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Every time I turn my attention to The Internet to find out what is “trending” (anyone else hate that word?) in minimalism it’s something different.
Boho minimalism. Extreme minimalism. Eco-friendly minimalism. Fancy minimalism.
Most recently I came across a trend that got the gears in my brain whirring.
Cozy minimalism.
From a design point of view, cozy minimalism is exactly what you think it is. Use cozy fabrics, warm colors, and textures to create an inviting environment for your home whilst still keeping everything minimal. Basically hygge-ify your lounge.
But as I’ve written before, you can’t buy Hygge. You can use as many neutral colors and nail as many wooden art installations to your wall as you like, but Hygge is a feeling that comes from within. You can’t manufacture it with a bunch of Fall-coloured flowers.
But I quite like the idea of cozy minimalism. Why?
The way I see it, cozy minimalism isn’t just about how you decorate your home. It’s about what minimalism can do to make you feel safe. Cozy.
Cozy Minimalism, I’m hijacking your meaning and making you more than just a bunch of mushroom-colored knitted blankets and patterned rugs.
You’re about to get a Simple and Straightforward makeover.
***
What does feeling cozy mean to you?
Many of us would think about being wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa, book in hand or something familiar on the TV, steaming mug to the side. It’s cold outside, you’re snuggly warm.
But what if you’re sat in your cocoon pouring over your household budget that just isn’t adding up? What if the TV is on but you’re really thinking about how much cleaning you need to do around the house when you emerge from your 10-minute break? What if you can’t concentrate on your book because you’re aware that in 20 minutes, you need to ferry the kids to wherever kids get ferried to before tackling an errand list as long as your arm?
That cozy scene doesn’t feel so cozy IRL.
Coziness isn’t about how a place looks, or what blanket you’re wrapped up in.
A cozy feeling comes from having sleep-well-at-night finances. Of knowing you can be in the moment without your brain wandering off to think about the next task, the next event, the next thing on the to-do list.
Coziness comes from that feeling of safety and security that only comes once you are in control of your life.
***
Something that has always flummoxed me is how so many people are concerned that minimalism isn’t a safe (or indeed cozy) choice.
One of the major criticisms of the movement is that it’s too extreme. It’s only something rich people can entertain because only they can afford to re-buy everything once they’ve purged themselves of everything (even though I’ve yet to meet a minimalist who has ever done this).
Safe is too often equated with stuff. If your house has drawers overflowing with Just In Case items you feel safe because you will never have to feel the discomfort of not having exactly what you want at your fingertips. We attach safe feelings - like nostalgia - to our stuff. Throwing it away feels like throwing away safety. And thus, coziness.
Of course, most minimalists will tell you that this is absolute poppycock. Safety doesn’t come from having physical stuff. That shit just gets in the way of feeling safe. After all, a big house with a cozy snug isn’t going to make you feel cozy and safe if you can’t afford the mortgage.
I only started to feel truly cozy and safe once I discovered minimalism and the benefits of living simply. There is nothing like feeling comforted by a zero balance on your credit card statement, after all.
I would argue that all minimalism is cozy minimalism. Because minimalism - and even more importantly living simply - gives you the chance to gain that control over your life.
And the coziness will inevitably follow.
***
We all want to feel safe. Cozy. It’s built into our evolution to feel comfortable.
Cozy minimalism, with its focus on comforting soft furnishings and personality, speaks to that part of us.
But it’s not enough to just focus on decoration and style. We need to focus elsewhere, to dig deeper.
The TL;DR is that cozy minimalism is about a feeling, not interior design. It’s about feeling comfortable and safe because you’ve taken control of not only your surroundings but your life. You have cut out everything that doesn’t matter, instead focusing on what does.
Regardless of what flavor of minimalism you aspire to, so long as you’re feeling safe - with your freed-up headspace and your finances in a better state than they were - you’ll feel cozy.
I’ll take that over a blanket on a sofa any day.
2 articles from my collection (paywall free)
Simple Living and Minimalism Isn’t About Deprivation, It’s About Prioritization
A Day in the Life of a 134-Item-Owning, Ex-Sommelier, Full-Time Traveling Writer
The best pieces of content I’ve consumed this week
Substack - Digital Nomad Stories with RoRemote. I met Rowena in the summer and loved her energetic nature and passion for remote work. She’s recently set up a Substack about exactly that - living a flexible life from anywhere in the world.
YouTube clip - George Carlin’s “Stuff”. George Carlin had me in stitches this week with his 1986 sketch about stuff. It may be nearly 4 decades old, but it’s still scarily relatable.
Too often the ads or magazine articles for Tiny Houses show stark Bauhaus interiors, nothing but sharp-edged silver rectangles. It's not inviting, and it's not even ergonomic. In a small space everything needs to absorb sound and light and bumps.
Thank you for this! I’m a fan and taking small steps toward calmer living. I read your Two More Articles and Content you’ve enjoyed this week.