Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff

Don’t expect this book to be a how-to on becoming a minimalist. That isn’t the intent or purpose of this book. The Cozy Minimalist Home is about how to design and decorate your home in a cozy minimalist way. Myquillyn shares her journey in creating a home and getting rid of excess things. She then goes on to give step by step instructions for how to design/decorate a room. Myquillyn’s has some out of the box ideas and style. She is willing to break the rules and try different things. She talks a lot more about this in her first book, The Nesting Place. While she is braver than I would be willing to be and I don’t always jive with each styling choice, her house is beautifully cohesive and uniquely her own. Her way of writing feels very relatable. She seems like someone you would meet who would be very kind, generous, and warm. I love her focus on hospitality and I have no doubt that those who visit her home immediately feel relaxed and welcomed. There was so much to love in Myquillyn’s Cozy Minimalist Home. It is an interesting read for anyone on a simplifying journey and who wants minimalism without sacrificing warmth. This book is for you if you want a step by step guide to decorating your home in a cozy minimalist style. You’ll still find inspiration and direction even if you aren’t in a place to buy anything yet. You just may have to wait in order to fully follow her rules (i.e. right size rugs, curtains, and accessories). Myquillyn’s advice is spot on and her writing is inspiring. I have no doubt that if you followed her steps and suggestions, you would achieve a cozier and more minimal home. She will give you the encouragement and direction you need to transform your home if you’re willing to invest the time.

The first book I read and purchased by Myquillyn was The Nesting Place. When I was asked to be part of a launch group for her second book, I couldn’t pass up the chance at getting an inside look. After reading the first few chapters, I pre-ordered my own copy! Now that I have received my copy and read it, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a way to stop managing your stuff but rather enjoy the space you live in. She writes as though you are sitting and discussing your home with a friend. The book is full of ideas and steps to take to create a home you will love. It’s not about minimalism, nor simply home decorating. It’s about finding a space that is cozy and not packed full of “stuff” that you have to manage. If you are looking for practical solutions, ideas and inspiration for minimizing your decor to become something you adore, then this book is for you. It would make a beautiful coffee table book. I would recommend this for yourself or to give as a gift to a friend, sister, mother-in-law or teacher!

There seems to be a trend on minimalism right now and I don’t mind it! After reading “The Minimalist Home” by Joshua Becker, I was curious to read Cozy Minimalist Home after hearing about it on Alli Worthington’s podcast. Cozy Minimalist Home gives basic instructions with beautiful visuals for how to create a cozy space with less stuff than one typically uses as a “stuff manager” of one’s home. It read as a simplified guide to home decor - purchase longer drapes, larger lamps, and larger rugs. If it’s one’s first go at styling a home, this is a great read. To be honest, I found myself liking some of the “before” photos just as much if even more than the “after” photos of the cozy minimalist space. I think that the idea of having just enough in one’s home is lovely, but sometimes the spaces lacked personal charm and personality in my opinion. I love that the goal of cozy minimalism is to get one’s home in a place where one can forget about it. I agree there! That’s a great feeling to have a space ready for any visitor because it allows the host to focus more on the needs of the guest rather than being consumed with how the home looks. I did come away with some design ideas from the book. For example, grouping one’s collection together does make a bigger impact and I feel inspired to create a shelf or use one table for our collection of family photos rather than having them spread out around the house. Also, I love the idea of creating purposeful white spaces in our home. I love having our kitchen island and countertops clear and Cozy Minimalist Home confirmed that it’s the right move for our family. Too many small things everywhere does not allow me to feel at peace at home. I do not like feeling like I am consumed by managing my stuff and reading Cozy Minimalist Home made me feel as though I was talking with a friend about our projects at home. That part of reading was really fun. I also love the idea of shopping one’s home before giving in to purchasing a whole bunch of smaller seasonal decor items. Totally agree that is a game changer! Overall, I came away with inspiration for my own home and enjoyed learning from Myquillyn’s experience of creating a home that is both cozy and minimalistic. Cozy Minimalist Home is a good present choice for a friend who is a new homeowner, into design, or craving more simplicity in life. - HBR

Cozy Minimalist Home gives me permission to decorate the way I've always wanted to but thought I was doing something wrong. I co-host a podcast called Minimalist Moms, so I feel like I'm expected to keep my home minimal, but when I take too much away, it feels cold and unfriendly. Plus, I'm not comfortable and that's hardly any way to live, right? Myquillyn shows you how to make your home cozy AND minimalist. She teaches you how it's more about making your home function for you than following a certain design aesthetic. Then, she walks you through how to decorate a room from start to finish, step-by-easy-step. And, guess what? I was doing everything in the wrong order. No wonder my rooms never felt quite right! Her advice is as about as practical as it comes and easy for everyone to accomplish. No design degree required! My husband and I have been debating about which mirror to put over our fireplace for months but I didn't want to order it from a catalog because I would lose $100 in shipping costs to return if it wasn't right. After I finished her chapter on wall art, I ordered that mirror with confidence - and saved money! This book has literally already paid for itself several times over! Favorite Quotes: - More for the sake of more is just as empty as less for the sake of less. - Less is the gift to myself that keeps on giving. - Every limitation has a beautiful workaround. - One of the best parts of cozy minimalism is this odd sensation you begin to experience – one that most people never allow themselves to feel. It’s called "enough."

