Bar stools. If you have a table and chairs, you don't need the stools. While I'm at it, you don't need a kitchen island either.

For those who occasionally need a side table or two but dont want to live with many of them at all times, purchase 1 set of nesting tables. Pull them out when you have guests, nest them away for daily space conservation.

I got a laptop and an iPad this summer after my old desktop died, and suddenly find myself with a whole fweeping ROOM I can repurpose. (The computer, desk, desk chair, plus the little side table that held the ugly stuff like printer, speakers, modem - they required SO MUCH SPACE!)

You really only need one nightstand, if you live alone. In a small house it makes a big difference.

I don't own any dressers or bureaus - my clothes live on closet shelves and the one closet with a rod.

@ MARY B C: Yup, a one nightstand is all I needed to know it wasn't for me.

I'm not arguing that against minimalism per se, and I am not arguing against thinking through what individuals actually need and/or want in their own homes, since I agree we should all be thoughtful. But this list could include everything and anything in a house...and the house itself. Yes, if you take it to the end point, we don't need houses with walls and ceilings and such when we could live in tents or caves or holes in the ground. We don't need furniture, when we can just sit on whatever ground we occupy. Etc. etc. These kinds of lists seem kind of silly; kind of like the person who doesn't own a car (and reminds people about it all the time) but constantly mooches rides off of friends and other people s/he knows.

I think this is the silliest thing I have read in a long time.

If we're talking about pure need then no, I don't need any of those things. But they make life a lot easier. Fabric shelves to store undies? How is that really much better than a small dresser? I don't want my clothes out in the open. To me, that looks much more cluttered.

Sideboard? Nooo, I don't really need it but I have table linens. Where are those going to be stored? They're not fancy linens, but they need a place to go. I keep my table minimalist until I need to protect it against food.

No end table? That lamp on a coffee table is going to look awfully weird. What about for when you want to read in bed?

I don't find any of those extreme. We recently downsized to a tiny house, and with the exception of the couch, nothing gets to have only one purpose (and the couch is also the guest bed, so even that doesn't get a pass). So far, four months in, we are in love with having less stuff and less space...

LOL, Karwik. I'd add the person who "doesn't own a tv" but then sits down in front of yours and falls into some sort of trance.

KARICK makes an interesting (though obviously extreme) point. For me, the issue the post is raising is whether a space should be sparse vs. being visually complete. As an exercise, I see taking note, as sometimes with clutter, you need to look beyond the crap flowing out of the cabinet and look at the cabinet itself. People don't need ten sets of china, and sure, end tables can be unnecessary. But on the other side, what's worse (racism, poverty) than a room with a couch and nothing anchoring it? I'd rather see a display cabinet or shelves with books than an bare wall. For me, it's more about what the space can hold.

And PS DUANE HILL: we'd go crazy without the island in our kitchen as we don't have the counter space to prepare our meals and we are too old to hunch over a kitchen table chopping carrots, so there's that.

1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No
5. No

When in a small apt. you need all the storage you can get. Minimalism is great if you have a lot of space in which to 'spread the love' but the compactness of small apts. necessitates more, and more creative ways of storage, IMO.

@Ecandles96, reminds me when the Amish mothers visited my parent's home to use the washing machine and parked their kids in front of our TV. Nowadays when my sister and her kids visit from the country where number of TV channels are severely limited (so it's almost like not having TV) her kids fall into that same trance with my TV.

This article caused me to think about how I use the things I own. I won't be chucking anything, since I have minimal furniture already. But I will be carefully scrutinizing anything new that comes in the house. Thanks for the ideas!

I would cry salty tears if you removed any of those items from my home. I am definitely not a minimalist. And is it even possible to be a minimalist with kids?

Arguably, to live like a fairly civilized human, you only need a bed, sofa/armchair, table and fridge. So this list is pretty arbitrary and silly.

Of course, what you 'need' depends on your lifestyle and circumstances. 'Just hang your tv on the wall?' Sure, I rent. I'll drill some big fat brackets into the wall.

I'm an extreme minimalist BUT I have no choice but to fill a room with furniture I don't use OR it isn't balanced. A dining room needs a table, etc. Everything has a "home" in my house. The toys are put away when not in use & where they're not seen. I don't own knick nacks so dusting is a snap. It might seem barren but it sure is less stress.

Uh, yeah, sounds cozy. Doorbell rings? I'll just place my book and coffee cup on the floor...which I'll then kick over and ruin the book.

Where am I supposed to put my drink if I have no end tables?

Funny, when we moved into our home, a dresser was one of the first purchases we made. I find large storage pieces keep things much more organized, if not at least hidden from company. We have 3 downstairs and I love them.

I live in a small apartment and don't have any of these items. Mostly because I'd like to wait until I buy a house to purchase good furniture; also because I once spent 6 months in Italy with only a suitcase full of clothing and the furniture that came with my apartment and it was the best 6 months of my life. I didn't have to spend time thinking or worrying about "things".
I also don't have a television because anything I watch, I can see online. I think your home should make you feel comfortable and too much clutter makes me feel anxious. Some people though, love to be surrounded things.
Another trick for living without a dresser is under the bed storage containers. They keep clothing clean and out of sight.

I got a beautiful little folding ("tv dinner" style) table for my lounge. It's amazing! Bring it out for my coffee/book/computer and put it away when I'm done and there is so much more room in that space...

I agree with a lot of what has been said. I do see the merit of being mindful of what is in your home. Like the person who just posted "after" pictures of her living room that she'd asked for help in redoing. She did find less worked better in the room.
On the other hand....there was something so, I don't know, ego-centric about this article. As the commenter above mentioned, not everyone can put big holes in the wall. More to the point, I am holding off on buying a flatscreen until my box actually dies. I have an issue with being spoiled, and running out for the next best without a thought about landfills etc...But maybe that's just me. "Just hang your tv." I'll get right on it. And on that note...I also use linens instead of paper. I think you have to be somewhat of a throwaway consumer to be a minimalist. I have one tiny closet in my whole house, not even a linen closet, so, yes, I am going to use my antique dresser passed down to me. And love it. And be grateful for it. And finally....when I have company, I will encourage them to put their beverage or snack on one of those awful clutter collecting end tables so they will feel accommodated and comfortable. Sometimes minimalists are so minimal, they forget other people exist.

#3 is my favorite. She manages to be so condescending ("eliminated the need for this monstrosity by ditching my television") and clueless at the same time. Only somebody who doesn't own a TV is capable of saying "simply hang it on the wall".

I'm too sentimental to be a minimalist. My stuff, by and large, has meaning to me and/or it has memories attached to it, and it's comforting for me to have it around. I have a china cabinet with no china in it--it's filled with mementos from my travels, along with things like my deceased grandmother's baptism cup. Miss Minimalist would see those things as being tchotchkes and knickknacks, but for me they're memories.

