10 Ways to Keep it Simple at Home in Aspen

As you’re looking at Aspen homes for sale, you’ve probably daydreamed about what your future home will look like. Keeping it simple is a great first step — not only is simplicity easier, but it’s also modern and attractive. Plus, in a world that’s often so complicated and complex, who needs unnecessary twists and turns in their life?

This article aims to pass along tips to help you create a minimal yet attractive ambiance in your new Aspen real estate. Here are ten ways to declutter your space, open up your home, and keep it simple in Aspen.

This item could be from anywhere in the house, whether it’s from that spare closet you haven’t set foot in since last year or the three-car garage so full of junk that you can’t even park one car inside. In the grand scheme of simplicity, one thing a day may not seem like much, and that’s why consistency is key. You’ll slowly start to clear out many of your unnecessary possessions, making it easier to stick with the values of simplicity regularly. You’ll be surprised at how giving away one item every day can affect your daily mood and lifestyle.

How many articles of clothing do you have in your closet that haven’t been worn in the last three months? What about the past year? I’d wager that many of us have clothing we bought at the height of summer last year that we never even wore. And with fashion trends always coming and going, there’s a good chance they’ll continue to collect dust. Donating clothes is the perfect way to declutter your mind and closet. Think about how nice it would be to clear out every out-of-date, old, well-worn piece of clothing and only keep the things you actually want to wear.

Whether you need to renew your driver's license or replace your passport, having a designated spot for your important documents is essential. You won’t have to partake in a house-wide treasure hunt when you need your birth certificate or health insurance information. It will also help make your home more organized, as you won’t have essential documents spread out in six different places across your house. Take an hour to consolidate everything into one accordion-style folder and throw anything away that you no longer need. It will be time well spent.

This tip may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s crucial to include nonetheless. Organizing your home will be much easier if you have less to manage. And if you want to make the process as quick and efficient as possible, you can also declutter your Aspen real estate while organizing. Keep a separate bin or pile of items that need to be thrown away or donated as you go through your home. In your organizing, if you find yourself unsure whether or not to keep something, the answer is probably “no” — especially if you can’t remember the last time you used it.

We all have a junk space in our homes where things accumulate over time. It could be a drawer in the kitchen, a desk in your home office, or a spare closet. Don’t allow those spaces to continue to exist. Make sure everything has a designated place, and if something isn’t significant enough to have a permanent location, perhaps it needs to be thrown away.

When most people hear the word “downsize,” they automatically think it means moving into one of the smaller Aspen homes for sale. While this is a great way to simplify, it’s not the only form of downsizing that exists. Downsizing could mean ditching that dining room table that seats eight and replacing it with one that seats four. Perhaps it’s getting rid of a chair or end table in your living room to help open up the space.

Written by Elaine St. James in 1994, Simplify Your Life offers 100 ideas on how you can “slow down and enjoy the things that really matter.” We all need a little reminder to look at what’s in front of us and to enjoy the now, which is something Elaine St. James has thoughtfully done with her book. And thanks to the progression of technology, her words remain as prevalent today as they were nearly 30 years ago.

Do you need eighteen coffee mugs? Probably not. Odds are you use the same one most days anyways. Getting rid of duplicates is a quick and easy way to simplify your life, and you can still keep two or three in case you ever need an extra.

Most of us have way more food than we need or know what to do with. You likely have expired food on hand if it’s been a while since you’ve gone through your pantry. Take an hour or two to go through your food and clear out what’s gone bad or what you don’t plan to eat anymore. And resist the urge to immediately fill the extra space with more food that you probably won’t eat and will expire again.

As much as you do to declutter your Aspen real estate, life happens. Whether you get busy with work, your kids' extracurricular activities, or friends. Clutter will likely begin to sneak back in over time. You shouldn’t feel shame about this, because it happens to everyone. Many days, there are more important things to worry about besides keeping your home pristine. What might be helpful to create a feeling of simplicity and organization in your life is to designate one space in your home where clutter isn’t allowed — the space you choose is up to you. It can be the side table by your bed, the counter in your bathroom, or the coffee table in the living room. This simple yet effective trick will allow you to breathe easy, knowing you’re in control of your space.

These tips will work for anyone in any location, but they’re beneficial for those in the Aspen area. You want your home to reflect the natural beauty of your new Aspen neighborhood, and there is no better way than by keeping a simple, clean space. If you see yourself buying Aspen real estate, contact Justin Addison. Justin has a wealth of knowledge about Aspen homes for sale, and he is ready to walk you through the home buying process to ensure you find the perfect fit. Contact Justin today!