There are two main culprits that are often common causes for debates, and those are Maximalism and Minimalism. Managing a home can be stressful enough without adding the extra stress of philosophy into the mix. It can easily lead to more inaction rather than setting out the problem it was trying to solve.
When it comes to maximalism and minimalism, there is a vast number of other people on either side of the coin. Although, recently, it is looking like minimalism may be coming out on top. In this article, we will be giving you an introduction to both maximalism and minimalism and how to choose which way of living would suit you best.
More Is Always Better
Maximalism is an expression or idea that centers around maximizing as much of the space that you have available to you as much as possible. This can be done in a variety of ways, but the goal with maximalism is to use every spare inch available to enable people to acquire more things they like.
The logic behind this mode of thinking is relatively simple: people like owning nice things, so the nicer things people acquire, the more satisfied they will be.
This can work perfectly well for some people but not for others. For example, younger generations have seemed to gravitate much more to minimalism, mainly due to the scientifically proven benefits of doing so. On the other hand, older generations seem to go for a more maximalist approach more often due to the previously discussed thought process.
You can see this represented in a number of ways in the average home. If you walked into a living you may see a classic laminate flooring – wood effect or grey – and there may be a rug too, which houses a coffee table, with a sofa at its periphery. It all sounds relatively normal, right? And then comes all those extras: a wall with lots and lots of photos of family, friends, art, objects; side tables with vases and lamps; a wallpaper with a heavily repeated pattern. The idea is that there is a visual intensity.
The Fewer Things You Own, The Happier You Will Be
Minimalism takes an entirely different approach than maximalism by saying that the more open space and fewer items you own, the better. This way of thinking has become much more popular due to the research surrounding it, showing that people who lead a minimalistic life experience less stress, reduced anxiety, and increased happiness.
Minimalism brings with it the mindset that people will not experience any more satisfaction or happiness from owning many things. To think that getting more things will make you happy can be in itself a pretty toxic thought.
Minimalism can be quite liberating for people who always buy things they don’t need, but it can be quite a shock to others who have always taken a maximalist approach in life. There are other benefits to leading a minimalistic life – as well as the positive mental changes it can bring, such as the added functionality of never losing your personal items or the fact that cleaning is much easier and less of a chore.
Maximalism and minimalism are two ways of living that have been debated for years. There is no correct answer, and different Individuals will be better suited to either one of them depending on their personality. In order to find out which model of thinking is better for you and your home, feel free to try them both out and see which you prefer. Although, as we mentioned briefly before, minimalism has been shown scientifically to have certain mental benefits. So, feel free to opt for minimalism just for the mental benefits alone.
Whichever route you go, make sure to pick the one that suits you and your home best.