Minimizing and downsizing your stuff is a noble aspiration, but I'll admit that I like to see homes with personality, and it's hard to have personality when your place is stripped too far down to the bone. Plus, I don't think having a lot of stuff automatically equals needless clutter and chaos. You can have a lot of tchotchkes and furniture and still keep things very neat and organized.

Although it's aspirational to be minimal to an ascetic degree, is extreme minimalism really all that helpful, or even fun?

I think it's a silly post too. Everyone is different - we all have different needs and possessions. Every space is different - some have great storage, and others do not.

ha! i literally have that bed/side table/lamp combo! time to upgrade! (in my defense, i have had the lamps for yearrrrrssss and the bed almost as long!)

MINIMALISM BREEDS DESIRE - once i was done with the clearing out of everything i didn't need, i began dreaming of things i would love to have - there lies the eternal paradox. The only way out is to start thinking functional functional functional.

most of this list is pretty doable for me actually. for the longest time, i'd put my dresser in my closet (which makes more sense than getting rid of a dresser and then buying shelves for your closet). my desk only exists as a perch for my cat and home for my plants. if my window sills were deep enough, i'd get rid of that too. no end tables, no curio cabinets, no sideboard. soon getting rid of my entertainment center (easy since cutting cable) and i'd easily part with my dining room table and chairs if their current spot didn't look barren without them. i have too many books to ever get rid of a bookshelf. there AREN'T ebooks for 95% of what i read and i need to cite specific book page numbers in my work that rarely correspond to the page numbers in an ebook.

i don't see the functionality of replacing a nightstand with a shelf unless you're dealing with a very small space. there are certain things i keep by my bed that don't need to be on display, so a nightstand with a drawer goes a long way.

I forget which comedian it was, but they did a bit about a self-righteous neighbor who would tell anyone who listened that she got rid of her TV, but still watched prime time shows on her laptop. If this sounds like you, then yes, you do in fact watch television. You watch it on a smaller screen, but Modern Family shown on a 46" TV has the same content as Modern Family being streamed through the ABC site on your laptop.

The OP has to reevaluate what minimalism is really about. You can still have a minimalist home and have everything on that list. I think it's more about proportions and presentation than specific possessions.

get rid of your heirloom dishes? really? 'sorry mom and grandma, i know you've carted these things around for decades and have given them meticulous care and love, that they were used for some of the most memorable times in your lives, but maybe a hipster will find these in a thrift store and separate the set to create an ironic ashtray.' umm no. get rid of the credenza if you must but somethings you don't pitch in the name of minimalism.

@HHRI - Haha, you're so right.

I'm all for ditching the big boxy TV cabinets for something sleeker. But even if you're able to hang your TV up...what about the tv accessories? Most people these days probably have at least a DVR or cable box thing, and probably a DVD player too. Do these go on the floor? What about the wires?

I am all for having less stuff. But sometimes getting rid of a piece of furniture can create as many problems as it solves.

I rent a tiny studio so I had to take the plunge and hang my tv on the wall. I can patch the holes when I move out and maybe I won't even lose my deposit. Even if I did it'd be well worth these years of not having to look at a big piece of excess furniture. Also, visitors still seem really impressed with a wall mounted tv. I even found a wall mounted DVD player and people are like, ooooh neat! Haha

Oh my word, that website is the funniest thing I've read all week. Talk about self-righteous.

AND_SCENE: i completely agree with you about the television watching on a t.v. versus an actual set! so many people i know are smug about having no t.v. but spend hours streaming stuff on their laptops. it's ALL television watching!

otherwise, this post seems silly. why get rid of perfectly good things you have just to replace them with something else?

I got rid of my coffee table and am glad I did. The extra floor space is wonderful. People only used it as a foot rest and rarely wanted to lean forward to store their drinks of food so they would hold them or try to rest them on the furniture arms or an end table along with a lamp, knicknacks etc. I actually added and changed end tables they are now free of lamps and clutter- a completely available glass top surface to set drinks and snacks one is accessible from every seat. I also ditched my three seater couch and replaced it with 2 comfy chairs. Nobody wanted to sit in the middle and everyone would just sit in the chairs when given a choice anyways.

It's good to be challenged to think about what you actually use and how you use it. As far as I'm concerned, coffee tables are pointless. We use ours to prop our feet on, mainly. What I prefer are little tables that can be moved around to where you need them - only big enough to hold a drink or two and light enough to move.

Eileen Gray tables are my ideal, but you can do it with any small, light table.

@and_scene - I completely agree.

The other reason I laughed at the 'Just hang the tv' comment, is that my tv is also very much a non-flatscreen with a freaking massive back on it.

These tips may work with someone with closets, but not me. I have one tiny coat closet in my entire apartment. All of these things I'm supposed to ditch actually hide my sheets, towels, Christmas decorations, old photo albums ect. "Less clutter" shouldn't mean getting rid of old photos of Grandma!

Had to laugh at this. You can denounce consumerism all you want. You can live in a cave and dine exclusively on found food. But you are posting on a consumer-driven design blog supported by advertising for stuff you are meant to desire, and purchase.

Besides, if you eschew all these things, you end up with things on the floor. Because even minimalists have things.

@Ecandles96, as a person who didn't grow up watching much TV, I didn't develop that ability that I have seen in many others to simply ignore the TV when it is on. It's distracting, and I can't help watching it, even if I'm not really interested in what's on. For this reason, I find that I enjoyed my life much better when I lived in a home which intentionally lacked a TV, because I was able to focus more on the things I wanted, rather than falling victim to a lack of self-control and vegging in front of the TV. It's like not buying a bag of chips because you know that if they're in your house, you'll eat the whole thing. Doesn't mean you don't like them. It means you're taking control of your life to make it easier to achieve your ultimate goals.

@AND_SCENE, if you're watching TV on your laptop, then you only have one thing that serves multiple purposes, and takes up less space, etc. You don't need a credenza, cable box, DVD player DRV, or anything else associated with a TV. Isn't that the point of this post, not whether or not you watch TV shows? Additionally, I find that it significantly impacts and reduces TV watching habits.

My point is that there's no moral authority in watching or not watching TV. All of you who are putting down people who don't have TVs are being just as self-righteous as the people you are railing against.

@LA.WOMAN, your home is not a monument to or a museum of your mother and grandmother. If you don't like them and don't use them, you can sell them at auction and do something with the money that actually improves your life.

I have several antique pieces that belonged to my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. I love the stories that go with them and the history, but that doesn't make them sacrosanct. I would rather have the things I don't use in the hands of someone who loves them than in a box in the attic. Don't keep things just because some social expectation says we're supposed to have fancy dishes. Don't waste space on this simply because your mother and grandmother wasted space on them. Keep them because they enrich YOUR life.

