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A review by lattelibrarian
New Minimalism: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable, Intentional Living by Cary Telander Fortin, Kyle Louise Quilici
4.0
A gentle but informative read about minimalism and how to maintain order in one's lifestyle. Cary and Kyle place themselves within the minimalist space by offering insights from other minimalist-esque organizers such as Marie Kondo while also bringing something new to the table. They offer four archetypes and descriptions for these archetypes that explain what this particular category might succeed in organizing and minimizing and what they might struggle with.
Alongside gorgeous photographs of clean and serene-looking spaces, this book is both informative and beautiful. However, these pictures are not one-size-fits all. Cary and Kyle argue that you should define what you want your space to feel like (serene, relaxed, comfortable, warm, etc.) and ask readers to play around with thesauri and synonyms. The more particularly you can define what you want your space to be, the easier it will be to see if your possessions match up. And the easier it'll be to invite new belongings into your space.
They also ask us to reconsider our current definitions for words such as "full". If you have difficulty closing your kitchen cabinets, it's perhaps because that space is not full but overfull. What does full look like when you prioritize the care of your items and ease of access? They ask us, further still, to consider minimalist trends and understanding the feelings a more minimal space can give us. Is it worth it to whittle your belongings down to 100 items or is it simply enough to know that everything you own, you love (or it fulfills its purpose--nobody is exactly in love with their phone charger wire) and has its place?
Definitely a great book to read for the burgeoning minimalist.
Alongside gorgeous photographs of clean and serene-looking spaces, this book is both informative and beautiful. However, these pictures are not one-size-fits all. Cary and Kyle argue that you should define what you want your space to feel like (serene, relaxed, comfortable, warm, etc.) and ask readers to play around with thesauri and synonyms. The more particularly you can define what you want your space to be, the easier it will be to see if your possessions match up. And the easier it'll be to invite new belongings into your space.
They also ask us to reconsider our current definitions for words such as "full". If you have difficulty closing your kitchen cabinets, it's perhaps because that space is not full but overfull. What does full look like when you prioritize the care of your items and ease of access? They ask us, further still, to consider minimalist trends and understanding the feelings a more minimal space can give us. Is it worth it to whittle your belongings down to 100 items or is it simply enough to know that everything you own, you love (or it fulfills its purpose--nobody is exactly in love with their phone charger wire) and has its place?
Definitely a great book to read for the burgeoning minimalist.