Embracing minimalism isn't just about reducing your possessions to the bare minimum; it's about curating a space that genuinely supports and uplifts you. If your approach to minimalism has been solely focused on owning less, it's time to consider another crucial aspect – creating a space that not only looks good but feels good too. Today, we're going to dive into some must-have elements for a supportive minimalist space.
A truly supportive minimalist space goes beyond simplicity; it's about crafting an environment that holistically nurtures and supports you. The ultimate aim is to have a living space that not only aligns with your aesthetic but also enhances your well-being.
In this article, I'll share essential principles for creating a minimalist space that radiates a supportive and positive vibe, adaptable to any room in your house. Remember, the key to a successful minimalist space is its functionality and how well it serves your unique needs.
Functionality doesn't just refer to the practical use of items in your home; it encompasses a wider spectrum, as we'll explore here. It's about creating a space that resonates with your personal style and functional requirements, ensuring that every element adds value to your life. Let's dive into some must-have elements to achieve this balance in your minimalist journey.
#1. Movement
Movement is one of those core pieces to a functional home that should be at the top of the list for all people.
Whether you live in a giant mansion, a tiny house, or an RV, considering the mobility of your space is crucial–probably even more so when dealing with small spaces.
Our bodies need to move!
At the very least, a supportive minimalist space will be void of decor or furniture that disrupts the natural flow of traffic from one point A to B.
Are there specific functions that you try to regularly participate in that currently require you to move furniture?
In my living room, I chose not to have a traditional coffee table because I enjoy using the center space for yoga, stretches, and playing with Charlie.
Having a cumbersome coffee table would be an obstacle that dissuades me from doing these other things that I value doing.
As someone with minimal square footage, having a small moveable table (ours is a simple 2 ft round stand) is a better option.
However, some people may need a coffee table to make their space truly supportive. Perhaps your living area doubles as your home office and the coffee table is a core component of that.
Whatever the case, when creating a supportive minimalist space, consider how you move within the room and what physical support you need when you’re there.
#2. Community
Do you have a big family, a lot of pets, or friends that come over for social events?
For example, I have 2 teenagers, a dog, and a baby on the way. Plus we frequently host game nights. (Start here if you want to know more about minimalism WITH kids).
All of these things were factors in creating our supportive minimalist space– from the type of furniture we used, to how we positioned it.
Our dining room plays an essential role in games, family dinners, and spending time together. Having a large dining table was a must in order to keep a functional home for us.
Another priority for our supportive minimalist space was being able to look at one another. Our living room needed to be a place to relax and chat with the focus being on communication rather than the TV.
Maybe you’re reading this and none of it applies.
If you’re living solo in a studio apartment in downtown New York your needs for a supportive minimalist space are going to be very different from mine.
You may not even want a dining table if you’re eating solo most of the time!
Factors such as the size of your family and whether you host frequently are essential when considering how to optimize your space to be a totally functional home.
#3. Comfort
Your space should ALWAYS be comfortable. Who wants to hang out in a room that doesn’t give cozy vibes?
Many people who focus heavily on style care less about how comfortable it is as long as it looks good.
Whereas others may not care about how it looks– they want to sit in their century-old cozy fat lounger that’s older than half the people in their household because it’s COMFY!
As most people tend to sway one way or another, where do we find the line between functionality and comfort?
If you’re able to flow easily through your home while still feeling connected to and comforted by your space, then you’re winning!
This is where a home goes from being purely functional to being a holistic supportive minimalist space.
Whether that means investing in a stylish chair that supports your bony tailbone or having a soft fuzzy throw blanket that doubles as a core room accent (while also being the softest damn thing you’ve ever wrapped yourself in)-
Finding that comfort/style balance will be a massive asset to feeling satisfied in your space.
Of course, we’re talking about supportive minimalist spaces, so I’m not suggesting buying more things but being intentional with the things you already own or that you decide to own in the future.
#4. Creativity
We, as humans, have a creative part of our brain.
So even if you think you’re not a creative or artistic person I would beg to differ. Being analytical and scientific is indeed form of being creative.
Therefore, we all have some creative outlet that we need to express and dig ourselves into–it helps us with brain growth, mindset growth, and sustaining our energy and happiness.
A lot of planning goes into our young ones –making sure they have mental and tactile stimulation that allows creativity.
Sometimes, we think that we don’t need or deserve those things anymore in adulthood but I 100% don’t think that’s true!
The good news is that you don’t even need a designated zone for creative passions (you can if you want, but it’s not at all necessary for a functional home).
A beautiful way to go about this is to integrate creativity throughout your space.
Sometimes, having a little creative touch throughout your home that shows little bits of your unique passions is a nice touch.
#5. Productivity
Productivity is the source of how we contribute, grow, and share things with the world! It’s directly tied to finding and fulfilling our purpose. It’s a big deal.
When we’re productive, we’re connecting to the things we want to invest our mental energy into.
Now, there are tons of ways to be productive at home.
Whether it’s through your job, schoolwork/learning, or maintaining a household- it’s essential that we feel supported in accomplishing things.
Whereas the previously mentioned “creativity” was very much right-brain focused, this part of creating a supportive minimalist space is typically tapping into the left side of our brain.