The fact that a table has clutter on it doesn't mean get rid of the table, it means get rid of the clutter. It is useful to have end tables and night tables as a place to set a glass, book, my knitting, a lamp, or an alarm clock. A good table can also be a useful place for permanent storage. For me, the key is to pare down the extraneous stuff to be stored before paring down extraneous storage locations. (I wish I could convince my man to pare down his tchotchkes and random extraneous stuff...)

Having recently downsized, there were many things that we either sold or took to the Goodwill. We finally got rid of the things in our storage room that we never used. I gave half of my dishes and glassware to my nieces. I got rid of a lot of little kitchen gadgets that never got used. That said, when we moved I brought almost all of the furniture from my old place to the new one. I decided to live with my stuff and my space for awhile to see what worked and what didn't. We ended up getting rid of several pieces of furniture and we ended up buying some new ones. We repurposed several pieces and got a new bookcase. We pared down the objects, got rid of the area rugs and some of the art work. The place has a cleaner more modern vibe but it is far from minimalist. We managed to downsize to a place that is easier and less expensive to maintain and still allows us to have the things that tell the story of our lives.

It seems like the good ol' mantra for cleaning junk out of the house should be the guidelines when considering furniture as well:

1. Do I need it?
2. Do I actually use it?
3. Do I love it?

If a piece of furniture fulfills any one of those requirements, what's the harm in letting it stick around?

I read Miss Minimalist, mostly the wardrobe section.
Yes, she is the stark white dwelling sort, but she is honest about it.

I do practice the thought-experiment of what is necessary.
After that is answered, functional and beautiful come in.
I'm more likely to toss the everyday dishes and eat off the fine china (but I don't have a dishwasher, so I'm not adding work). I'll have drawers and shelves, but less in or on them.

Can I do this because of unlimited space, as suggested above? No, I do this because of limited items.

This entire site is about taking what you have and making livable beauty from it.
Sure there is a marketing factor, and lots of posts are "how do I get <insert item not relevant to the post>?" but it really is about knowing what is functional in your home, and what brings the occupant joy.
Maybe that IS grand mere's dishes. I have some matching spine nonfiction classics and a handmade table from my grandparents.
Likely my brother and I will split our Mom's china, since he is a family of four and I am single with a partner and child is grown.
He might not want it. Then I have to decide what to do with it. She's happy to send it to goodwill, at least, so I can be free of all the thing guilt others have to shoulder.
She wants space in her garage. And to use her dishwasher. :)

Maybe for others open space in the dwelling is more precious than posters proclaiming Keep Calm and Carry On, clusters of ceramic picture frames, yards of color coded books, large furniture for televisions (get something smaller to support a telly, perhaps?), towers of audio equipment that is mostly obsolete, piles of magazines, drifts of throw pillows.

Look inside. Maybe you are the poster that always questions painting secondhand furniture. Maybe you are part of the books-ebooks discussion ( you can have both). Maybe any room with more than six pieces of art looks chaotic to you, maybe it looks like home. Maybe you hate Ikea. Maybe you don't understand why people pay for Eames plastic chairs.
It is all OK.
No one here says you HAVE to do anything on AT. It is for ideas, concepts, possibilities.
I see it as a virtual dressing room for living spaces. I can try on an idea without financial investment.

That is wonderful, and how I know that I won't organize my books by color.
I'm not Dewey decimal or LOC, either, but I have a system, even as I go to more ebooks than physical books, and let others have the books I have used, even loved, but have decided to set free. (I will always have a small collection. I never want to move 2000 + books again.)

@HELLOHELLOOHHELLO , all tv accessories ended up in my closet. Professionals, after mounting my tv on the wall, threaded the wires through the walls and into the closet. An IR emitter attached to the tv allows me to control the dvd player, cable box, etc, without opening the closet door. I then removed the media console from the small living room, which automatically makes the room look bigger.

@zenizie, what a great suggestion . . . for all those of us who have living room closets. wtf?

It seems as though a lot of folks didn't read the disclaimer(s), both here or on the Huffington site.

Personally, it is a bit too extreme for me (I use my fine china once a year but I'm still keeping my preciouusss, lol), but I'm reading Miss Minimalist's article and I'm not offended - I don't see or sense a condescending tone; just a guide on how she prefers to live her own life, and readers are free to pick and chose what works best for them.

However, I haven't read her blog all the way through just yet, so maybe I'll run across that "egotistical" attitude people are ranting about later on. :P

I also love that the OP assumes that all entertainment centers are big. They've decreased in size as TVs and peripherals have become thinner and sleeker. Most people could do with one the size of a small filing cabinet or a large shelf. Right now, we're planning on doing a 3-door version of this:

http://www.the-brick-house.com/2011/08/fauxdenza/

We won't have anything on the floor and I'm really excited about it. Now to get the HOA to approve a wall-mounted toilet...

Also, the fact that the post needed a disclaimer at all is a sign that Miss Minimalist's list is probably not a great fit for AT readers.

I don't have a bedside table but I have a bedside stool. It doubles as a step-stool to get stuff from a high shelf.

@KMK355, actually it's a hallway/linen closet, I haven't seen a living room closet before. The pros ripped open my living room walls to thread the cable and IR emitter wires through the studs and around the corner and into my hallway/linen closet. Good thing my living room is so small so that there wasn't that much wall to rip open. Afterwards they joint compounded and painted my walls, you'll never knew it had open heart surgery.

@and_scene - maybe it's not a great fit for a lot of the readers here, but like what Miss Minimalist said, "I hope this post is a fun little thought-experiment on what's truly necessary. I think sometimes we feel obligated to own certain items because it's expected; but if you don't even know what a credenza is, it's highly unlikely you need one.

Instead, feel free to furnish only with what fits your lifestyle -- not the idealized one pictured in some shelter magazine. If you find even one or two things here you can live without, you may save a few (hundred or thousand) dollars -- and have some extra room to do a little happy dance!"

I'm taking at least one thing away from that piece (#1) and I'd rather see some diversity in the articles than have them all be the same and ho-hum. (And sometimes I just like looking at lovely things, even if I won't try it out with my space.)

I think just about everyone is aware that they could just get a couple milkcrates, a couple pieces of plywood and a sleeping bag and have just about all of their actual, honest-to-god needs met in their apartment. Decorating has almost nothing to do with need and everything to do with want, so I am not totally sure what the point of this is. A better exercise that I have used to figure out what I feel I actually want from my apartment has been to take pictures of my space so that I can view it from a removed standpoint, preferably actually viewing them someplace away from my home. If you were showing pictures of your space to someone, would you realize as you saw them through someone else's eyes that your house looks insanely cluttered? If so, delete clutter.

Chill, everyone.

