Have we got minimalism all wrong?

Kyle Chayka, the author of The Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism, reminds us that minimalism started in the art world and was about finding beauty in unexpected things, such as industrial materials.

Throwing out all your stuff might seem to be against consumerism, but you still have to buy the right new things to follow a fitting austere aesthetic. Owning minimal and having white walls and floors can become oppressive and empty.

The roots of modern minimalist philosophy reach some 2,500 years back with Diogenes. Born around 412 BC, Diogenes decided he didn't need a house and lived in a felled rainwater pipe. All he possessed was a cloak, a walking stick and a leather pouch. He discovered happiness through self-mastery and self-sufficiency.

In the 3rd Century BC, Stoicism's philosophy informs a minimalistic lifestyle by adhering to simple living ideas and focusing on the self and community instead of possessions.

In the context of a happy life, people feel more energetic and focused when they deal with the clutter.

John Pawson states that it takes discipline to reduce until you can't further subtract. But not having anything can make spaces uncomfortable to be in.