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A few years ago, back when I was still on social media, I jumped on Instagram to do a live video documenting “the purge” of my home. I had just watched a documentary on the One Child Policy of China. It took me 3 days to watch it because of how horrific it was to take in. Soon after that, I read the book What’s Wrong With China. It was then that I decided, I would avoid buying Chinese made goods and wanted anything MADE IN CHINA removed from my home. So I gathered up roughly 75% of our belongings and donated it all to a charity that battled the human trafficking of children. I gave away lots of beautiful serve-ware, kitchen appliances, home decor and clothing. Did I regret the purge? Did I miss our stuff? Nope and nope.
But what a ruckus that video caused! I got message after message about how horrified folks were to see me “flippantly” throw out perfectly good stuff. I got many messages from people offended by my choice to discard my things. Letting me know they could not afford to purge their home in the honor of righteousness as I did. Once again, I never told anyone to purge their homes or not to buy Chinese made goods. Ever. People are funny. One message, I recall, said something along the lines of… “I see your house in the background. It looks brand new and very expensive…” Yes, it was brand new and it was beautiful. What’s your point? The woman messenger went on… “Not everyone can afford to just get rid of their stuff and replace it with non-Chinese stuff.”
She didn’t get it. The point wasn’t to replace any of it. It was to be rid of. To live with less of. To declutter the stuff that was weighing our family down and didn’t represent our home any longer.
Now we live in an older home. It has loads of character and detail. It has more natural elements. A massive brick fireplace (opposed to our last home with its modern LED fireplace) and solid cherry wood cabinets (no more white particle board kitchen). We’ve slowly and thoughtfully added things that we love and better represent our family. We went from having a beautiful modern home full of beautiful stuff we didn’t need, and never seemed to fill us up. Now, we have an old home that we’ve cultivated with only treasured things. Our home and the things in it now bring us joy. Folks who come into our home often say how it looks like “something out of Pinterest.” Funny, because I haven’t been on Pinterest (or anything of the sort) in several years. So, how did I do it? How does one naturally cultivate beauty and simplicity? How do we create a home we love?
Start by decluttering. I highly recommend ripping the band-aid off, going cold turkey, purging every single thing that doesn’t represent who you or your family are. Heads up…it’s going to be a lot of stuff. I highly recommend finding a charity to donate it all to. It makes it way less painful to let go of.
Folks asked me why I didn't sell my stuff from the purge. I wanted instant gratification. I wanted it gone asap. And giving it all to a worthy charity was totally worth not having to deal with a yard sale.
Materials matter. What something is made of matters more than we realize. Materials have energy. No, I’m not talking about that weird w****y stuff. Scripture points to this. In Deuteronomy 22:11 it says, “You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.” Here is some science on materials and the energy they conduct. https://thermtest.com/thermal-resources/top-10-resources/top-10-thermally-conductive-materials
And yes, God designed human being’s bodies with the same energy that is in metals, rocks, plants, and even fabrics. You would be shocked by what happens when you remove synthetic materials from your home. I strongly suggest totally ditching all plastics. Other materials I recommend ridding of are styrofoam, silicone, stainless steel, nylon, polyester, acrylic, rayon, and spandex. Slowly add more natural materials like wood, glass, clay ceramics, cotton, wool and linen.
Get rid of electricity. We no longer have a microwave or coffee pot in our house. A few of those kitchen appliances I threw out have now been replaced with European made electric appliances, but most are manual appliances. I hand grind my husband’s coffee beans and use a pour over method every morning. Not only is it not difficult to do, it’s relaxing and brings me joy to serve my husband each morning.
Reduce the noise. I can’t tell you how surprisingly freeing this is. We have a 2 noise rule in our house. Only 2 noises can be happening at once. This avoids over-stimulation and tames the anxiety noise can cause in a home. If the laundry machine is running and I’m listening to an audio book, and our 3 dogs start barking at the neighbor's escaped pig, and my 8 year old is asking me a question, while my 6 year old is making some weird howling noise, well, you can see how that would drive a woman mad (the 2 noise rule was implement after that moment). If my child needs to speak to me, pause on the audio. The dogs are barking, no weird noises, kid.