This is an interesting thought exercise. How many people think they have the right amount of furniture and then realize they have five irreducible small flat surfaces in the living room, plus six drawers? Could games be moved from another area into those drawers and have them handy and get rid of a chest of drawers elsewhere? When forced to count occasional chairs, are there way more than you have resident butts plus one or two guests? It's good to think "why do I have this?" The answer might be "to put my ashtray and bourbon on, dammit" but at least you have given it a moment's attention.

I think the real message here is to LOOK at everything you have, decide if it works for it's purpose, and if not, replace it with something more appropriate or consider eliminating it altogether.

I have a media console that is just the width of our big-screen TV. It has a section in the center for four components (stacked). This part holds the DVD player, TiVo, and Tuner. On each of the sides are two sections, the top ones are exactly the right size for our small but good quality speakers. In the bottom corners and under the components are shelves we use for decorations. (They could hold DVDs, too, but our movies have a different home.) We spent a lot of time looking for something that could neatly and concisely hold this equipment. I could have lived without the shelves for decorations, but then the unit might have been too low. As it is, it's "perfect" for our needs. That's key.

Our sofa is a sectional. It has a recliner seat for my partner and a chaise lounge for me, plus a center section to make it wide enough to recline on. It's not the quality some people here demand, but those three points were necessary to us, and sometimes you compromise for the function you need and can afford. Plus, it's one piece of furniture when it could be three.

I wear reading glasses, I enjoy beverages, I need a lamp near me -- the tables and nightstands ARE necessary. Some minimalism works best when you are young and limber and in excellent health! As you get a bit older, creature comforts rise in importance!

I hate post like this. People dont need to give up stuff, they just need to look at new ways to use there things. I have a crezendza and a tiny little aparment. Have no table linen but it works ASWOME for storing all my guest bed linens. I also have extra dressers that get used to storage! If you dont like looking at your dresser stuff it in your closet!

I kind of liked the article.

My experience with divorce was the quickest introduction to minimalism ever. LOL

Actually, my daughter has the fabric shelves that hang from the closet bar in her room. Our little place has a small bedroom that's hers and it made sense to use the closet more effectively than take up more room with a dresser. In fact, there are two book cases that are about to leave her room to make more room for her small desk.

That said, my room (AKA the living room), has a wide dresser that stores my clothes and whatever else I'd normally hide in a closet and doubles as a workbench for studio gear. It's all about function and double duty where possible.

A small coffee table against the wall doubles as a TV stand for my little 20" set. If I didn't have the utility of using the coffee table/TV stand for other things I'd hang it on the wall too.

@ANOSMIA - I too am sentimental. I guess the trick is having somewhere to put things and keep it organized. Some stuff is out, some is put away. My hall closet doubles as a place for coats and for old memorabilia that doesn't sit out.

one can only hope to aspire to live like max & bettina
http://www.tagtele.com/videos/voir/63628/
(starts at 5:26)

Yep, I'll go ahead and hang the big ol' CRT television on the wall. Waiting room chic at its finest.

I love Francine's blog.Even though I'll never be a real minimalist,and most of this list is too extreme for me,her blog posts are inspiring.They make me think about what I really need and want.Yes,her way of living is extreme,but she never said that everyone should live that way.She's trying to get us thinking.Why does that make everyone so hostile? I can't do without a desk or end tables,but I'm not offended by her suggesting that we think about whether we really do need those things.She's trying to make a point about how we live these days,that so many of us put too much emphasis on buying stuff and not enough on actual living.She says on her blog,and right in this particular post,that she's not expecting everybody to give up everything.I can't believe how harsh everyone is being.

Also,Miss Minimalist did not write this post for AT. It was written for Huffington Post.

With my tiny condo, the only thing on this list I DO have is a TV stand. I wish I had room for a dresser, but the fabric shelves are adequate, and ensure that I don't accumulate too many clothes I never wear.

I had to dispose of a beautiful mid century dining set when we moved to a more expensive city. No one wanted the buffet--sold the table and chairs fine but had to give the buffet away for free. Such an item is not likely to make a large hole in your wallet, at least if you have a truck and a strong friend or two.

Wow, reading all the comments you'd think this list was impossible to do. My fiance and I don't have ANY of those 5 items and we're perfectly happy without them! Most of the reason we don't have them is because there's no space in our tiny apartment to fit any of them (I DREAM of the day we have a bedroom large enough to fit a bed AND a dresser!). Honestly, though, we don't have a TV, and don't miss it, nor do we have a curio cabinet (or any curios (??) to put in one) and we don't miss that either. I didn't even realize that anyone besides grandmothers even HAD curio cabinets anymore...

Living in a loft with virtually no storage pre-configured into the space makes most of these suggestions irrelevant. I wouldn't even think about applying some of these to my practice office; comfort matters to people. Period.

Considering I don't have closets in my 1100 sq ft home and have but 2 doors (to the bathroom and exit), where would I store my clothes? As much fun as it might be to go around in my birthday suit all the time, a.) I'm not sure my patients (or you) would appreciate it? b.) would i survive the 4 distinct seasons of Chicago in said birthday suit? c.) would getting rid of my professional/ personal attire for the sole sake of getting rid of my one dresser really make life easier?

I agree with the "less is more" mentality to a point. Have what you love and love what you have, but these minimalism "gedaenksexperiments" are getting awfully hackneyed and trite, not to mention about a decade past their time. Don't you think?

This post made me realize that I NEVER sit at my desk. Ever.

I am loving this list. We recently decluttered and got rid of so much big furniture. What a difference! I'm loving the space. We got rid of 2 big speakers, a big stereo cabinet, a metal filing cabinet and an extra office chair. We also moved the coffee table to the side so that the living room is more open. Wow. My daughter has never had a dresser either. She uses fabric shelves in the closet. More space for her to play!

@smartarelac. This is so true! I see taking note, as sometimes with clutter, you need to look beyond the crap flowing out of the cabinet and look at the cabinet itself.

I don't understand these anti television people, who then announce they watch everything online anyway.

I'd rather have a bigger screen in a room in which I can share the experience, than lay a laptop on my chest and watch streaming TV alone. Funnily enough most of what I watch on my TV set isn't from OTA TV, it is streaming over the internet or from my computer and really, a modern television is rediculously thin with a tiny bezel anyway, hardly imposing.

@HOLLER Your advice is excellent..viewing from away..with time to ponder your rooms without the distraction of being in them..as long and much as you want...that works for me..thanks!

I have no problem with the vast majority of people who are minimalists. My problem is with the holier-than-thou attitudes of some people who look down at anyone who makes different design choices. Yes, I live in the suburbs,own televisions (yes, that is plural), and possess a piano because it made my father happy to know it would stay in the family (and we have room). How many of you have completely written me off now because of these choices?

