Charming 90-Year-Old Farmhouse Minimalist Home Tour

By Rachel Jones
Minimalist living room 2
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Elisabeth, who has kindly offered to share some images of her home with us:
flourish

 

What square footage do you have and how many people live in your home?

 

Currently, we have 1100 square feet for two adults and our three living children. We plan to expand a bit as our family grows.
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What was your motivation for embracing simplicity in your life?

 

Our minimalism journey began about four years ago when I found myself continually exasperated by the excess, unwanted stuff that kept ending up in our house. I remember feeling like a light bulb when on when I realized that I didn’t need to keep every toy or outfit we had ever been given, that we could say “no thanks” to stuff from relatives’ basements, and that shopping the clearance rack for cheap clothes that I didn’t really like wasn’t a good bargain. Eliminating extra possessions and being intentional with what we own kicked into high gear three years ago when we moved from a four-bedroom home in the suburbs to a 90-year-old farmhouse that was half the size and had only one real closet.

 

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How has minimizing your possessions made your life better?

 

We feel like we own what we have – it doesn’t own us. I have grown in gratitude and contentment. Eliminating unneeded items has forced me to go through a lot of emotional growth, and I’ve chosen through that process to keep a few sentimental items (such as my grandma’s cookie jar in my kitchen) and let go of others.
Maybe most importantly, I have applied those principles elsewhere to develop self-discipline and healthy boundaries in my relationships and calendar. I don’t want to be so busy cleaning a big house and organizing stuff that I miss out on the short time I have with my children!

 

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What was your biggest challenge in the middle of decluttering?
 

I am always struggling to find the balance of graciously receiving gifts while also expecting our family’s values to be respected. Sometimes it is difficult to let go of possessions that we don’t need or want, when I know there will be disappointment or unmet expectations from extended family members.

 

minimalist kitchen

How did you apply simplicity to your hobbies/family activities (travel/homeschool/extracurricular activities, etc)?
 
We now have baby #4, and I have been on both ends of the spectrum of baby gear. We have filled our living room with “must have” baby items we rarely used. At another point, I made my life needlessly difficult by getting rid of stuff for the sake of saying I didn’t own a particular item. So I’ve sought to find a balance of just enough baby items: making our possessions work for us, instead of either owning or eliminating something because someone else says we have to.
 

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For homeschooling, we utilize our local library, online resources, and audio files; but I am not opposed to purchasing quality books and supplies that work well for our family that this time. Again, I think balance and allowing our possessions to work well for our family is key!

 

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A small wardrobe of carefully chosen, quality pieces that I love has been one of my favorite parts of minimalism. I only purchase items that match my color scheme, fit well, and are friendly for the baby/young child stage of life we are in. I’ve tried to do the same with home decor. I wanted to match the vintage style of the woodwork and include my love of botanicals, and have only kept items that are beautiful, useful, and practical.

 minimalist play room
 
Thank you for sharing Elisabeth! ❤️
 
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Would you like to participate?

Everyone’s way of embracing minimalism is different and that is very important to remember.
When you are thinking about becoming minimalist, the whole point of it is to keep true to your authentic self. What is important to you, the things you enjoy and the life you want to live.
I’m excited to share some real-life examples of what minimalism looks like in different homes around the world.
If you would like to share a tour of YOUR home, please email me with “HOME TOUR” in the subject line.
Eliminating unneeded items has forced me to go through a lot of emotional growth, and I've chosen through that process to keep a few sentimental items (such as my grandma's cookie jar in my kitchen) and let go of others.

About Rachel Jones

Hi there! I’m Rachel Jones, and I founded Nourishing Minimalism in 2012 at the beginning of my minimalist journey. If you're looking for encouragement in your journey, I go live in my FREE Facebook Groups every weekday- feel free to join me there: Nourishing Minimalism Facebook Group

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