A minimalist life in a big city: Creating more from less

Our society and lifestyle have always pushed us to thrive for more and look for bigger things; bigger plots, bigger houses, more rooms, more belongings and what not.  

But in an alternate scenario, we can create more from using less. This is what minimalism stands for.

Minimalism is a life philosophy based on the understanding that anything unnecessary should be eliminated. 

A minimalist strives for a simpler life and a simpler life can be designed with fewer possessions and smart usage of what you already have.

"I do not even have a bed. After setting the mattress on the floor, I got to utilise the bliss of my full-height window," said Shah Ruthba Oishee, a fifth-year MBBS student at the Armed Forces Medical College. 

She also informed us that she does not feel the need for a dressing table. A seamless wall mirror with a small stool is enough for her. 

Ruthba's room. Photo: Courtesy

To save free space, she has replaced her study table with a small foldable one. 

To Ruthba, the thought of extra is always discomforting. "I always try to bring positive energy into my room through smart furniture arrangements," she added.

Minimalist living is also about intentions. You make room and time in your life for the things you love and eliminate everything that distracts you from them.

"Every possession comes with responsibility and attachment. So owning fewer things is actually smart and kind to your pocket," said Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychology, University of Dhaka, Dr Md Kamal Uddin, who is not a big fan of added responsibilities. For this sole reason, he does not own a car.

"My residence is two minutes away from work. My children also study at neighbouring schools. We really do not need a car to commute, and on the occasional instances, Uber is enough," he added. 

As much as we do not like to address it, modern living has become synonymous with the accumulation of objects and unnecessary attachments that are hard to eliminate.

"When I was in my early 20s, I discovered two prominent character traits in me: One, I am not a fan of clutters of any form, two, I am not a materialistic person," said Hridi Ahmed, founder of Azuria - Organic Skincare and Akoriyo - Minimal Décor.

These two combined, brought her to the mindset of living simpler and valuing quality over quantity.

Hridi's room. Photo: Courtesy

She continued, "I only get things that I absolutely adore, which would also serve me with great purpose for years." 

To Hridi, minimalism is both an art and a skill of living simple and finding joy in the smallest things in life.

She always tried to incorporate minimalism in her home and her wardrobe as well. 

According to her, the key to healthy living is less is always more, so she carefully curated and got things that are absolute necessities. 

"Minimalism enforced on home decor allows the house to have a lot of breathable space, making each item stand out," she opined.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate minimalism in a household. 

Pinterest is flooded with ideas that can actually help your home look bigger and neat.

For instance, replacing furniture with decors like floor pillows, shrugs etc saves up a good amount of free space.

Adding a mirror on the wall acts as a window, giving a more spacious feel while bouncing light around a room.

Besides, the abundance of white and pastel in the interior clears your visual clutter and makes you a little more relaxed.

Hridi's room. Photo: Courtesy

When you remove most of the things which do not really align with your lifestyle, there is more room to live your life connected to your true self.

Living in a modern city is beyond hectic. Owning a condominium with tons of stuff can mean tons of bills and a time- and energy-consuming job to sustain it all. 

The cleaning and organisation responsibilities of a lavish lifestyle eventually become a job in itself.

A minimalist life in a big city helps you stay focused and more organised, saves your money and provides you other life-changing benefits.

A young architect from Buet, Duity Aroni Chakraborty believes that after the pandemic, there has been a notable shift in people's mindset in terms of interior decoration. 

She said, "Home quarantine has made people realise the importance of breathing space and open areas at home."