Should add...my problem is with anyone who believes their design choices are somehow morally superior, minimalist or otherwise. Wouldn't the world be pretty boring if we all made the same design choices?

It is possible to have plenty of storage while being visually minimalistic. Furniture can easily be designed to do just that. A lot of furniture is simply designed too look big and heavy. Sofas, for example. It helps to make most customers think they are getting their moneys worth.

@JillBetty - I totally agree, the world would be boring if we all made the same design choices. I'm by no means a minimalist, although I am working towards decluttering my life. I found Miss Minimalist's outlook interesting and enlightening, but do not condemn those who choose to have some extra character or comfort in their homes.

Hang the TV on the wall? Ah, no. My tv is not art. It does not need to be on display all the time. My wee little tv fits nicely in a tv cabinet that is closed up tight when not in use. Hanging the tv on the wall is UHGGLEE

@Jillbetty hits the nail on the head. Innovative ideas are wonderful; eye-rolling moralizing is just tiresome. Watching tv is not antithetical to having a life, and doesn't make anyone a good or bad person.

This piece might resonate with more people if it were written from a questioning perspective: What do you use? Which pieces earn their keep, and which have we simply stopped seeing? At issue are the presumptuous directives: "Just mount your tv to the wall! Take up all of that excess closet space with hanging shelves!" -- as if none of us would have stumbled upon that ground-breaking notion otherwise (or have tons of wasted closets, just languishing for a higher purpose).

AT is fascinating for the opportunity to explore the designs, solutions, and bright ideas of other, real people-- whether they share our taste or not. More sharing + less condescension = more fun and inspiration for all.

Get rid of all your extra stuff and you won't even need to read this website.

I enjoyed reading these comments!
But I just think it's ridiculous to say we don't need pieces of furniture that were invented to serve a specific purpose (like the entertainment center). Where else am I going to keep my dvd player and xbox? Are those supposed to disappear once my TV mounts itself to my wall?
And that's great that the author finds shelving to be a great alternative to a traditional dresser, but its not necessarily functional for everybody (def. not for me!).
Does anyone else find that posts similar to this are always written by someone who doesn't have a TV?

I've lived for 8 years without a dresser because my apartment layout is funky, and while I have ample closet space I do miss a neat few drawers to store my indies and folded shirts and sweaters.
I'm in the "I don't own a TV" category (and never watch it at my friends places, I lack the concentration) but I do have a rather good stereo, so yes, it's good to have some piece of furniture to put it on. And shelves to store my books and records, many of them don't exist in digital form.

I've lived without almost any furniture in the past by necessity, not by choice, and if technically one can do somewhat OK with just a mattress on the floor and not much else, on the long run it isn't, in fact, very practical nor comfortable. No chair? Your back won't thank you. No table? Ditto, and your knees might not like it as well.

We could also all live in airstreams in trailer parks, but would we like it?

I just looked over the full list of fifteen items. Personally, once a person talks about getting rid of their books and carrying everything around on an eReader, I know that person has nothing to say I am interested in hearing. Double that if they also talk about getting rid of their tv.

I live in just over 500 sf. From her ridiculous list I have five dressers (all from Ikea, all either Tarva or Rast unfinished pine that I very much enjoy finishing in different ways), three display cabinets (Ikea Detolfs at $65 each, so neither massive nor expensive), a TV stand with TV, 2 recliners and one ottoman, at least five bookcases, a desk, and a nightstand that I use as a laptop table. If I could find a small filing cabinet that wasn't a cheap piece of crap I would add it in a minute.

If you have a home office where you produce tangible goods or do crafty things, you have to have stuff. It's not an optional extra, it's required. If you have stuff you need to put it somewhere. If you need to put it somewhere, is it better to put it in something like a dresser where it can be organized and out-of-sight or keep it all in plastic storage bins that take up floor space and are completely disorganized? For me, I've tried the plastic storage bins and it doesn't work which is why I switched to the dressers and it works a hell of a lot better and makes my house significantly neater.

So there.

I believe the point of this article, as others have said, was to analyze what we can do without in our lives. That being said, I find it a little offensive that some of us (including) put such little value on things that others clearly value. I don't get rid of some things from my family history because they are important to my family members and they are important to me. I am willing to sacrifice a little space for them. Also, I don't think the author was trying to mandate what each of us should have but just suggest some things we could rethink.

I'm a total fan of functionality minimalistic design, but obviously I'm not going to follow the "rules" to a T. Design is about people adding their own quirks to bend the rules of their preferred style.

The article continues...

16. Kitchen - Yuck! I got rid of the ugly kitchen units years ago. Now without any facilities to cook food, it gives me time to scan the bare white walls of my apartment and feel proud of myself for unburdening my life of all these unnecessary items. Plus I rarely get hungry or thirsty as I tend to just pick berries of the trees as I walk home, and lick the raindrops of the leaves.

17. Doors - who needs these...? Really? Now that I've embraced the mimimalist spirit, my aura is so light I literally float through the walls.

18. Children - anyone who's ever had these knows they just create mess, make too much noise and take up valuable living space. Adoption is much quicker and simpler these days than a lot of people think, and after 6 years of putting up with these little nightmares, I bit the bullet and waved them goodbye. My apartment is so much tidier and spacious, and has a much more peaceful 'haven-like' quality.

19. Radiators - yes sure they pump out heat, blah blah blah, but come on seriously, we can do without. Since most of my senses have now been deadened, I can barely feel the cold anyway.

20. Photographs - now my mind is so consumed with thinking about how wonderful I am, I don't really have time for reminding myself of family, friends or special moments, so photographs are just another unnecessary dust magnet. Ditch them!

21. Toilet - these ceramic eyesores not only waste gallons of water but they can also smell pretty bad! Nowadays I only visit the little girls' room every 24 hours when picking up my morning espresso from the Starbucks on the corner. As an added positive, the inevitable damage this does to my internal organs will most likely finish me off at a relatively young age, thus freeing up even more space.

MM has a kid. I feel as sorry for that kid as I would for kid(s) of a hoarder.

I don't understand what everyone is so upset about. I found nothing condescending about this article and I have TV's and a sofa and family heirlooms. It's an opinion piece. I think these comments are way more judgmental than the article. Y'all are mean.

Btw - she didn't say there was anything wrong with having the 15 items. It's an exercise to take a fresh look at your living space. I like my stuff but I also know I have stuff that I don't use that I should give away or sell. I see nothing wrong with giving away a family heirloom that doesn't have an emotional hold on you. I hate my grandmothers china. My sister loves it so she has it even though Granny wanted me to have it. Instead I have her cast iron skillets, earthenware dishes, and recipe box. I have warm memories of her when I cook with them and eat on my own Fiestaware. I don't need her china for that.

Sorry, sitting on the floor is NOT for me. I have one big square floor cushion for extra seating when the couch, armchairs, and ottomans all have tushes in them, but it's horribly difficult for me to get up from it.