As with every other type of functionality mentioned today, this will look different depending on the types of productivity you find yourself investing in.
For me, it’s usually work-related. I have little pop-up offices throughout my house. Anywhere I feel inspired, it becomes a designated workspace and I love it!
I prefer this to be confined to an official office. Each work spot requires natural light because cavernous spaces make me feel unmotivated and give me nap vibes.
When planning for productivity in a supportive minimalist space you need to ask yourself:
What area do you work the best in and what type of productivity are you planning on participating in?
Suppose you’re a stay-at-home mom and your productivity involves moving around, helping out with the kids, maintaining the household, or running errands.
In that case, your stations for productivity will look very different from mine.
Ensuring that the items in any given room are purposeful to your intent for the space will allow you to excel in whatever you do.
#6. Clarity
While often overlooked, this step of planning for you mental clarity is essential.
Your space is your sanctuary.
Have you ever walked in after a long day at work just to be faced with a pile of unpaid bills, dirty laundry, and stuff you “might use later” filling the shelves and surfaces?
(Read about how you can simplify your space HERE).
It’s challenging to love your space when you have no clarity while you’re in it.
If it’s chaotic, filled with clutter, or contains items that induce stress, It’s going to trigger feelings of turmoil and anxiety.
Obviously, having a stressful space that you can’t wait to leave is the opposite of a supportive minimalist space.
The goal is to have a sanctuary that you can’t wait to get back to.
Being able to accomplish anything requires you to have some form of mental clarity.
Having the space and inspiration built into your home that will aid in clearing your mind of daily thoughts and stresses can be truly life-changing.
Mental clarity alters how you respond to every situation you’re faced with.
Even if this space is confined to a patio or garden, it’s still incredibly important.
Having a place that gives you clarity will be essential in making your home a supportive minimal space.
#7. Energy
Here’s where you get to tie all 5 senses into your space for optimal enjoyment and energy :). This is the fun stuff!
Textures, colors, and vibes all dictate how inspiring your space will feel to you.
Wouldn’t it be great if every time you walked into your space you felt DELIGHTED to be there?
I always say “we draw our energy directly from our environments and we spend it in our schedule”.
So, what kind of energy do you hope to draw?
Are you somebody who struggles with anxiety, stress, and worry? If so, you’ll want to invest more time in creating calming spaces.
Perhaps you’re on the other end of the spectrum and struggle with apathy, laziness, or the urge to oversleep.
In that case, you could probably use an infusion of inspiration and excitement in your space.
Part of creating a supportive minimalist space is achieving a room that inspires you to be your best self.
You know yourself best and the types of energy required to achieve those feelings.
How can work that into your space to make it as supportive as possible?
#8. Connection
When I say “connection”, I mean creating a space that brings forward the version of yourself you want to be in that space.
Maybe you’re already the version of yourself that feels optimized. If so, that’s great! make sure your space reflects that.
Optimizing your space to make you feel like the YOU you want to be whether that be an organized space or an artistically designed space — is a great way to create a supportive minimalist space rather than a barren home.
For example, you’re more likely to feel successful and put together in a clean, streamlined workspace than a room filled with staggered sticky notes, old coffee mugs, and no sense of where anything is.
In addition, you’ll feel like a pro going into a space with all the necessary tools at hand–it’ll allow anything to be solved quickly and easily! This is the core of a functional home, right?
I’m sure you’ve heard people say to “dress the part”; well, the same is true for your home.
How I’ve Incorporated A Supportive Minimalist Space
When I say that you can use these principles for a supportive minimalist space in any room of your home, I 100% mean it.
In fact, we recently created a nursery/teen room (for when baby Chloe grows out of her bedside bassinet) and these principles were key to pulling this space together.
For example, we wanted plenty of storage options in the room without taking away from the movement & energy. All 3 are important functional pieces for the space.
Our biggest challenge was incorporating my 14-year-old’s belongings and aesthetics with a newborn’s needs.
It was vital for me to create something that felt enjoyable to both a teen and a baby and would allow me to move through the space without being disruptive.
Clarity-wise, I wanted to ensure it felt breezy and not overly cluttered which meant foregoing things like a dresser.
In terms of the energy and vibe of the space, we went with a minimalist boho theme — this was perfect because Gracie loved the boho aesthetic and warm mature tones but they also felt perfect for the nursery aspects of the room. Win/win!
(Learn more about minimalist boho design trends here).
This helped to bring an energy of calm but not overly sedated.
We got rid of Gracie’s cumbersome loft bed in exchange for something more mature (and something that would allow her to sleep with Charlie (our pup) which was important to her happiness in the space :). However, in doing so, we lost out on the built-in desk underneath it.
As a high schooler who loves spending time on her laptop, the desk was a higher priority in making this a supportive minimalist space for her than, say, a dresser.
So, we brought in a sit-and-stand desk (great for mobility 😉 and called it good!
In closing, creating a supportive minimalist space can sometimes be challenging but it’s so worth it in the end!
With a little effort, you can create an environment that makes you feel good every day.
Hi, I'm Mia Danielle.
As a YouTuber and author, I share how to create a simple, happy life by tapping into the power of your home environment.
