Cozy Minimalist Home

I first encountered Myquillyn Smith on links from other blogs. I read a few of her posts, but I didn't bookmark her Nester site.

Her family has finally bought a home, rather than renting, and her book Cozy Minimalist Home shares what she learned in the process of moving into a fixer-upper and applies it to her way of looking at decorating.

Cozy minimalism seems like a contradiction of terms. She liked the uncluttered space of minimalism, the ease of care, but she felt they had gone too far so the home feels austere. Personally, I don't dislike the remade rooms of her home, but they seem plain with mostly white and brown and some blue tones. She talks of how she has created interest with texture and different shapes (mostly in accessories and plants). Maybe so, but there is no pop of color anywhere to draw the eye. It seems a little monotonous. 

She does not have a set order of rooms or categories to work through like Marie Kondo, but she has a strict list of steps to take in her order: furniture, drapes, lighting, floor covering, wall surfaces, finally accessories. She wants you to complete your flooring decisions before painting walls which seems counterintuitive when you see that a major step of her process is to "quiet" a room by removing everything but large furnishings. Instead, once you have hung the drapes, laid wall-to-wall carpeting or area rugs, then you protect or remove all of that stuff a second time to do the painting. She gives her reasons for this.

The first step is to decide the purpose(s) of your rooms. It will be different for each household and change over time. Then she suggests that you go to Pinterest (or alternatively use magazines or books) to find 50-100 photos you love of each room. The pictures might have things you dislike along with those you love. It doesn't have to perfectly reflect your tastes. I guess I am way ahead on this step since I have all those pictures in folders that I collected over the past 5-6 years. The task is to look at the pictures (ideally to have some friends also do this for/with you) to find commonalities or similarities to identify your preferences. 

Myquillyn says that no matter how much fun those "quizzes" in newspapers or magazines or on the internet are to identify your style of decorating, they are actually worthless in making decisions for your home. 

Once you have collected and analyzed the pictures, you do "quieting". You remove all of the accessories, area rugs, small furniture, most of the lamps and live in the room for several days (she prefers for a week). This is a minimalist idea I have seen on the internet. Gradually you bring back items but not all of them. While the room is "quieted", you spend time observing the bones of the room and its condition. Are there cracks to repair? Peeling or faded paint? Is the carpeting ratty? Awkward door and window placement? What needs to be different to make this room meet your purposes and aesthetics? In the meantime, the rest of your house may be a mess as you had to put the things you took out of the room somewhere. Her process is disruptive to you and your family.

Also, while the room is mostly empty, she wants you to move your furniture to lots of different placements. No can do. As a senior, I don't have the stamina or strength to be moving furniture all over the room. This is definitely not a step for the elderly or disabled. 

The author is known as a Christian blogger, and she does relate her decorating process to Christian values a bit. I expected more.

I would say the book is best for those starting over in a new home, or those who have been paralyzed with doubt and indecision thus not doing anything to improve their homes. In an indirect way, it does help you see that you have too much stuff, that your things cause you to spend time on them rather than on family and friends. Becoming more "minimal" frees you to spend your energy and time on relationships. The book also discusses how to recognize that you have "enough" and don't need to be constantly shopping or keeping up with the consumerism behavior of our culture. Also, temporary "fixes" are suggested until you have the resources to reach your dream home. Perfection is never the goal, however. Comfort, warmth, ease of living, hospitality opportunities are the priorities.

Aprons

I have been replacing torn and stained aprons in the last few years. My newest one arrived yesterday from North Carolina. I purchased it on Etsy.

We are not allowed to drill holes into cabinets in our condo; no "towel" bar could be used to hang my aprons as I did in my other homes though I had an end cabinet near the back door. I bought an over-the-door set of hooks from Menard's instead.

I prefer the cobbler-style of apron that fits over the head with a front and back panel with ties on each of the open sides.

This one I purchased through Etsy a few years ago. She sent along a matching pot holder. Cobbler-style aprons are hard to find anymore. I used to find them at Yoder's Department Store in Shipshewana in the middle of Northern Indiana Amish country. I tried searching their webpage, and aprons do not appear. Maybe they no longer carry them? It has been 2-3 years since I visited that store.

This tie-around apron is from Yoder's. A little grubby, LOL. I will need to remember to throw it in the washing machine next week. No size label. I did try it on in the store, but without a handy mirror it was hard to see how it fit. It is rather big which isn't a problem except the top tends to slip down the shoulders a bit. The waist area wraps all the way around my back.

My newest apron is the type that you tie around the neck and tie around the waist. I was concerned the top might not be large enough to cover and protect my chest area because often I find that to be the case in this style of apron. It fits fine. It has several pockets. I need pockets in my aprons because in allergy season I have to have a tissue handy.

This newest apron I bought with some money my sister-in-law gave me in memory of my mom. She said buy something for yourself to remind you of your mom. Every time I  wear this apron, I will think of Mom. The rest of the generous gift will go to buy a Bible cover/carrier. I have been searching the internet, but haven't decided on one yet.

I have owned some very nice aprons through the years. Unfortunately, since I use them all the time, they do suffer wear and tear. I find few people own aprons; maybe they don't do much cooking? I like to protect my clothes as I work in my kitchen.

Bookmarks

I have been working as a volunteer in the Grace Village Library almost 7 years now. From time to time, I find boxes of donated books left there. Usually, there is no note or name given and I have not been told these books were arriving, so I have no way to contact the donor. When I find a bookmark left in a book, I add it to a drawer with other bookmarks. I tried a few years ago to spread the bookmarks on the library table and invited the residents to help themselves, but even with an item in the weekly GV announcement sheet for two weeks, maybe 3 or 4 were taken. They vary in quality and design. I took some to the Winona Literary Club; not much interest from the members either.

This is my current assortment. But these are just the ones other people might like to use and worth saving. There have been many less desirable markers left in books: an emery board, toothpick, sheet of toilet paper, gum wrapper, slip of paper, greeting cards, grocery receipt, and even a medical EOB (which I was able to return). No money. LOL.

I own about a dozen bookmarks. I am not eager to increase my supply. I sort of understand why there was no interest in the freebies. I may go through my home supply and swap some of them for something I like in the drawer. Several of my bookmarks are souvenirs from trips; those I will probably keep. 

How many bookmarks do you own?