How to Fake a Minimalist Home: 11 Minimalist Hacks to Fool Anyone

So this whole minimalist craze is pretty awesome, but what if you just haven’t made peace with parting with your stuff just yet? How do you give that illusion of a simple, minimalist home without actually having to have gone through the whole process? No worries, I have peeked around our house, searched all the internet photos and watched all the minimalist apartment tours and found quite a few things that minimalist homes have in common and they’re pretty easy to fake!

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Keep your walls bare and simple

Nothing causes me a mild panic attack more than a hallway filled with 100 small family photos. Sure, there are tons of expert tips for organizing, but I believe less is more.

The best way to keep a home simple, is by keeping the walls simple.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should have asylum white, totally bare walls. Consider one large family photo or a large art piece that works as a focal point.

Use furniture designed to hide stuff

Ever since our kids were little, I have been very crafty about hiding stuff. Let’s face it, when you have kids, there is a lot to hide, especially when they’re little.

Diapers, toys, remotes, movies, coloring books, snacks and more can all be craftily hidden if you have furniture that allows it.

For example, in our living room, our TV sits above a repurposed antique dresser with 8 drawers. In these drawers we hide DVDs and games.

Since we are living in a smaller space, I do have to work to keep things organized and stored without making our place feel cluttered.

Another hiding place we currently have in our living room is an ottoman coffee table that lifts up for extra storage. This is great for comfy blankets that are less than aesthetically pleasing.

Use a simple color scheme

Even if you have very little going on in your home, it can feel cluttered and chaotic if you have tons of different colors going on.

Picking a neutral color for your walls and then choosing 2-3 colors to stick with for the rest of your decor is a great way to keep things simple. Doing it this way also makes it way easier switch out your decor when you’re ready for a change.

Often times people think of a minimalist home as having no color, or that everything has to be white. In reality, keeping things a little more simple can really allow you to bring in some of your absolute favorite colors and will give them the attention they deserve.

Create a capsule wardrobe

So maybe you can’t quite KonMari the closet. I get it. I’ve been there. Although we did go through the process of totally KonMari-ing our shared closet, there are other great ways to clear the closet clutter without totally ditching your stuff. See our KonMari closet on YouTube.

Creating a capsule wardrobe is a great way to have a clean, crisp space without having a minimalist home or wardrobe.

You can do this by trying the Project 333 wardrobe (33 items for 3 months) or just by rotating your wardrobe with the seasons!

Other posts you’ll love:

• How to Be a Minimalist When You Still Like Having Stuff
• Creating a Minimalist Wardrobe All Year Round
• KonMari Closet: His and Hers Closet Makeover

Make clutter look like artwork

I had originally written, “make hoarding look like artwork” and the images that came to my mind made me laugh way too hard.

Let me clarify, shall I?

If you have favorite items that you really want out or you can’t bare to part with, consider displaying them like they are a piece of art in themselves.

For example, a really chic coffee bar, a funky bookshelf that catches your attention or even hanging your coat and umbrella on a stylish vintage coat rack.

In our home, we have our children’s artwork displayed in pretty vintage-looking frames from IKEA. That way we can still display their artwork without slapping them up on the wall or fridge. Which brings me to my next point…

Ditch the magnets

Having a refrigerator filled with magnets, flyers, and invites may seem like the ideal way to display your latest photos and pictures, but there is nothing that really adds more unnecessary clutter than a fridge full of paperwork.

Besides, how many times does stuff fall off? Maybe something flies under the fridge or food splatters at the photos leaving them ruined?

If something is significant enough for you to keep, find a safer place for it than the fridge. This will keep your house looking a little more like a minimalist home and keep your keepsakes safe.

Leave windows bare

Ditch those drapes, folks! Nothing says clean, welcoming and open quite like some of that good old fashioned sunshine.

I know, sometimes curtains are just a necessity. I mean, no one wants their neighbors sneaking a peek of them getting out of the shower.

Instead of large, extravagant curtains or window fixtures, try for a more open appearance to help create the appearance of a minimalist home.

When it’s time for a little privacy, try using some well placed (and nicely hidden) blinds.

Make stuff white

Ok, lets’s be honest, the most appealing part of a minimalist home is having a good amount of white. It just makes things appear to be more clean, even if they’re not.

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean everything has to be white, but adding in a few bright, white highlights can brighten up and make a room feel a little more simple.

Make all furniture serve a purpose

Minimalist tend to not have anything in their homes that isn’t serving a purpose. That means if you find a really funky table that you just adore, before your bring it home, make sure you know exactly where it will go.

Instead of just filling your home for the sake of filling it up, make sure that each item you bring home will have a purpose and a place. Doing this makes you really appreciate each item you own and can help create a simple more minimalist home.

Only shop second-hand if you know what you want

Second-hand shopping can be great for people who would rather re-purpose than buy new or who prefer to pay less than full price for an item.

I am definitely one of those people.

However, often times, people tend to go “thrifting” without really knowing what they are looking for. They come home with an armload of stuff that they really don’t know what to do with.

Instead, when you head out, have a clear idea of what you want. That way you not only have a purpose for your home, but are also more likely to stick to your budget.

Just get rid of stuff

Last and definitely not least, the best way to a minimalist home is to just get rid of stuff!

It doesn’t have to be scary, I promise. Just start with putting a box out in your home and telling your family (or yourself) that whenever you come across an item you no longer want, drop it in the box.

Here are some other great posts that just might help get you started.

• Declutter Your Home One Room at a Time
• 10 Simple Decluttering Moves That Take 10 Minutes or Less
• 10 Tips for Decluttering and Cleaning When You Don’t Have the Motivation

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