Less is more. This has become the motto of a new generation of homeowners who are trying to escape the excess and consumerism habits of the 20th century. The 21st century establishes the base of a minimalist lifestyle and this is gaining traction as more and more individuals realise the profound life-changing impact of “less is more”.
Now anyone that knows me will know that I am a maximalist but today I am going to share how minimalism can help you in more ways than you may think.
Ultimately, minimalism isn’t just about decluttering your living space. It can also extend to a mindset that emphasises purposeful living. When you begin to value quality over quantity, you can start to make conscious choices that will improve different aspects of your life. One often overlooked realm where minimalism can yield unexpected benefits is energy efficiency. Indeed, embracing a minimalist approach can help you unlock a new world of energy savings, thus reducing not only your environmental footprint but also your costs. So, if you are looking for the long-term impact of a minimalistic lifestyle, do make sure to take into account its unique properties for the creation of an energy-efficient interior.
Switching to a modern heating system
The typical heating system includes a boiler and a water tank. This system can be not only space-demanding but also energy-hungry. Yet, a minimalist approach could revolutionise the heating solution inside your home. There is no denying that the old gas boilers are doomed to disappear in the upcoming years. They are less efficient and can take up a lot of space. Enter the air source heat pump, a revolutionary technology that harnesses the natural heat present in the air to warm your living space.
Unlike traditional heating systems, heat pumps do not need fossil fuels. They extract the heat from the outdoor air and transfer it indoors, ensuring minimal disruption to the environment. You can use the heat with radiators, but also to heat up your water. This completely eliminates the need for bulky water tanks, which ends up saving both space and energy.
The genius behind the heat pump lies in its simplicity. It taps into an abundant and renewable resource, the air, to minimise not only the complexity of your heating system and its environmental footprint.
Prioritising natural light
A crucial aspect of a minimalist approach is natural light. A minimalist decor often employs design principles that amplify the entry of natural light into your living spaces. This naturally leads to a clear and bright decor, using light-coloured furnishing, strategically placed reflective surfaces, and opening the paths to windows. This can greatly reduce the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours as you let more sunlight into your home.
There’s also a lot more to natural light use at home. Sunlight is a free and renewable source of energy. Solar panels can be a neat addition that prioritise natural light and minimal energy creation. Yet, if you are not ready to install solar panels, you can certainly use solar powered batteries that can be conveniently topped up while leaving them in the sun during daytime. When you start harnessing the power of the sun, you further reduce your reliance on energy-consuming light fixtures and devices.
Simple flooring solutions
In the pursuit of energy efficiency through minimalism, even your choice of flooring can make a significant impact. Concrete flooring, with its sleek and unobstructive aesthetics, aligns seamlessly with a minimalist decor. But there is more than meets the eye. Concrete flooring also possesses thermal mass properties that can play a pivotal role in regulating the temperature inside your home.
Indeed, it can be used as a smart way to contribute to the home’s total heating mix, which means that your property requires less energy to stay warm in winter. When the sunlight lands on your concrete floor, it is absorbed, which helps warm the space. It goes without saving, you want to ensure you can control how much sunlight hits your concrete slab during the hotter months of the year, using curtains or blinds.
Removing switches in a smart home hub
Smart home technology is growing in popularity. It can be central in the creation of a minimalist and energy-efficient interior. Indeed, a smart home can be powered by advanced sensors and automation features in order to seamlessly control your lighting and heating systems, for example. This keeps your walls free of switches, creating a sleek look and feel that further pursuits a minimalist quest.
Additionally, the addition of sensor-based automation also contributes to reducing your overall energy consumption. Your home becomes more sustainable and energy-friendly as it can determine and measure needs more accurately.
In conclusion, a minimalist lifestyle doesn’t just free you from the shackles of capitalistic possessions. It can also contribute to creating an environmentally-friendly home that minimises its footprint on the planet.
This is a collaborative post
