I work at a computer most of the day and go home to rest. This year I decided to start spending time doing the things that I’ve adopted minimalism for. One of those things is a more active lifestyle and the other is more time being creative. In order to make room for these things I had to reduce television time, so I set out to refocus my living room away from television.
It’s amazing how television has been the center of every living room I’ve been in since I can remember. It’s possible it’s been the focus of every living room for my parent’s entire lifetime, yet the time we spend watching television has increased from a few hours a week to a few hours a day!
I typically sit in the chaise to watch the television and surf the net, which I do at the same time…like any sane person. It’s really no wonder I’m not producing quality work or even relaxing on my off hours.
So I decided to remove the television from the initial floor plan consideration. Instead I focused on seating feeling comfortable for conversation and perhaps board games. I live on an intersection across the street from a park and the view is a large part of the reason I bought the house, not because the view is spectacular but because it draws you out, begging you to join it.
Points of Consideration
- Put seating in direct sight of the park
- Bring seating close enough to play a board game
- Leave space to walk around furniture comfortably
- Make sure at least one seat can see the television
I did remove two bookshelves. For the time being they are in the office but since I’ve been decluttering I find the shelves themselves are too busy. Removing the shelves helped make the space feel lighter. Part of this could be that books are and feel heavy.
The chair-and-a-half is easy to move around so putting it between the sofa and television isn’t a big problem for occasional group viewing. The small coffee table and bench are easy to move as well.
I mentioned the view from the window here. The sofa has a view of the intersection, which some people may not like. There’s a lot to watch out there, but people are below the view when sitting. The chair-and-a-half sits higher and is comfortable to sit sideways in, so I positioned it so that I could see the park out the window.
The bench was a bit challenging. It was a piece of the dining set I was gifted from my landlords as it was left behind by another tenant. It also had four chairs so it can’t go in the dining room. I decided it could be used to expand to party seating so I tucked it in on the wall.
Did rearranging my living room reduce television time?
It’s been a few weeks now. Moving the television was not really what prompted me to get outside or do other things.
In reality my computer crashing and needing to wait for a part from Asia, however, did get me doing the things I’d wanted to spend my time on.
I found myself seeing others walking around the intersection and the sun going down and I’d think “I better get out there before it’s dark”. I’ve also been stretching on my yoga mat in the space behind the seating area.
In addition the clear living space let to a clear dining room which encouraged me to clean the office. When I started to go through the office I stumbled upon some painting prep work I’d started and was inspired to start watercoloring.
Decluttering Tipping Point
I’d decluttered in the living room before. Many times. I’ve been redefining the purpose of spaces since I bought the house. The dining room has become, unintentionally, a transition space. The things going out and coming in are set there temporarily.
I had setup a shelf so I could collect all my to-do items; mostly home improvement materials. It’s getting thinner. The main difference is how much of the floorboards are now visible in these rooms. This entire time boxes and items I intended to donate have been piling up and I’ve been moving them from one place to another. Now there’re in the office.
Reducing television time is easier than you think…
The surprising part of this is that fitting in the activities I enjoy didn’t require me for me to focus on eliminating television. Simply being conscious of the patterns and having a few more furniture sized obstacles in the way seemed to free up enough time to do most of the things I wanted to add in my life.
I still binge watch television…but I knew before I started that’s what I was going to do. At this point I don’t know how long I’ll keep this arrangement but I don’t regret doing it. It also helped me clarify my feelings on a few items such as gaming systems. So much of my living room possessions were items that facilitated building relationships (i.e. games. Now I realize that I don’t want to spend that time playing games. I want to spend it conversing or doing something productive.
I’m also find that my view of my neighbors walking their dog, biking, or doing yard work helps me feel connection with my community which adds further incentive to get outside. I don’t have to walk with a neighbor to be neighborly, but I could.
I’ve been able to realize the vision I wanted, because I discovered what I wanted through the home buying process. For me, putting so much of my financial resources into one single item forced me to form a clear image for my future.
Moving Forward
My vision definitely includes far fewer belongings and more creativity so I will continue to apply what I’ve learned here to other spaces. That park looks a lot less appealing in the winter so there are some upcoming obstacles I will tackle as winter approaches!
Let me know if you have suggestions for adapting spring-fall activities for winter. I’d love to know if you found the article helpful. Also, if you have applied similar approaches to your living spaces in order to reduce television time.
