By Sofia Yaman · Last updated June 2026 · Based on five years of editing down two small apartments
I tried extreme minimalism once. I got rid of my second pillow, my spare blanket, and most of my books. My apartment looked like a staged photo for exactly three days. Then I slept poorly because my neck hurt, I was cold at night, and I missed having something to read before bed. I learned that minimalism works only when you keep what actually serves you — not when you strip away comfort to achieve a look.
What Minimalism Means to Me Now
My current definition is simple: every item in my home should either be useful or genuinely meaningful. Useful means I reach for it at least once a month. Meaningful means it connects me to a person, a memory, or a purpose that matters. Everything else is negotiable.
That definition let me keep my grandmother’s ceramic bowl, which I use for fruit and which reminds me of her kitchen. It also let me keep my slightly excessive collection of notebooks, because I use them daily for work and journaling. But it meant donating the decorative vase I bought because it “pulled the room together” — a vase that sat empty for eight months because I never bought flowers.
The Edit Process That Actually Works
I do not declutter by category or by room. I declutter by season. Every three months, I open every drawer, every closet, and every storage bin. I pull everything out and ask: Did I use this in the last ninety days? Will I use it in the next ninety? If the answer to both is no, it goes into a donation bag.
The ninety-day window is practical for small spaces. It accounts for seasonal items like winter boots or beach towels without letting them accumulate year-round. It also catches the “someday” items — the yoga mat I kept for two years after stopping yoga, the extra set of sheets for a bed I no longer own.
When I edited my bedroom last winter, I removed two-thirds of my clothing. I kept what fit, what I actually wore, and what made me feel good. The result was not a sparse capsule wardrobe. It was a full closet where every hanger held something I would wear tomorrow. Getting dressed became faster and less stressful.
Keeping Comfort While Removing Clutter
The key is replacing lost function, not just visual space. When I removed my bulky armchair, I added a floor cushion and a better reading lamp. The seating area became smaller but more comfortable because the light was right and the cushion supported my back. When I removed my second nightstand, I added a wall-mounted shelf for my phone and book, which freed floor space without losing function.
Texture matters more than quantity. My sofa has one throw blanket instead of three, but it is wool and warm. My bed has two pillows instead of four decorative ones, but they are the right firmness for sleeping. My walls have two framed prints instead of a gallery wall, but both are photographs I took myself. The room feels calm because every item has a reason to be there, not because I own less for the sake of it.
What I Learned About Buying Less
I implemented a one-in-one-out rule for non-consumables. If I buy a new kitchen tool, an old one leaves. If I buy a new book, I donate one I have already read. The rule forces me to consider whether the new item is worth more than what I already own. Most of the time, it is not, and I skip the purchase.
I also wait seventy-two hours before buying anything over $50. That delay eliminates most impulse purchases. If I still want it three days later, I research alternatives, read reviews, and check whether I can find it used. Often, the desire fades or a better option appears.
The Result Five Years Later
My apartment is not a minimalist showpiece. It has a cat tree in the corner, a stack of library books on the coffee table, and a mug collection that is slightly too large. But every item is something I use, something I love, or both. The space feels calm because nothing is fighting for attention. Everything belongs.
That is the version of minimalism I recommend: not less for the sake of less, but enough — and only enough — to support the life you actually live.
About the author: Sofia Yaman is the founder of Yasamsitem Home. She has edited her belongings through two small apartments and five years of testing what “enough” actually means. She writes about organizing small spaces at Yasamsitem Home.
Have a question? Email sofia@yasamsitem.com.
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Sofia Yaman has been figuring out how to make small spaces work since 2019 — first in a 280 sq ft studio in Brooklyn with a cat and too many books, now in a slightly larger rental where she still tests every storage hack and smart gadget before recommending it. She believes organized should never mean boring.
