Road to Minimalism

CHAPTER 3 : White Walls

One of the false perceptions of minimalism is that your room/houseshould have white walls. White is commonly used in order to have this vision ofclean, clear and clutter-free place. It could be gray, beige, too, in myopinion. I can say that white is commonly used because it could be for any gender, age and it lifts your spirit. When I see white walls and clutter-free room, it feels good and I feel relaxed, too.

Did you ever wonder why you feel relaxed when you take a vacation and check in to a hotel? Especially when there's white walls, gray sofa, white linens? Because it feels clean, you're your mind becomes clear and you are relaxed. Why are we relaxed on that place and not in our house? Well, that's what I asked myself, too.

I realized that there are a LOT of things we keep inside our house because a) they MIGHT be useful for SOMETHING in the future, b) has SENTIMENTAL VALUE and c) it's a waste to throw them away. Now look around your house/apartment/room. Are there things that fall into the categories I mentioned? Have you tried giving those things to someone who may find those things useful or sell it if it is expensive and someone might buy those? I dare you to just try doing that to one of the things that fall into the categories and I promise you, you will feel better and one step forward to freedom.

If your walls are dirt magnet (flat paint), consider a glossy one. That's one of my faults. I used a flat paint once and it's a mess. As a writer, I travel and had checked in to hotels and all of the hotels I went to have glossy paints...because it is not a dirt magnet. Therefore, saves you time, money and energy to having to replace the paint every now and then. White walls are ideal because whatever furniture you have either antique or modern, they blend well. It is ideal to have white to impose the idea of cleanliness, but it is not a requirement in order to become a minimalist.