I downsized my life a few years ago and it is amazing how freeing your life feels when you have less stuff to take care of. My space looks bare and spartan but I love it. I have space to do yoga in front of the tv. I still have a dresser and way too many clothes but I do not have a dining room table. On the few occasions when I have people over for dinner I borrow a dining size table and chairs. I am trying to get rid of as much as paper as possible and finally the filing cabinet but that is a slow process.

Love it! I have none of those things, but we are extreme minimalists. Makes life feel clean, bright, breathable and happy. We have a 7yo daughter and she's already anti-clutter. Her little friends love to come to play. They love all the openness and space. So it can work for families. We love to visit friends with cozy, cute, stuff-filled homes, but this just suits us best.

I had a dresser in my room until my boyfriend moved in. Then it seemed more important for him to get to his side of the bed. We built some shelves in the closet to hold socks and underwear and put the rest of the stuff in under-bed drawers. The tiny room feels much bigger now.

For those ladies that live without dressers (which I've been contemplating): Where do you store your lingerie? I can just imagine my bras getting clumped together on a shelf, since they have a tendency to form this bond in drawers regardless of how neatly I put them away.

Lived with all the "family furniture" until Mother died, then sold it! Stopped wanting it years ago. Collected "good china" because I wanted it. Now with no heirs, wash it in the dishwasher. Who cares if the gold wears off 20 years from now?

Lately it seems like there have been a lot of articles on Apartment Therapy with the theme "you probably need these things" or "things you have that you don't need" or "things you have too much of" or "essential things you definitely need," etc. It's good to stop and consider whether we really need these things, and I'm glad that Apartment Therapy isn't like a glossy magazine always encouraging us to buy, buy, buy. But on the other hand, this is getting kind of ridiculous. Everyone's lifestyles are different; generalizing about what people need or don't need is basically meaningless.

Here's the thing I don't understand about people who pare down stuff. Last night I was putting my vacuum cleaner away in a closet and there were several rolls of wrapping paper for Christmas and birthdays. What do minimalists do with stuff like this? Do they use it and then throw the leftovers away? Seems wasteful and expensive. I don't particularly like having stuff like that taking up space, but the alternative, which is to go and buy it every time I need it seems worse. This goes for a lot of things that I need, not necessarily every day, but regularly enough to save what I use: office supplies, holiday decorations, crafting materials, etc.
I don't entirely understand ebooks either. I have a good 70 books or so from my graduate studies. Not giving them away, scanning them (?) or getting new electronic additions. (well, especially since I don't own a Kindle or iPad anyway)

As a consumate collecter and lover of stuff especially the pretty things or just geek stuff I like, sometimes it is good to hear or be suggested that you can live with less. I know before I moved I was loosing sight of that fact. Now, i have a bed, a night stand and two chairs. It is too minamlist. I miss my handed down furnature. I find myself wanting to reach for a book, that is in storage. I need supplies from my art stash to do a project. I LOATHE my bare walls.

Fact is that most of us need to find a balance between hording and stark minamalist to be happy.

@ L.A. Woman - I am in full agreement with you there. I have some heirloom china that was my great grandmother's grandmothers. I think it dates back to the 1860's. That it has been passed down carefully from so many generations astonishes me. I love them. I also believe in using these loved items. Maybe not with those who are rowdy, but I fully intend to have a "we're using the wild antique china" dinner party. (then again my everyday dishes are antiques too. I do not use or own a dishwasher or microwave so they're fine.)

Cassandrah: "Sometimes minimalists are so minimal, they forget other people exist."

YES. And that other people have different values. I am with you - I use linens and other reusable obects because I hate filling up landfills, so I have to have a place to put them. Same for dishes and pots and pans - in an apartment with a small kitchen I need the two shelves underneath a portable kitchen cart/island.

I love dressers and find that they can serve as gorgeous, appropriate storage in any room of a home. Tucking things out of sight and being zealously organized but still creating a warm, interesting home where family and friends can feel comfortable and cozy is my style - minimalism de damned!

Also, as Ecandle96 said, "I don't particularly like having stuff like that taking up space, but the alternative, which is to go and buy it every time I need it seems worse. This goes for a lot of things that I need, not necessarily every day, but regularly enough to save what I use."

YES YES, save and reuse over throw away for the sake of some abstract "minimalist" label. To each their own, of course, but that just doesn't work for me!

@Maybe Someday! Don't discard your daughters two bookcases, use them on each end with a plywood or mdf shelf in the middle as long as you need. I saw this idea on instructables .com and thought it was cool! This way you still have the storage the bookcases provide and a desk "area" . Just a thought!
As far a minimalism is concerned, i love the idea of it, but I'm a creative person and am always lusting after more space for my "stuff". Not a packrat per se, "I am gonna use it all!" LOL!

I'm about to move and cant decide between a totally "zen" bedroom with everything hidden in the closet, or a "buduoir" (spelling?) with gauzy curtains and lush pillows and plants, and lamps, and carpet, and , and, and.....

As much as I enjoy minimalism and that I live without 7 of the 15 items on her list, the philosophy of minimalism is logically silly since you still own possessions that tie you down to one place. If you're committing to owning a space, you might as well use what furniture you will use and apply the not keeping things you don't need around.

I was suprised she didn't say to get rid of the coffee table (for me that would be the first thing) but by the end of her list I realized she ate dinner, paid bills and everything else while on the floor at the coffee table.

@Artsygirl, thanks for the tip!

To all those harping on the tv... yes, what is your point? She watches television on her laptop and realized that she didn't need an additional device or piece of furniture to house it. There's no hypocrisy but the one you're imagining. She's clearly not one of these.

Talk about egocentric... some ATers clearly think they are truly representative of all ATers. Considering the number of responses in this thread that have some variation of "actually, I don't have X", this article is perfectly suited for the AT audience.

Hm... I do not have a dresser, as, having purged my wardrobe of most of the clothes I never wear, the remainder does fit on the closet bar and the two fabric clothing organizers. No buffet/sideboard/curio cabinets, and it's not like I'm going to inherit anything that will need them. No recliner (but I have one of these which I guess serves the same sort of purpose), ottoman, file cabinet (my papers currently fit in a file box).

I have... what amounts to 5 accent tables, haha. 3 of them because I wanted one of each of the woodgrains (1 is my nightstand, sort of, the other 2 fit under the coffee table), 2 because 1 gets used constantly and it's nice to have a spare. I have a media console which currently lacks a tv, but at some point I'll get one and will be able to make some progress on the RPGs I've been working on for the past... 8 years.... I have a couple of bookshelves. My desk is my dining table (folds in half the long way), and my dining chairs are--those exactly but I sure didn't pay that much for them! Even if mine are more scratched, wow--folding and usually hidden away. I do have a sofa, which is also a guestbed. Oh, the sofa has basically an attached side table. Hm, I guess I have what amounts to another desk, as well....

