Spring Cleaning for the Anti-Minimalism Hedonist

Remove everything. Take out the beautiful things. The things you love, the things you cherish, the things that make you warm with memories. Remove the box of letters from your lover. Remove your collection of vintage books and dog-eared copy of Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Remove your first pink box—still tied up in its satin ribbon as if it were brand new—of Agent Provocateur lingerie. Remove that gorgeous bottle Tom Ford eau de parfum, your beloved Luna Sleeping Night Oil, and the rare Kate Moss x Supreme poster you have framed.

Empty it all out.

Remove the things you’ve purposefully ignored or forgotten. The blouse that takes up real estate in your closet. The palette you regret buying, but keep because it’s a guilty reminder of how irresponsible you were with your cash. Remove the junk food you binge on during bouts of insomnia, remove the sweatpants you wore when you wear when you think you’re fat, remove the worn-out heels you can’t bear to toss because…you’re not sure why.

Empty it all out until it’s all gone.

Then, sweep. Dust first (Swiffer is my weapon of choice). Vacuum next. Then, get on your hands and knees and scrub. Clean every corner, every nook, every cranny. Scrub it of every spill and every memory. And in getting on all fours, while wiping—in wax on, wax off motions, from the innermost edge working your way out to your front door—you reacquaint yourself with your space again. 

This is your home. 

Burn a smudge stick, light a candle. Play your favorite record, and slowly—this process cannot be rushed—bring back the things you love. Do it one by one. Touch them, feel them, remember their purpose or what they mean to you; then, put them where they belong. Let intuition (not commercialized feng shui) guide how you re-arrange and organize. 

When you’re done, open the windows. This is where your new chapter begins.

.   .   .

xx