Another way to reduce noise is to get rid of the things causing unnecessary noise. Can’t get rid of the kids. But you can get rid of the television, microwave, and coffee maker. My husband couldn’t stand the constant noise of the robot vacuum, so we got rid of it. And AHHH the peace we have back in our home. You can also opt to not use noisy things like a dishwasher but instead wash dishes by hand. Something I also find very relaxing. Dry the lighter laundry outside on a line instead of using the electric dryer with its low humming and thumping noise. Find ways to rid of the noise!
Get rid of the toxins. From the chemicals in your home cleaning solutions, to your bath items, to food in your kitchen, it's time to purge them ALL. If you are not sure what to get rid of, start doing your research today! These things are not only crushing your spirit, they’re keeping you and your family sick. Read my post on non-toxic living here.
Bring nature in. Live plants not only look beautiful in our home, but they are beneficial to our physical, mental and spiritual health. Many plants purify the air in your home, while others can protect against EMF radiation. How cool is it that God designed humans and plants to literally keep the other alive. We have a spiritual connection to them. Have you ever talked to your plants? Seriously! There are several studies that have shown that talking to plants helps them grow and boosts our own overall health. God is amazing!
You can also add freshly foraged wildflower bouquets in the warmer months. In the cooler months consider bringing in holly sprigs, pine cones and pine branches. Be careful not to put pine near any flame source. It is highly flammable! I also love to dry foraged flowers and use them as decor all year long. My favorite is goldenrod!
The right light is important. Boy, where do I start?! First, the right (or wrong) light directly affects our overall health. Natural light is a source of vitamin D and helps the flow of our circadian rhythm. CR is our natural biological clock. It affects our sleep cycle. When we use artificial light of any kind, we are disrupting our CR. If you have to use light bulbs, use warm lights. They are hard to find nowadays. Not only are cool LED lights big CR disruptors, they have an inaudible vibration and flicker that instantly causes headaches and can slowly cause damage to our eyes.
Replace synthetic light with natural light. Get rid of the curtains altogether, or replace heavy curtains with sheer ones. At night, use candles. We started eating dinner by candlelight a few nights a week and it has been helpful in creating a calm end to the day.
Clean air. Improve the air quality in your home by opening windows (even in winter time for a few minutes at a time and at night) as often as possible. Fresh outside air is key to staying healthy. As mentioned, you can add plants to also improve air quality. Replace paraffin or soy candles with beeswax candles which actually help purify the air. Eliminate fragrances from your home. Keep air vents cleaned regularly. You’ll breathe better and avoid chronic illnesses.
Anoint your home. I recommend doing a Holy Walk around the home to everyone I know. Our spiritual health is the most important part of our overall health. Our homes can hold various spirits that can leave us sick, anxious, and weighed down. The things and people we bring into our home can have spirits attached to them. This is one of the biggest reasons to declutter your home. Anything in your home that feels off or does not make you feel lit up inside, remove it from your home today!
Every person I know that does a Holy Walk says they feel immediate peace afterwards. Yes, it could be a placebo effect. Or it could be the moment we invite God in and kick the demonic out. Walk around your home starting with the front door. Go from room to room and pray over that room. Ask God to come in and rebuke anything evil out. Some people open windows as they believe that is how demonic spirits leave a home. Some use anointing oil on the doorways as a means to keep demonic spirits from coming in. I personally don’t believe either of those are necessary but they can certainly be a symbolic action.
If you’re not a Christian, you should still speak life into your home. Walk around and say out loud what good things you hope to see happen in your home. Love in the bedroom, laughter in the living room, good wholesome meals in the kitchen...
Does your home tell a story? The thing I love most about our home is that it tells our story. From the console table made of salvaged wood that my husband built for me, to the antique floor lamp, to the baskets of home school materials, to the herbal concoctions spread throughout our home. You could walk through my home and know exactly what kind of family lives there. Just as our appearance gives others a glimpse of who we are on the inside, likewise our home is telling of who we are as a family.