I really can't believe the anger here. She's not holding a gun to anyone's head.She's not expecting everybody to live in an empty box. It's just food for thought.Do what works for you.

Some of the people on this thread need to take a nap or something,damn.

@Yesterdaytf, your continuation of the list literally made me laugh out loud. (Which my slumbering husband did not much appreciate.)

@Bigtab:

I have a deep, narrow closet in my bathroom that was virtually unusable because it had deep shelves. You could only see the front items, and everything else got lost. When I had the BR redone (very necessary), I had the contractor install shallow wire shelves in the back, and one of those hanging rack things (almost like an over-the-door pantry deal) along the side wall. SO MUCH MORE USABLE SPACE!

So, to answer your question, I put a few plastic baskets in there, and they hold my lingerie. Step out of the shower, and there's the underwear, all ready to go. :) It's really the right place for storing undies.

I also don't get the anger in these comments. I didn't hear anything condescending in the article - just something to think about.

I have a friend getting divorced. She's in a tiny apartment over a garage - shares cooking space with her sister, who lives in the main house. She's about to sell the old married home, and worried about what to do with the sideboard and antique dining set that family members gave her. (Basement in new dwelling is wet- should she rent a storage place?)

At this point, that furniture isn't useful, but is a burden my friend feels like she has to bear because family members passed this furniture to her. I pointed out that they passed it on because they didn't need it or want it. ::Sigh:: There's a time when things own us, rather than the opposite.

My friend's memories aren't in the sideboard and dining table. They're in her mind, and probably in some photos she has, too. When she (if she) gets her own space someday, the chances are these pieces won't be what she needs or wants, anyway. Countless storage units go to auction when the owners die or simply abandon caring about the things in them.

My friend also just bought her "living room set," which includes couch, large comfy flop-chair, plus two additional side chairs she grabbed at Marshall's. It's two side chairs too many. The room is over-crowded and cluttered-feeling. My friend bought what she thought a living room "should have," rather than what hers really needed and what her limited space could absorb.

I'm not into minimalism. I'm looking at a closet-turned-bookshelf that's filled with books I've loved, and antique books that I can't seem to stop buying. But I really love the notion of paring down our ownership until it encompasses exactly what we need or believe to be beautiful - and no more. Nothing I keep because I paid good money for it years ago. Nothing I keep because I feel obligated to. No bureaus to turn my tiny bedroom into an obstacle course, if I can find suitable-but-nontraditional storage elsewhere.

I've read Sarah Susanka's book "The Not-So-Big House" many times, and I guess that's the philosophy I embrace. She's all about going with less physical space but more functional design: built-ins and window seats and cozy spaces that embrace the natural human scale. I love the idea of finding exactly the right piece to fit my specific needs and fulfill my sense of beauty. Often this means abandoning the way things "usually are" (clothes stored upstairs in bedrooms) and rethinking purpose (clothes stored downstairs, where the bathroom is, closer to the laundry).

When I am an influential architect,* I will design homes whose bathrooms are attached to laundries and walk-in closets with storage for every item that is laundered. My homes will have lots of built-in shallow cabinets just perfect for shoe storage. Pantry shelves one-item-deep, so nothing gets lost. ::Sigh:: I could spend hours thinking about it.

*Note: This is a self-deprecating comment. I am not an architect, and have no dreams of architectural glory. Do not read arrogance into this post.

I don't really understand why someone who wants to get rid of as much of their furniture as possible even reads apartment therapy.

Unless you have too much furniture for the amount of space you have and are looking to downsize, why would you get rid of a storage piece just because everything you keep in it isn't completely "necessary?"

A blank wall is not by default better than a piece of furniture. I LIKE furniture. I'm guessing most of the people reading this post do too...this being a design website and all.

This whole post is weird.

I think people would be so much better off if they let go of stuff and only purchase, care for and clean stuff they use all the time.

I was going to write about what we don't have but then thought it would be better to jot down what we DO have.

Bed
Expedit
Bench to hold TV
Dining table + two benches
Chameleon sofa
Three chairs
Coffee table
Ikea console table with drawers

A dozen pieces of furniture in all - so I can't get rid of fifteen :)

@BIGTAB For underwear, I use those plastic 'boxes' that bedding sets are sold in - the ones with zippers. I have four - one for panties, one for bras, one for swimwear and one for socks. Several of the Expedit shelves have doors so I keep them out of sight.

Thanks, Amaranta!

And thanks to Mary, too!

In principle I like the idea behind this. Living in a little house with tiny rooms helps enforce the notion that every purchase must be purposeful. However, my furniture and tchotchkes add color and character to my place -- and the furniture was mostly inherited or trash-picked (so free + labor to fix up). When I go into someone's house for the first time, it's their tchotkes and books that tell me something about them and that are great conversation-starters.

Personally, I like this article. I find that having a lot of stuff makes me anxious, and I try not to get sentimentally attached to my things. I don't take this article as specific instructions but more of an inspiration. I care less about the tone of the words and more about the ideas, and I find it very inspiring!

I am a minimalist and I love to read AT because it gives me ideas on color, projects that might be fun for me (particularly kitchen and garden ones), and I just love to see how creative people are and be inspired by them.

Living with less has made our lives really, really good. Going through and having the minimum makes us feel clear in ourselves and more creative and productive than when we had more things. It's really beautiful, honestly. :)

I live in a 900 sq ft apartment with great closets. I purge things regularly and have little incidental furniture. Instead of a dresser, Elfa drawer units in the closet hold only things I actually wear. Some of my documents are scanned and I've gone paperless. My iPad let me move my desktop into a closet, with the printer and the file cabinets, freeing up a huge space. I have no end tables but a giant coffee table I entertain at. I am WAY too old to sit on the floor.

I just redid the place and have yet to get a dining room table because I don't use it. At the moment, my dining area is a media room with recliners, stereo and monitor (a TV used only for DVDs).

I have gotten rid of furniture I don't need and the place looks great. Especially because all that minimalism lets me show off an extensive tribal textile collection and a modest tribal art collection. I got rid of all the books that I would never re-read but kept a collection of tribal art books.

The thing is to examine what you use and what has meaning for you, ignore what society says you "have" to have and stop buying endless amounts of "stuff."

I can see the thrust of the article (do with less), but it would leave my small (at under 460 sq ft, do I qualify for tiny?) rather bare and sterile. No end table means I need to go to my bookshelf every day to read my book. No entertainment center (mine happen to be industrial shelving from Costco with birch shelves trimmed in sapele) means my home theater system sits on the floor, as will my media. No dresser means more clothes in my closet, which also stores more than just clothes. No curio cabinet (a duplicate of my home entertainment center) means art I collected from various friends and places are stored away, not to be seen or appreciated.

