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Raise your hand if day-to-day life often seems overwhelming. Raising kids in the 21st century is not for the faint of heart. Wouldn’t it be great if there were an easy button to make things simpler? If you can relate to this, maybe this summer is the time to try minimalism with a family. A great place to start is with a minimalist family home makeover.

Minimalist living with kids may seem like an impossible task, and minimalist family living is more about a mindset shift than just removing a few extra tchotchkes. It’s a lifestyle that promises to bring simplicity, peace and clarity to your life. But are minimalist family homes actually achievable for typical busy families?

Well, the good news is, summer is the perfect time to give family minimalism a try. You might even be surprised by just how achievable minimalism can be with a few tweaks.

This is a collaboration post. However, please know I stand behind everything written here, and only include links to products/services/resources I’m willing to recommend personally.

Minimalism for Families: Minimalist Family Living At Home

What is minimalism?

At its core, minimalism means cutting down clutter – both in your living space and in your mental space. (This is one of the reasons I love bullet journaling and its head-decluttering properties so much, as well as No November!) Minimalist living means we don’t need to do it all OR have it all; instead, it’s about making deliberate choices when it comes to which possessions, commitments, and time investments actually add value to our lives.

Adopting a minimalist lifestyle means being choosy about what you keep, prioritising quality over quantity. The goal isn’t to strip your space down to the bare essentials. Rather, minimalism is an opportunity to be intentional about our surroundings and our commitments, so that the things that surround us and fill our days bring peace of mind instead of stress. This serenity can be especially helpful as an oasis of calm in the midst of most families’ hectic daily existence.

What are the benefits of minimalist living spaces?

There’s more to it than just a minimalist aesthetic, popular though that look may be on social media. Surrounding yourself with only what you need or truly love can help you feel lighter and more energetic. The clutter that often overwhelms our minds also leaves little room to breathe in our physical space.

The same is especially true for kids. How many kids have you seen get completely overwhelmed on Christmas, only to get “bored” with all their new “stuff” a week later? Or think of the small child who’s more interested in playing with the box a toy came in than the toy itself. Minimalism is actually healthy for growing minds, since it fosters both clarity and creativity.

Above all, less stuff means fewer distractions, which can reduce stress and improve your focus. Think about how much time we all sometimes waste looking for the favorite travel mug in a cluttered cabinet, or trying to find that one sweater we always wear in a drawerful of less-often worn ones – or the time your kids waste looking for things in bedrooms overflowing with toys and books and clothes. Less stuff means less to sift through, and less time wasted in hunting.

This can be especially helpful in a family home, where creating calm and order makes everyday routines smoother. You’ll enjoy more space and also appreciate how much easier it becomes to clean and maintain your home. There’s more, but let’s get into the practical side of things.

How to choose the right palette

When it comes to setting the palette for your minimalist vibe, minimalism is all about neutrality. Gentle, subdued shades contribute to a soothing atmosphere. Choosing a palette with whites, grays, beiges, and earthy tones helps a space feel peaceful and uncluttered. These palette choices are versatile, too; they work seamlessly with almost any décor, making it easier to match existing furniture and features, including in shared family spaces.

Remember, minimalism doesn’t mean making everything look the same. A few contrasting accents can still bring warmth and personality. Think about balance instead of monotony. For example, our family room has gray upholstery and carpeting, and beige walls with white trim, accented with colorful pillows and throws. And there’s no reason your kids can’t have a somewhat brighter or more varied palette in their rooms while still keeping the minimalist aesthetic going.

Getting started with decluttering

Decluttering is often where people get stuck, but don’t stress; take a few deep breaths, and take these tips to heart:

Start small

Don’t try to do it all at once. Even 20 minutes in one corner of a room is a start. If you’re a list-maker, as I am, go ahead and break down all the little clutter piles in each room, then tackle them one at a time. And speaking of 20 minutes,

Use the Pomodoro technique

For those of you who haven’t tried this before, the idea is that you can motivate yourself to do ANYTHING for 20 minutes. So set a timer, and promise yourself you’ll give it your all until the timer goes off. When it does, you get a 5-minute break. Or – as is often the case for me – once you get that first 20 minutes out of the way, you often may find you have momentum to do even more.

Try the “5 things” rule

I read somewhere once that every room contains only five things: trash/donations, dirty dishes, dirty laundry, things that HAVE a home, and things that DON’T have a home. Deal with the laundry and dishes first. Make a pile of things to put back in other rooms. Fill a trash bag with trash, and another box/bag with things to move on to someone else who can use them. That should leave you with a very small pile of things that don’t have a home; once the other categories are dealt with, it will be easier to deal with those.

Channel your inner Marie Kondo

Take a page from Marie Kondo’s pre-kids playbook (I hear her life is more complicated now that she’s a mom), and as you touch each item – especially the ones that have homes elsewhere, and the ones that are cluttering your house because they DON’T have a place they belong – ask yourself: Do I use this regularly? Does it bring me joy? Is it meaningful? Anything that doesn’t meet those criteria can be donated, recycled or sold.

Find better ways to contain what’s left

Once you’ve sifted through the clutter, consider whether some upgrades to your storage might be a good idea for what you have left, especially when it comes to storing your clothes and accessories. For example, fitted wardrobes can be a great solution for keeping your clothing in a minimal amount of space. With plenty of storage hidden behind sleek doors, they help keep your room feeling open and clean.

For family homes, having designated places for everyone’s belongings also helps keep shared areas clutter-free; I love storage ottomans for this purpose.

Furniture and minimalism

Minimalist furniture should look good and serve one or maybe a few functions. When shopping for furniture, think clean lines and simple shapes. It’s also a good idea to invest in quality pieces that will last, if you can, while focusing on classic styles that won’t look dated in a few years.

And when it comes to how many pieces, less is more. Think about how many pieces you actually need for which functions, and consider custom built-ins here as well (such as the custom bookcase/storage cabinets we had installed around our fireplace) to keep visual clutter at bay and avoid taking up too much floor space.

Also think multipurpose items, like those storage ottomans I mentioned above. These are great for tucking things out of sight when not in use, in keeping with a streamlined minimalist look. These practical choices work especially well in family homes where flexibility and function matter.

With a few small tweaks, you’ll start to notice the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle at home. Take a look around your living spaces and consider what changes you can make. Start small, take on one area at a time, and watch the effects grow along with your sense of calm and your family’s lower stress levels.

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