Keep up with the mess. To continue the previous thought…Just as our appearance gives others a glance at our mental health, likewise our home is telling of our family's mental health. Personally, I am naturally tidy, but I have to be intentional about keeping our home clean. For daily chores, like dishes, sweeping, and laundry, I make a goal to have those things done by the time I go to bed at night so we can start the day afresh.
We also designate days to do heavier household chores. Mondays are window washing day. On Fridays, I scrub bathrooms. All 4 of them!
Everything has a place. Designating a place for every single thing in your home makes keeping things tidy much easier by creating productive habits. Blankets go in the basket behind the couch. Home school materials go back in their woven baskets. Food goes back in the pantry. You get the point.
You don’t have to hide everything you own for your house to be beautiful. I display my cookbooks on our counter in a “pretty way”. I have a lovely tray for our coffee area. I use a berry bowl for our dish brushes. Baskets, bowls and jars are a lovely way to display and tidy up your home.
Create a vision. Okay, you’ve decluttered. You’re left with an almost blank slate. Now your home (and closets) are feeling a little empty. Before you start replacing (and you’ll want to), let yourself live with the empty spaces. This is the time to really dig deep and envision what you want to bring back into your home. If it helps, write a list of the things you would really like to have in your home.
Adding patterns, textures and colors. Switching out plastic bins for woven baskets is an easy way to add beauty to your home. Add texture, with different natural materials like leather pillows or a crocheted table cloth. Replace unnatural bright colors and silly patterns with more natural colors and patterns. Limit artwork with words on it. Yeah, I’m talking about that big “Blessed” sign you got from that big box home goods store. You don’t need a generic piece of art (probably made in China) to remind you that you are indeed blessed. Replace mass produced goods with quality pieces from skilled crafters.
Buy vintage. We don’t need to keep making and making and making things. We have plenty of perfectly good, and quite honestly, better quality and more beautiful pieces found at thrift shops, antique stores, and estate sales. Almost everything in my kitchen is vintage, including my glass food storage. Not only is it beautiful to store leftovers, but it keeps things fresher longer.
Add pieces that mean something. My most valued pieces are the things my husband custom makes for me. I also love our vintage finds. And our Amish-made bed. I can’t think of much else as we don’t have a lot of stuff. That’s the point, though. Have a few things in your home. Make sure they are meaningful and that they make you and your family happy. If they don’t, ditch ‘em.
Is it functional? It’s easy to go overboard with buying “pretty” decor. I’m not saying we shouldn't have a nice antique vase here and there. But does it hold a purpose? A basket with nothing in it looks silly. But when it holds books or magazines, it’s a functional piece to your home. The same goes for kitchen items. Do you actually use that vintage whisk? Does it even work? It should. Otherwise you are accumulating stuff (and dust) again. What about your clothes? Do they fit you right now? Do they represent who you are today? If you’re not wearing them, start incorporating them back into your weekly wardrobe, or you know the drill…into the donation box they go!
Take your time. Don’t rush to make your home “Pinterest worthy”. Rather than rush to replace your old stuff with “prettier” stuff, save your money to get something you really desire. Keep that list with you. When you go antique shopping keep an eye out for what you’ve been looking for and wait until you find a good deal. Trust me, getting my big antique rug at a steal of $90 makes me love it all the more.
I used to have the methodology of “If I don’t have a place for it right now, I won’t buy it.” Now, I purchase anything I really love and am certain to find a good place for it in our home. I rarely really love anything. Which is why we are still without bedroom furniture and our walls are mostly blank. I’m in no rush though. When I finally do find the things on my list, I know I’ll be very happy with them in our home someday.
If we declutter, learn to live with less, replace junk with quality goods, keep the few things we do have organized (in pretty vintage baskets), and take your time creating a story inside your home, you will find yourself never wanting to leave.
What do you want to change about your home? What’s your vision? What’s your story?
Many blessings, friends!
~Casey G.
The Shopkeeper