I love decluttering and organizing and have followed many of the "gurus". There are actually some new ideas here to try. A few formatting issues were distracting.

I'm not a hoarder, yet I still get seriously attached to things. Decluttering is a bit of a challenge for me, and although I can do it, is not completely easy for me. Yet, as a military wife, with a family of 5, constantly moving, and relocating to a new station every couple of years, I know that living a minimalist lifestyle can improve my sanity and help me make moves faster and slightly less chaotic.

This book has helped so much with that. I am still decluttering here and there, I'm not done, but at least I have learned not to introduce new items to my life unless they are a necessity or something really meaningful. In concept, I already knew the benefits of a minimalistic life. But for some reason, just when I decided to focus and learn is when it truly sticks to my brain.

I love the approach of the author to keep things simple, including the systems you follow.

I didn't expect to find recipes for cleaning products, but it makes sense to help make things simple and have one main all-purpose cleaner, instead of a dozen of "specific" cleaners. This book provides 3 recipes for simple cleaning products, an all-purpose cleaner, a miracle scrub, and homemade wood polish.

The photographs included in the book, are so simple, but they show how nice a simplistic approach to decor and storage and look. It also provides some visual guidance and inspiration which are always welcome.

So much information and resources, but the most important one, in my humble opinion, is how the author keeps reminding you that the habit of maintaining a simple lifestyle is the secret to minimalism. In other words, what good would declutter be we keep collecting and collecting more items just to declutter them again once they become too much.

This book will guide you in any place you are at the moment. If you need help decluttering, then start there. If you already decluttered but need a system to keep things simple and manageable, then the section on design will be where to start. With countless suggestions and guides, I'm sure something will ring your bell and provide you with help.

I don't have any complaints about this book, but I wished there would be more photos available.

Since discovering my tenant is a hoarder and witnessing first hand how it affects more than the person living in the house, I highly recommend everyone to read a book on minimalism. I have read several books on decluttering, organizing and all around simplifying our lives through less stuff. This book encompasses all three in an easy to read format.

What I loved were the little snippets of how people's lives improved by "letting go" and how they developed new habits for maintaining a simpler lifestyle. One example is Kyle who instituted the "jacket rule." "When she first comes home, she removes her shoes but keeps her jacket on until she has put away everything." This is so helpful for anyone who has that pile on the kitchen table of discarded clothes, mail, work computer, etc. I also love the notion that storing anything under the bed is bad feng shui and no one wants that, especially in the bedroom. ;) There are even ideas for minimizing junk mail!

My trouble areas are my closet (always looking to simplify my wardrobe) and discarding family items handed down through the years. I have no attachment to these items but still feel the guilt of donating items like my grandmother's full size bed frame and her china. I don't even know if she liked these items but I just keep moving them from house to house. This book plainly states "get over the guilt" and move on. Maybe I just needed permission. So many wonderful ideas I never read in any other book. Definitely a keeper.

Minimalism is very popular nowadays. It will be good for living with minimal objects and it will be helpful to reduce the trash each household produce..........

I was highly frustrated when reading Marie Kondo's book about tidying up. As someone who already lives with very little, it felt condescending, or potentially just childish as it was all very simple.

This book's strength is where Kondo's fail. It offers more thoughts on how to create, design, and live more intentionally in your home (none of that thanking socks as you fold them...) in a more realistic and understandable way. It gives tips on how to create more organic and sustainable every day practice, like cleaning or even thrifting to acquire some goods. It is more holistic about the whole aspect of the home and making the best of it. Will definitely buy as a guide for future and highly recommend it!

In the rabid consumer society of today, most people have way more stuff than they need...or want, and many don't realize that their 'stuff' is keeping them stuck.
This book talks about the freedom that comes with remove the unnecessary and extraneous stuff from your life and your living environment very much like the "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" but then goes on to celebrate the 'tidy' state as a permanent lifestyle change.
Highly recommended.
And gift a beautiful copy to loved ones. They will thank you.

