Live More with Less: An Introduction to Being an Urban Minimalist
In a small urban setting, a minimal home setup is admirable. But this couple has other ideas. Living minimalist, with them, is really living with less. Less clothes, less furniture, and less everything. And maybe less teasing once we get on with it.
When Julia and Andre moved into their apartment, there was a question looming over their heads: What do we need to be happy? It is not like they could limit furniture because the apartment is relatively capacious. And with high ceilings, it gives an air of, well, space. “We’re not looking to make the room full, or have our things become a burden,” says Julia. “I started by paring back and noticed how much better it was to have less, and the feeling began to spread.”
But the approach isn’t to live bare like a caveman. They just went down to the bare necessities to not let them forget about the quality of life they want to live. They just decided what is important to them, “For me, it’s plants. They have a calming effect,” says Julia. “And propagating them has turned into a hobby – I bring a small cutting as a gift to every party I go to!”
““Living consciously is becoming more popular. But I don’t like the idea of it becoming a trend, because that suggests that it’s temporary. These are choices we’re making for our future.””
One of the most important things in any home is the couch. And for this minimalist couple, there is nothing better than the IKEA KIVIK sofa. It stays in one corner without screaming for attention. It blends with the surrounding so well that it is instantly comfortable - even for the dog. “Since moving here, we’ve never bought anything we weren’t sure of,” says Julia. And that is very important in a home - being sure of the pieces that will go in it.
Entering the dining room brings with it different emotions. You would be surprised at the barness of the walls - almost feeling cold. Yet, the long wooden dining table will bring all the warmth they need. Their table was a 2nd-hand piece. The BJURSTA is a similarly dark, long, and wooden dining table. But the reason behind the old table? Well, “We set out to find a dining table and found this pre-loved IKEA one online,” says Julia. “It proves you can still be specific when shopping second-hand. This was exactly what we needed, and leaves a smaller carbon footprint than buying new.”
““I’m not someone who changes radically. It’s easier to feel good about taking things step by step. Now I’m happy that I can say no to beautiful things that we don’t need.””
A statement to how minimalist this all really is, an open wall shelf runs across the kitchen for plates, glasses and cooking needs. You can pull of the same trick with LACK shelves. “We don’t need much storage in the other rooms because we don’t have enough stuff to put inside it! But I love open shelves, and the kitchen is one of the only places to warrant it,” says Julia.
““I use Instagram to talk about the changes we’ve made. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but I enjoy sharing our story and hope that someone can take something positive away from it.””
Perhaps the gist of why they chose to be could be summarized by Andre. “People are afraid of losing things, because they think they’ll lose their comfort,” says André. “But actually, there’s just so much stuff you don’t need. Do you go into your basement or attic to discover things that you haven’t used or needed in the last five years? Find the motivation to get the stuff out and sell it or give it to someone who will use it.”
And that is a lesson we should all learn to having a full life - while living less - as an urban dweller.
