Apartment Detox

A couple nights ago, I was suddenly struck by a need to de-clutter my apartment.  I think this article about vintage minimalism made the cleaning-out wheels start to turn in my head.  It's funny because I don't know that I even *have* really brilliant decor that needs to be allowed to shine.  So vintage minimalism totally shouldn't apply to me.  But I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

I don't consider myself a minimalist of any sort.  I have knick-knacks and other stuff just sort of piles up.  I keep things neat but I like stuff way to much to call myself "minimalist."  Still, I started to think about what I really like about some of the inspiring dressers I posted.  They are beautiful and fresh.  Part of what allows them to be so fresh is the lack of clutter.  The items top are carefully chosen to complement the dresser and enhance the overall feeling of the room.  At this point, I don't have any grand ideas for how to accentuate the inherent beauty of my furniture but I figured I could at least get rid of some junk.

Once I got started, the pile of things to donate grew surprisingly quickly.  I had just cleaned out before moving so now I thought I would only find a few things I wanted to part with.  Notsomuch.

I recycled; I threw away; I donated.  I cleaned out linens, school supplies, clothes, stuff that I don't even know how to categorize.  On the third day, I looked at the pile of things to donate and smiled.  It's wonderful to imagine my apartment breathing new fresh air once this unneeded stuff is gone.

Yes, I still have quite a bit of stuff.  My closets are far from empty and I have so many miscellaneous things.  But I know that I can't turn Apartment 1925 into a minimalist haven overnight, even if I wanted to.  For now I can be satisfied that I have accomplished something; that's all that matters.