The Minimalist Lifestyle

“Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.” — Shaker Philosophy

The Shakers, a religious order, is probably best known for its furniture. Beautiful in its minimalistic design.

Google “shaker history,” and you quickly see what a fascinating world it is. The practice of procreation was prohibited. The cummunity grew through adoption and from taking in orphans and homeless children. At its peak, there were 6,000 Shaker members. As of last Christmas, only three members are still alive.

Women and men were equals. It makes one wonder about other religious cultures. How can other religions weave misogyny so adroitly throughout their teachings, and this almost-lost culture, that can be traced to the 17th century in France, set themselves up as equals? There must be more to it than I’ve seen today, but this is not the place to get into it.

Shaker chairs are not my favorite Shaker items as they have only one function. In this video, askthedecorator.com’s Meghan Carter speaks with the Education Manager at Shaker Village in Kentucky. In the video’s final moments, Meghan tries out a shaker chair and admits that it might not be that comfortable but that it does make you aware of your posture. So, only one function and no comfort makes them last on my list of favorite Shaker pieces. But, I do adore the style.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOnN5ykWELM[/youtube]

My favorite Shaker pieces are the storage units. Notice the one-drawer table in the corner. I can see that in the foyer — keys all tucked away in the drawer.

See the three walls of drawers? That piece would work so well in a walk-in closet. Well, I wouldn’t do that, but I sure can see the design working in a closet space. And how about a kitchen? Clean lines, storage, beautiful.

This just scratches the surface of Shaker furniture. I’ll probably get back on this topic at a later date.

If you’re interested, The Shakers is a 30-minute documentary that you can watch online at Folkstreams.net.

Your home came with a certain amount of storage space, and that is sometimes just not enough. The simplest way to get more storage is to add it in with furniture pieces or with built-ins.

Add storage with flea-market finds. Look for old dressers, chests, cabinets, and bookshelves. Look for anything that can store stuff.

An old chest, paint it to match the wall color in your closet, and put it in the closet. Store whatever you want to in it. An old trunk, clean it up, and store blankets in it and let it do double-duty as an end table. There are so many ideas that will come to you once you’re in that mindset.

When you go to the flea market, have something in mind. Measure the area in your home that you want to add storage to and have these measurements in mind while you shop. Have an image in your head of what the storage should be like. Maybe you want a chest-size piece. Be on the lookout. You’ll eventually find what you’re looking for. No, maybe not that day, but you will eventually run up on it.

That’s why it’s good to have all of your storage needs in mind when you go shopping. You’ll be more likely to find something that day to use somewhere.

You can take your flea-market items and use them as they are, once you’ve given them a cleaning, or you can paint them, add new hardware, and just generally get creative with them.

Built-in cabinets or wall units. Build them along walls in any room you want to. Even in the closet, the laundry room, the screened-in porch, the kitchen. Wherever there’s a need. How about that space over the commode?

You can also buy built-ins that you put together unit by unit and attach securely to your wall.

Aside from added storage and more organization, built-ins and flea-market finds give your home much more character. Keep these two methods in mind as you go about your minimalist lifestyle.

And happy Friday!