Simple Matters

Simple Matters is a dreamy book. Erin Boyle basically lives in Pinterest, or on her own blog anyway. Looking at pictures of spaces like this can be incredibly aspirational as well as inspirational. I've been working toward minimalism for many years, yet not a square foot of my home looks as pretty, peaceful, or intentional as anything in Boyle's book. She makes me want to do something about this.

An example of a project from Simple Matters was to cover dated kitchen tile with white adhesive paper. My kitchen also has dorky tiles that don't go with any of my decor. I'm pretty sure both the kitchen and bath in our current rental house were last remodeled in the mid-1980s. It never occurred to me that something so simple could take care of this minor annoyance in my life. As a renter, there are limits to what I can do to make my space feel really homey, or like something I would have chosen. Adhesive paper to cover the country-cutesy tiles in my kitchen? That's a project I can afford and that I can find the time to do.

Boyle's take on simplicity is a blend of efficiency, best use of small spaces, sustainable and non-toxic materials, and aesthetics. This goes well beyond decluttering and into style. The many photos demonstrate the point of minimalism, which is to live intentionally and to have only carefully chosen belongings that add to the quality of life. I admit that I was captivated by Simple Matters to the extent that I now want to downsize more items (like books) to make space for a few attractive design elements. Anyone who is looking for more motivation to continue a challenging space-clearing job may find that motivation in these pages.

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