We keep items in our homes that we don’t use. It’s hard to avoid this. Not everything must be kept in the perfect place and in constant use. Life is always in transition. A bit of intentional storage of specific items makes sense. But this is the exception, not the rule. 

Often, I see items like artwork and framed photos residing in drawers, basements, and back corners of closets. Why does this happen? Artwork is acquired when it’s thought to be beautiful, and we have a habit of collecting things we appreciate in that way. It may be accumulated through purchase, for free through friends, or handed down through family members. Sometimes, they procrastinate framing or reframing. Sometimes, the artwork has notable monetary value, and other times, it’s priceless. 

That’s why the artwork piles up in homes. It’s a microcosm of many issues that prevent one from leaning into minimalism, like impulse purchasing. There is a need to own something admired rather than just appreciating it and moving on. Collecting free things or hand-me-downs, you would otherwise not purchase “just because.” Storing and forgetting about items is the result.

Sometimes, we buy something for the future without knowing whether it’ll come to fruition. Unlike FirstAid kits you purchase and hope you never need to use, artwork is not purchased for safety reasons. Expecting to one day have a bigger house where you’ll finally have space to hang them up is counter to the reality minimalism is meant to expose. You don’t know if you’ll still like the same aesthetic or if it will go with the new home. It’s wishful thinking. If you think one day in the future you might pick up snowboarding, would you buy the snowboard now? Or would you wait for a snowboarding trip and then purchase one? When we have space in our homes to store things (or storage units), we think it’s not a big deal to lean these pieces against a wall in our closets. But these are among the many categories we have this thought process. Artwork is not an exception; it’s the same rationalization. 

We need to be more discerning when we impulse buy, purchase for an unknown future, or collect free items. We haven’t unpacked why we make the decisions we make. It’s easy to keep things like artwork because they are meant for the walls (where they wouldn’t be taking up space) and because art is generally considered a worthwhile and non-consumerist object. And while there may be a bit of truth to these rationales, all objects are objects and need to receive discernment just the same.

Family heirlooms are particularly tough because they tend to be unique and carry guilt. We think we’re “supposed to” keep them. This is most difficult with old large-scale framed family photos. This is an example of when we say something is incredibly important and won’t consider parting with it. But then shove it into the back of a closet. A potential solution is to remove the photo from the frame and keep it in an archival photo box or take a picture of the photo to maintain it digitally.

Our actions and inactions contradict what we claim to want. We say we are frustrated by the overwhelm and disorganization of our home space but then dig our heels in when it comes to letting go. The rationalizations we make when acquiring and deciding to keep things (by default or without intent) are rampant. I’m picking on artwork and wall-hung framed photos, but the lessons here apply to minimalism at large.

Investigate all areas of your home for unhung artwork and framed photos, and deeply question how they arrived, why they are located where they are (and not displayed), and what you can do with them next. Note the lessons and a-ha moments you encounter during this process. Then, use that reflection to apply to other categories of items in your home.