“Everything in your home is related and you want it all to be on friendly terms. You want your beautiful things to tell a beautiful, meaningful, and cohesive family story in the most Cozy Minimalist way.” Yes. Myquillyn takes us on a journey that begins with the realization that more STUFF doesn’t always mean great style. Many of us (raising my own hand!) fell into the trap of just layering a bunch of tchotchkes in hopes that we’d perhaps randomly hit a high score on the style scale. As a former blogger, I spent years hitting yard sales and thrift shops and BUYING ALL THE THINGS because that’s what everyone was doing. At some point, all that stuff becomes overwhelming. Myquillyn gently points out that living life this way makes one a Stuff Manager instead of a Home Curator. We want to remove all the distractions so we can actually live in and enjoy our homes...but how do we do that? Myquillyn gives readers a straightforward plan, with her trademark sense of humor. Never do you feel embarrassed or ashamed for having made a decor mistake. In fact, Myquillyn admits she’s made some herself. The plan for introducing a Cozy Minimalist lifestyle into your home is laid out carefully and concisely, with great photos to give readers a visual guide. The word “Minimalist” doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t have to evoke visions of shiny chrome furniture and concrete surfaces devoid of any warmth or texture. Myquillyn shows us how to marry minimalism with a warm and cozy sense of comfort so that our homes are sure to welcome others and work for our families. A must-read for anyone who has ever considered how to make their home an inviting space with “more style, less stuff.” I received an advance copy of the book from Zondervan. All opinions are my own.

TL;DR This book made me laugh, although I don’t think the author intended this to be a funny read. It has no useful advice for making your home cozier or more minimalist. I’m currently working on making my home more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, without buying too much “stuff”. After reading through the summary and many positive reviews, I thought this would provide some good advice. I was wrong. I found the author’s tone to be condescending and judgmental. For example, she tries hard to make it sound like she would be ok with it if you really like your Bob’s Discount Furniture sofa, and then quickly equates that plushy sofa with tourist sneakers, which she thinks do not provide a “finished look”. She says that if you put up red curtains in your living room, from the outside at night it looks like Satan is having a hot party in there. Sure it does, and that is a hilarious image, but why does that have to be a bad thing? Perhaps the author thinks it is a bad thing because in a seemingly random paragraph, she suggests you should design your home so God would be comfortable there, or something. I don’t care what religion she practices, but since this is supposed to be about designing your home, there is really no need for her to mention her religion. The author also has no formal background in interior design besides her blog, and if she were naturally gifted with a great sense of style, this wouldn’t be a problem. However, her lack of experience and any kind of formal training shows in her book. There is very little creativity or ingenuity in her home’s style or the advice she gives about how to decorate your home. There is also a painful lack of awareness of people who have full-time jobs/families/other interests and cannot spend whole days meditating on an empty room’s ideal layout. There is also zero reference to anyone who might live in a smaller home, like an apartment, where it is totally impractical/impossible to move furniture/stuff out of a room and into another room just to perform her prescribed exercise, which she insists loudly that you do. I think the author’s heart is in the right place, but this book falls far short of its intended purpose.

I love this book!!! I am well-acquainted with many decorating and design philosophies, yet I still found lots to learn here. I'm on my second read and have begun a small re-do of my family room so far, with other rooms planned too. Myquellin's writing style is funny and accessible, and I especially appreciate her message of loving your home right where you are now - expensive renovations not necessary. I have a quirky older home and this was exactly the mindset I have been trying to cultivate. I don't want to wait ten years (until we finally add that bathroom, etc.) to love my home. Her methods of doing/buying things in the proper order are sound and definitely gave me some fresh ideas. Her photos are great too and very inspiring; she is the queen of the vignette! As a homeowner on a modest budget, it's easy to lose all perspective when design sites such as Houzz seem to feature only high-end, super expensive projects. This book is the antidote to that kind of thinking! She has a knack for highlighting the beauty and charm of rustic, vintage/antique items and pairing them in a fresh, lovely - and yes, COZY - way with modern decor. A must-read for anyone wanting "more style, less stuff" and in need of inspiration and instructions on how to get there!

I adore home decorating. I have followed Myquillyn on her blog for years. She is the reason my dining room is a shade of tobacco road. When I happened along this journey I had to decide if I wanted to be a Minister of Coziness or continue being a Manager of Stuff. I do tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. I find things on sale and think maybe I will use this somewhere in the house, or I will save for when I decorate for fall, etc. I am finding that I enjoy it less and less when I have to lug everything out and place new decorations, then taking it all down and replacing for another season. This book lays out the building blocks for you to have a minimalist home, but not that cold feeling that can come along with that kind of lifestyle. It's about choosing the right pieces to make your house feel cozy, while not overloading it with stuff. I pre-ordered the book early on, and it came with some wonderful classes that really help you find your way. I plan to tackle each room in my house and pare down the "stuff" making it more functional, yet beautiful. The one thing I will never be able to do is pare down and get rid of my books.

Totally love it.!! It help me to get my own stile and a cozy home!!!

Fantastic read, just starting on my journey of releasing stuff & creating the city home I want I can't wait

This is a great book, perfect for those who desire less stuff but need some guidance In home decor, I love that this is from a christian perspective as well. The only thing is the corner of the book was slightly damaged but I did receive a signed copy which I was not expecting so im quite pleased.

I love this book and her approach to decorating. It will save me time, money and frustration. Thanks Myquillin!

I brought this book as I'm a fan of the author's blog and instagram. The 'cozy minimalist' approach is a great idea with some nice concepts for creating interiors that feel as good as they look. The downside though, as others have noted, is that there just isn't enough content in the book to feel it has any great value. The first half is spent persuading you that this is a strategy you'll want to buy into, but this felt far too repetitive especially for those who are familiar with the author's work. The second half is much more engaging but it would have been nice to see photos of the approach in use in other homes (aside from the authors) to help visualise the concepts and see how they can work in other spaces. An enjoyable enough read but not necessarily one worth investing in a hardback for.