higher value.

What I eventually learned was that I was not only throwing money into purchases... but I was also letting go of the beauty of a simple, well-curated life – one with less decisions and more freedom.

Instead of owning 14 white shirts we could own 2 really quality ones... but that's easier said than done.

The truth is that minimalism looks different for everybody. Your life is not the same as mine. I not only work at home but I get ready for my afternoon gym session in the morning because it conditions me to actually work out instead of losing myself in my work, meaning: I live in gym clothes 5 days a week (which I love by the way).

Your situation might look very different, yet there are some principles than can help everyone when it comes to curating a minimalist wardrobe:

01. Clarify what’s most important for you. Is it quality or is it quantity?
02. Start easy by removing all eyesores from your closet. If there's anything there that resembles a rag (been there, done that) it's got to go!
03. Do not break the bank when shopping by getting four kind-of-good pieces when you can get one quality piece and take good care of it.
04. Divide your closet into two sections: Clothes you wear often and clothes you wear rarely. This exercise is very telling of our habits. We usually wear only 20% of the clothes we own... which makes it easier to let go.
05. Get comfortable with waiting. Instead of pulling the trigger on a purchase, sit on it for a while. It’s not your life’s mission to take advantage of a sale nor is it crucial for your image to buy something that you don’t absolutely need.

The beauty of knowing what to acquire when is that it makes us understand that we are the ones who wear our clothes, not them who wear us.


How do you curate your wardrobe?

Photography © Riikka Kantinkoski The ever so brilliant Finnish Design Shop has released a beautifully curated collection of minimal home office pieces. I have to fully agree with their belief that a well-planned storage system, comfortable chair and desk are essential for your productivity. The list includes favorites like Norman Copenhagen, Muuto, Marimekko, Iitala and Hay among other greats.

Photography © Sara Medina Lind with thanks! Living one's life intentionally is easier said than done. People have started to throw out Minimalism quotes like bible verses from Sunday's mass... and though they're empowering, there's a massive gap between the believing and the doing. Jumping in with both feet is scary for anyone, unless, like myself, life has not given you an option. It's safe to say that your journey to becoming more mindful about material things will be a tad uncomfortable to say the least.
Introducing change into our lives, no matter how adventurous our brains are, will always generate a little discomfort. Human beings are bound to resist change because in changing there's a lot of uncertainty (and living on the safe side is always more appealing) - so the immediate answer to something new and challenging is most often NO.
Decluttering is not about tossing things away that are broken or rummaging through your drawers trying to find things that you haven't seen since 1982 - It's about bringing more meaning into your life, it's about enjoying every single thing you have. It's not as much about letting go as it is about keeping things that add to your life.
What if we all saw decluttering as life-giving instead of life-depriving? That micro mind shift alone can be so powerful that resistance will stop taking the drivers seat in your life. That internal talk has sharpened my desire for simplicity and taught me the value of the principles I'm about to talk about.
01. Start Easy The best way to get started decluttering is by simply cleaning up, getting rid of the no-brainer types of things. If you start with the hard things first (like things that right now have emotional value to you), you will be challenging your ability to make progress yourself.
02. Keep Memories Not Things There are many ways to honor the love that you receive from others. There's no need to keep every single letter, gift or souvenir. Your memories are louder and more meaningful than things that are put away in drawers.
03. No Space For Junk If you dedicate a special shrine in your home for junk... chances are junk will always be a part of your life. Clear all junk-rooms, junk-drawers, junk-basements and re-purpose their use. Everything that you own takes your time to maintain. Are you wasting your time on junk?
04. Stop The Incoming Flow Taking (old) things out will be a waste of your precious time if you keep bringing (new) things in. Making new habits is important to allow you to buy what you need, not what you think you will need "if". Learn to put off buying things rather than splashing out with impulse buys.
05. Don't Spend: Invest This practice will forever change your life. Learning to invest rather than spend will have the greatest of impact - simply because you automatically give more value to the things you decide to bring into your life. Learning to invest in things that have purpose and function is life altering. Make smart decisions when it comes to function, purpose and durability.
Mindfulness cannot be achieved unless is exercised - so if you're having trouble in this area of your life make small trigger goals that can help push you through: For example - if you are having issues getting rid of something, try using it a few days in a row. Chances are you'll see how invaluable it really is to your life and end up getting rid of it. Gather a tribe and start hanging out with people doing the same thing you're doing. Accountability and shared experience are an enormous source of inspiration.
Focus on outcomes - not activities - and the "doing" part of it all will become something automatic in your life.
Which of these principles do you find the hardest to apply in your life? For me it was Investing rather than Spending.
I'd love to know.