Calm and Inviting New Zealand Minimalist Home Tour – Bayley
My name is Bayley. I live in New Zealand with my husband and our two young boys. We started our minimalist journey about 2 years ago and have never looked back. I am a stay at home mum and a part you-tuber and artist. Artwork is the one thing I collect as it brings me so much joy and makes our house feel like a home and my channel is a fun creative outlet for me to connect with other like-minded people. My youtube channel is mini-mom.
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How has minimizing your possessions made your life better?
Minimizing our possessions has made so many areas of our life better. Our house feels bigger, This is the first home we have bought and we thought after a couple of years we would have grown out of such a small home and would need to upsize. We now feel like we have plenty of space.
I clean less and our house is so much easier to keep tidy.
I no longer worry about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’
What was your biggest challenge in the middle of decluttering?
My biggest challenge was not letting too much stuff come back into our home especially toys. We really appreciated it when people gave our two boys gifts but it became very overwhelming.
It was also hard to know what toys/clothes if any we should keep once our 4-year-old had grown of them to give to our 1-year-old. The boys room definitely took the longest to declutter I felt a lot of guilt when getting rid of toys but I knew it would be beneficial to them in the long run.
What helped you get rid of the most? (Questions, thought process, etc.)
Starting in a room where I had very little emotional attachment to the items definitely helped. I started with the kitchen and bathroom. Once I realised how many items we had that we didn’t need in those rooms I was really motivated to tackle other areas.
When it came to sentimental items I would ask myself if when I was gone would my boys want this item? for most items, the answer was no.
Also donating items made me feel happy, I thought someone else might really need/enjoy the items I no longer needed.
What unexpected reactions did you get from friends or family seeing the change in your home?
We have had a lot of positive reactions from family and friends. Some people have gone on to declutter their own homes.
Bayley also has a lovely video tour of her home:
You can learn more about Bayley and follow her minimalist journey on her Youtube channel: mini-mom.
Would you like to participate?
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.
Your house is lovely! Its cosy and warm even though minimalist. I love the art on the walls. One thing i think can be missing in minimalist homes is wall decorations (and i am guilty of this myself but thats mostly because i have zero interior design talent and dont know where to hang things nicely!) can i be really weird and ask where you got your trash bin in the kitchen? i love the colour! and those white storage baskets too? thanks 😁
Yay!! I’ve been following Bayley on youtube for a while now, and am super excited to see her story on your website. She has such a lovely, peaceful home and has inspired me to declutter even more and continue making our home a peaceful, restful space. My biggest (ongoing) struggle is not bringing in more stuff. I definitely still use shopping as a quick boost when I am down. I’ve gotten better, but still struggle in this area. Thanks!! : )
Nice!! I love what she has there- I would have LOVED that as a resource 10 years ago. So encouraging. 🙂
Of all the minimal home tours I have seen, Baylees is my favorite!
I love all of her videos. Her voice is so calming!
Interesting she removed the doors from the kitchen cupboards. My thinking is the space would look less cluttered if the doors were left on. Also less dust to accumulate than on open shelving.
I am subscribed to Minimom on YouTube- nice to see Bayley here too! I love how cozy her home looks. I am a minimalist by nature, but sometimes struggle with the clutter that comes along having home-schooled kids. I do get sentimental about special toys and books that they have outgrown. I recently watched Bayley’s video about joining a toy library- I sure wish we had something like that locally! For my kids, summertime play consists of bicycles, a hose, a garden, and frequent trips to the park. Winters are long and cold and are another story all together! For that reason, we are hanging on to our blocks, playsilks, art supplies, play kitchen, doll house, books (we love our public library too!), puzzles, board games, and a handful of dolls/stuffies per child. It’s all about balance and I think Bayley has done a great job with that! She is a mini-SUPER-mom!
Stumbled on your article looking for ideas to match our minimalist-themed rental property that we are just about to set up in New Zealand. Lots of good ideas here. Thank you.
Wow! This home looks amazing, especially the kitchen! It’s hard to believe small children live in this immaculate home.
Do you happen to know if Bayley and her family are ok. She disappeared off her YT without word and her followers are concerned.??
Hi Michelle, I was just checking her YT and saw that someone confirmed she and the family are ok. We’ll just have to trust that she will share when she’s ready. ❤️