Disappointed in the book as I have already read books similar to this. There weren't really any new tips and tricks that I learned from this book either. Dull read. Sorry!

I loved this book. Many practical tips about how to organize and purge your home. I found myself taking notes. This is a great companion to the magic of tidying up etc. The book is well organized and researched.

I reached for "New Minimalism: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable, Intentional Living" looking more for how to do decor in the newly rearranged living room than decluttering. I had read at least 5 decluttering books in the last few months, and I did not think there is any more to say on the subject. And perhaps the authors did not intend to say more, but they succeed in doing it their own way. Sure, almost any book on the subject will encourage you to figure out your "why", why do you want to start living minimally and declutter your house. In "New Minimalism", however, you will also find the generalistic, but nevertheless useful analysis of four types, or archetypes of how we interact with our belongings - and how to address each one when it comes up.

Another way the authors manage to put their own spin on decluttering craze are their environmental concerns and tips to do things in the Earth-friendly way. Some of the things I never thought about was, for example, to donate your items, thus allowing others to use them rather than end on landfill, but then pack your donations in paper bags that can be recycled.

On that note, however, the authors go a bit too far in their criticism of the cleaning supplies as "toxic chemicals". I am sure there are compounds not good for us in some of the cleaners, but just because acetic acid is called vinegar and you use lemon as a source of citric acid does not mean you avoided chemistry altogether. And while many chemicals are indeed toxic, there are also so-called natural sources of toxins. Cyanide with your almonds, anybody?

While I was disappointed the authors did not spend all that much time talking about the decor overall, the few tips they provided were quite useful. Enough to distinguish it from all other decluttering books out there. And if you never read any of those, "New Minimalism" is definitely a good start.

In New Minimalism Cary Fortin and Kyle Quilici explain the importance of prioritizing relationships and experiences above material possessions in order to find contentment and happiness in our lives. By paring down our possessions to just enough to fulfill our personal needs, we open up our living space and reduce the financial and emotional stress produced by clutter in our homes. We can appreciate what we have and spend more time with people and activities we like. The authors have made me stop and ask myself what really matters to me. I find it very useful that they characterize four personal archetypes that each need to overcome specific emotional pitfalls in order to successfully reduce their possessions. I found myself in the Practical and Energetic types and will question why I am holding on to specific items accordingly.
The book so far has inspired me to transform our dining room from a makeshift office and catch-all for all kind of clutter back to its original purpose: a dining room! Today I laughed about myself when I went through my cleaning supplies. I finally allowed myself to throw away a lot of almost empty gallon containers that had occupied an immense amount of cabinet space for years. How did the authors know I have been holding on to them for such a long time?
At the end of the book, the authors list a number of valuable design principles for organizing what we keep in our homes. If you are holding on to too many material possessions and want to make realistic progress towards owning less, this is a very good book.

I really love this book! The NEW MINIMALISM: Decluttering and Design for Sustainable, Intentional Living by Cary Telander Fortin and Kyle Louise Quilici is, first off, simply beautiful to look at, with a lovely design and photos that capture the essence of minimalism. I found I breathed more easily as I went further and further into the book. I could imagine myself sitting in the living room or at the dining table shown in the photos because of the warm inviting ambience. I also like how the authors describe coming to a place of adopting this way of life and how they met at a yoga retreat, where they realized how sympatico their ideas were, especially at a time when minimalism was not as big a movement. And I appreciate how they work with clients, the process they lay out in this ever helpful guide, which is to focus on what you do want in your life and what is important to you, then to create a personal space that supports your deepest desires and values. 5/5

Thanks to Sasquatch Books and
NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

Pub Date 02 Jan 2018

#NewMinimalism #NetGalley

"Your external space reflects your internal state. What does your home stay about you?"

