When you say minimalism, you could mean one of two things. The first is the lifestyle. Decluttering, living with less; focusing on the non-materialist aspects of life instead of the material. The other is an aesthetic. You don’t have to ascribe to an extreme minimalist lifestyle and own only 15 possessions. Bouncing from place to place not only won’t work for most people, but it also doesn’t sound very pleasant either. The minimalist lifestyle is decluttering, living with only the essentials, and releasing yourself from the burden of your things. The minimalist aesthetic, however, is different.
Design has moved away from the clunky, cluttered aesthetics to clean lines and simple, but effective, visual designs. Just look at the logos of your favorite applications – gone are the shaded, embossed logos of Google, Facebook, or Instagram. Now you have flat colours, clean lines, and an overall cleaner appearance. The same goes for interior design. Nowadays, you can be a minimalist, a maximalist, or anywhere in between. Minimalism, however, is ideal for workshops. Not only does it give you space to do your projects, but it also allows the focus to be only on your projects.
Clean lines, open spaces, and unobtrusive storage space are ideal for workshops of all kinds. Having your own workshop can be a challenge. Making space for yourself in your own home (that you likely share with others, a partner, kids, parents, or even friends) is sometimes impossible. If the rooms in your home are occupied or too small to do your art, it’s time to look outside. Backyards have the potential to be your haven.
If you have a large enough property, you should invest in and buy Armstrong Steel buildings. Their buildings come fully customizable to suit your needs, space, and budget. Need a large, indoor working space? No problem. Need a smaller, more compact space to fit in your yard? No issue. Want to work through the winter? That’s fine – you can include your choice of insulation. Not only will you get the exact workshop you want, but these buildings are also guaranteed to work with the regulations and laws of where you live.
As soon as these workshops are installed, you have the perfect minimalist space. The workshop is a shell waiting for you to make it what you will. If you want, you can completely transform the space into a minimalist’s dream, or you can keep it at its bare bones and use the workshop in true minimalist lifestyle. Regardless, the workshop is now there for you to focus on your work. It is a blank canvas for you to bounce your ideas, rather than distract you.
Your minimalist workshop will be your haven to work on your projects, whether your projects include canvases, or clay, or metal, or wood. Not only will you have a designated place to work, but you also have an escape. Family members are wonderful to live with, but having people around can be distracting and take you away from your work. Set aside a small amount of time to hide away in your workshop, and feel the inspiration and productivity flow.
Alec Neufeld is a retired builder, now freelance writer and part-time general fix it man. He has strong opinions on the use of alternate energy and is also an avid sports enthusiast.