I'm sorry, but I happen to like a little clutter of "stuff". It's the stuff of life.

You can pry my tchotchkes and knickknacks from my cold dead hands

I wonder how many copies of each of her books were printed. LOL

@ YesterdayTF- LOL!!!! i really LOVED comments! Awesome!

Yeah, I do wonder sometimes about people who are on this bandwagon of purging everything to live minimalistic-ly. Their stuff gets dumped where? Later, when they get nostalgic for those things they tossed they'll be hitting e-bay to replace them. Minimalism as a life style is just as much a home decor fad as was the Victorian era of excess upon excess. Later it was the Modern Streamlined look with kidney shaped coffee tables & sofas and Calder-esque mobiles. Then frou frou Kute Kountry Kitchen style with avocado color appliances and brown & orange mushroom chatchkies of the 70s. Should people pare down if it helps then function better in their homes? Sure, if that's what they want to do. But it has been mentioned that those same people like to hang out in the homes of others who DO have interesting art & furniture in their homes. I have several "Minimalistic Life Style" friends who always want to come over & hang out on my floppy sofa, eat at my old wooden table, & look at/play with/talk about my odd collections & self made art pieces. And I don't have a television. They just prefer my Lived-In Look home over their bare walls & furniture free floor space. And pawing through my old books with their beautiful color plates- I collect medical journals from the 1800s- seems to hold more fascination for my friends than their e-readers. Probably the real answer is to not acquire so much stuff to begin with. When I need a new shirt I go & buy ONE shirt- not ALSO a few pairs of pants, dresses, & shoes JUST BECAUSE they were on sale! THAT is where people make their first mistake. There's nothing wrong with having things that make your home & life more interesting, comfortable, & happy. Commerce is what keeps economies going since the beginning of time! But do women need 100 pair of shoes?! Most of us only have 2 feet & can only wear one pair at a time! So just buy what you need & will realistically wear. (Yeah, those 7" black stilettos with the rhinestone embellishments & the Lucite heels sure do look sexy. But unless you are wearing them to bed they are impractical for most other activities!). Do guys need to buy more power tools just because they have to go to the hardware store for a few nails! Food shopping- you can only eat so much at one time. Just because there's a coupon for "Buy Two Large Economy Size and Get the Third for Half Off" doesn't mean you HAVE to buy them in the first place!

@ KimberlyRose- Your comment made me crack up too!!! "Yep, I'll go ahead and hang the big ol' CRT television on the wall. Waiting room chic at its finest." LOL!!! Yeah, so that brings me to the next Burr on My Butt- WHY does every situation where one needs to wait HAVE to have a giant screaming flat screen TV mounted to the wall?! What, we aren't expected to talk to one another anymore? Engage in a book or game with our kids? Read the outdated Modern Mechanics & Good Housekeeping magazines anymore (hey I can lose 15 lbs a week AND try this NEW triple fudge chocolate pudding cake recipe!)? When I am sick & need to wait at the hospital or doctor's office I do NOT want Fox News screaming at me about how helping low income families with medical costs will hurt the Republicans' opportunities to purchase flat screen TVs for their yachts! I don't want to see Erectile Dysfunction commercials! I can't even stand in line at my bank now without a giant flat screen mounted to the wall ads for paying down my credit debt and applying for a loan blaring in my face! (When I am at the bank I feel it would be much more important to watch the people around me- like the guy coming through the door with the AK47 bulging under his jacket, or the woman who is eying me while talking on her cell phone to her boyfriend who is waiting in the parking lot while I am withdrawing a large sum of cash). What next? TVs at traffic intersections so one can watch the latest traffic crash reports while waiting for the light to change?! SO a giant flat screen TV on ones living room or bathroom wall looks to me, and to KimberlyRose (obviously I am not alone in my thinking!), like a waiting room. Maybe I can ask my doctor about having those TVs surgically removed to help ease the rectal imflamation they cause me?

It amazes me the way the topic of minimalism gets some posters so hot under the collar! Discussing living with less is not a personal attack on you. Why and how does it come about that those who prefer minimalism are accused of being of condescending, preachy and superior because of their taste? How about a little less (eek minimalism monitor at it again!) or even a lot less touchiness on this subject? By the way minimalism does not mean having NO posessions, it simply means eliminating the non essential. We are all free to choose what is essential in our own lives. For some it's less, for others more. Please calm down.

@ Mister B- You're missing the beat! Those of us who are "hot under the collar" are simply purging ourselves of unwanted pent up stress! Making room for more mental lightness! Ah, just kidding around here. But seriously, I think people get "touchy" about the whole living with less concept because it is a human need to acquire & hoard things. It is in fact a survival instinct in the human species. The cave dweller with the sharpest rock can cut toughest meat. Carve out a concave shape in a piece of wood & one can collect rain water for drinking. It is inherent of of survival that we acquire items to make our lives more comfortable & healthy, more pleasant & safe. Unfortunately, this instinct has grown so out of control that it has become greed, status, or, on the other end of the spectrum, a mental illness. When people are asked to rethink a history's worth of acquiring it bucks against an ingrained system for survival. If you ask me to minimize my collection of sharp pointy sticks & rocks that means my neighbor has more chance of survival than I do. My neighbor will have a warmer cave, a bigger fire, a sharper stick, thicker furs. My family will perish while his flourishes.This is the reptilian survival thinking that we don't even realize we have. So, it's not that people are getting "hot under the collar" intentionally. Their basic instinct for survival has been threatened & they react. Logically, we know that we don't "need" a dresser, or more storage bins. But instinct to store up provisions for the winter in still engrained in our DNA. Not defending hoarding or living with too much stuff or clutter. Just looking at it from a different perspective. Something to consider. (and I still don't like TVs mounted to walls. As one poster said: a TV is not a piece of art!)

@ amygoog : "wipe warmers"!! LOL!! Agreed! They ARE stupid. My daughter received one from her MIL to use for my grandson. My daughter's reaction: "A "Wipe Warmer"?! WTF! What's so difficult about running a cloth under some warm water? Besides, an occasional cold cloth on the butt is what makes kids tough enough to survive out in the cold cruel world!"

@thistly- LOL and a hearty AMEN! From my cold Dead HANDS!

Wow there are a lot of strong reactions on here.

Personally I will take some of these points into consideration, mainly because I'm moving into a tiny apartment and my cheap side thinks I can live without some of these things.Take end tables for ex - I currently have two tables in my house and the end result is I just end up cleaning all of my boyfriend's stuff off of them. More tables means more cleaning. (Thank goodness I don't have children.) I plan on keeping "his" ikea lack table and he can continue to throw all his junk on there. Better than spreading it out over 5 different tables