In my pursuit of minimizing the amount of stuff in my home while stopping short of stripping it bare, I am always on the lookout for functional decor ideas. It’s all well and good to display art and things I like to look at on my walls and my horizontal surfaces (which I do!) but it’s even better if they serve a function besides eye candy.

I usually take my time deliberating what to add or remove from my home, tweaking rather than overhauling, but a move is the exception. A lot of things are coming in and out at once as I prep for our new home, and only time will tell if I miscalculated or missed something.

Despite not planning to retain any of the kids’ artwork, I’ve recently started to keep a few pieces to tape up in a growing gallery wall. Idk if this is here to stay or a passing fancy, but the process has been fun and not too onerous yet.

I planned the layout and decor of our current home far in advance of moving, and while I largely liked it, I realized after a few months that a couple things could be improved. In a small, multifunctional space, rearranging furniture can feel like playing Tetris, but every tweak brings greater functionality and enjoyment.

Between the laptop, tablet, and 2 smartphones, our family of 4 rotates screens depending on what each person is doing. We haven’t felt the need to have a TV since we said goodbye to ours 5 years ago.

A chandelier adds instant definition and personality to a space, IMO. I decided to make my own faux “chandelier” for our dining area, so I could get just what I wanted within the constraints of apartment living.

I periodically unearth pain points in our home as my life, needs, and pet peeves change and evolve. Some can be easily remedied while others are out of our control. This time, it’s the former category — we are waving toodle-oo to our textiled wall decor.

After years of each having our own personal laptop (and in my case, also a company-issued work laptop), I decided to move us onto one family computer for my husband and me to share. It’s not perfect, but if it works 80% of the time, I consider it worth it to get rid of unsightly devices and cords!

I am unsurprisingly not much of an impulse-buyer, but it worked out for me (and the kids) on this occasion — I swapped out our old rug in the kids’ room for a “play town” rug that my 5yo can drive his cars on. Multipurpose items have a special place in my minimalist heart and home!

In my search for an aesthetically pleasing but minimalist “bedscape,” I’ve tried various configurations of bedding over the years, always striving to find a smart, simple, and stylish solution with staying power.

When we were expecting baby girl 1.5 years ago, I looked for a space in our home for her to sleep away from big brother in the bedroom so that she wouldn’t disturb him every two hours overnight with her crying. I went into maximal minimalist mode and transformed our tiny hallway closet into a nursery nook. Behold, the closery!

I was always nervous about the placement of my favorite bench in the hallway, but now I’ve finally figured out a better place for it, and solved another “problem” in the process.

I’ve ditched the plastic sponge in favor of the Swedish dishcloth and have (largely) been won over.

I’ve spent years trying to discern my dining room decor style, and I’ve finally found something I’m happy with (for now, at least).

I’ve become a dish drying rack person again, but this time I don’t want to compromise on either form or function.