This is the tagline over at New Minimalism, and if I can sum this book up in only one quote, obviously this one fits the bill.  I had never heard of the New Minimalism blog before picking up this book. I just happened by it and thought it looked cool. Boy am I glad I found it. I will now also be a devoted follower of the blog (http://www.newminimalism.com/), and I've been stalking their Instagram, too.

This book isn't about getting your life down to 100 items or less. It's about finding the minimalism that works for you, identifying the things in your home that are important in your life and having enough room to treasure and use them on a day to day basis.

I recently downsized from a 1600+ house (I mean, I did have a roommate) to a 700 sq. foot apartment, and a lot of these things seemed familiar, but it's nice to know there is a system, and that I can still do more to make this tiny space my home. I come from many generations of packrats, and I am always looking for new ways to maximize my space and not overbuy or hoard.

Fortin and Quilici break us down into four types, and though we are probably all of these types at some point, we tend to learn toward one or two of the types for the most part, and they offer unique tips and perspectives for each type on cutting down the clutter as well as creating the perfect homey space for our homes.

These ladies are big on donating. It can help fellow humans and the environment. They even have a helpful, "donating tips" section at the end of the book if you aren't quite sure how to do the best good after your purge.

Also, if, like me, after finishing this book, you want more, there are some great resources, both print and digital for continuing your journey into New Minimalism. I definitely recommend this book, and though I've become way more mindful of what I bring into my home (and what I spend on these things), I appreciated their fresh perspectives and will be revisiting this book more as I continue in my new(ish) home.

I appreciated the action items ideas listed in one of the chapters. Practical ideas that are spelled out for anyone to understand. Some of the ideas may be hard for people to hear for the first time, but make a lot of sense the more you think about them. Definite focus on the environment, which I appreciated.

The two authors mention starting a decluttering session with your wardrobe/clothes because it’s an area where the items belong solely to you. This makes sense, although there isn’t much of a focus on decluttering other people’s belongings. I don’t think either of the authors mentioned having any children. It’s easier to minimize when it’s just two people in the household. Would like to read more about how to manage other people’s belongings.

I was given an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Practical advice for anyone at the beginning and early stages of adopting a more minimal attitude. This contained general guidance that can fit every style and every home. This really understood that each person's "enough" would be uniquely suited to their life. The authors' archetypes were spot on and helpful for identifying triggering items, activities and the crutch phrases for each. Didn't know until this book my husband had his own clutter issues because of items' "usefulness." The tone was not severe or judgmental, and I appreciated that the authors didn't encourage you to discard items in the trash but rather donate, recycle, compost, etc.

I will certainly take to heart two concepts: 1) It's okay to love an item and also donate it. 2) It's okay to appreciate an item in the store and not purchase it. Those sound simple, but allowing those thoughts to resonate in me I imagine will help change my buying/accumulating habits. While reading the book, I also decided our family needed to address Christmas/holiday gift giving. We accrue so much junk around the holidays, and it stresses me out. We used to adopt the want/need/wear/read, but before I even got to the section in the book, I identified, we could have a less-stuff Christmas if we gave and received something to eat/experience/remember (letter or speech)/spend (gift card).

This is basically the US version of the Marie Kondo book. It's geared towards our society and how we function. Though, it has a little bit more than what Ms. Kondo has. There's recipes for cleaning solutions, and personality types. I was sad there was no pictures in this book.

What a great reference for both the minimalist lifestyle and the sparse design esthetic. The only reason I rated the book a 4 is that it didnt translate well to Kindle - when I located a hard copy of the book, I found the illustrations absolutely key to the ultimate reading experience. Granted, I have a standard Kindle and not the fire tablet, so that might be fine.
That being said, I definitely recommend this book. It is concisely but conversationally written. I found the concepts easy to understand and the suggestions clear and implementation easy as well.

I'm not sure what was 'new' in this book as it really was the author's summation of other minimalists ideas. I didn't find it original or anything 'new'. Unfortunately, it was rather dull reading.