'I love my new build house decorated complete in beige - it helps keep me chilled out'

A woman says that decorating her new build in beige décor has made her feel "calm" and "confident".

Jade Bird, 26, decided to "cut the crap" after realising clutter was causing her distractions and unhappiness. She also cut out "toxic" people, began journaling, and stopped impulse spending.

The 26-year-old has kept her Yorkshire home minimalist, only buying essentials, and uses a beige colour scheme to keep her "calm".

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Despite trolls saying it is "bland" and "boring", Jade feels her minimalistic lifestyle and mindset had made her more "confident" and "comfortable" in herself.

Jade, who works at a bank, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, said: "Minimalism is quality over quantity. Minimalism is creating that mental space and clarity.

"If I have not used something in 12 months it's going. Get rid of as much mental and physical clutter that you can."

Jade started becoming interested in switching up her lifestyle in autumn 2023. She said: "I was really interested in living a peaceful lifestyle, with no drama and no stress.

"When you're surrounded by all that clutter it is causing distractions subconsciously."

Jade bought a new build home with her partner, Brandon, 26, an electrician, in December 2023 and got rid of hundreds of items before moving.

She decided to keep her home clutter free and chose a neutral colour scheme of beige, white, black, silver, and gold. Jade said: "It just appeals. It's not overwhelming. It's beige and cream and it's more calm. It's not as tough on the mind."

The minimalist runs a TikTok account where she shows all things homey, and she gets the odd comment on her page, @minimalist_home_life, saying her home would make them "depressed" and is "bland and boring" but she couldn't be happier.

Jade said: "The peace you feel inside is invaluable. I'm just so confident in the way that I am. I don't care what anyone else thinks.

"The world would be boring if we all liked the same stuff. You can be a minimalist and like colour. This is just what I prefer and it's easy on the mind."

Now Jade wakes up every day and journals for 10 minutes to plan her day. She said: "If I haven't filled in the planner my day goes to pot. I set goals - weekly, monthly and a to do list."

Jade also finds the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle means she's cut out spending on things she doesn't need - and so has more money to invest in good quality items.

She also spends less time cleaning now. She said: "I don't have as much to clean and dust. It saves me a lot of time and it saves money."

Now Jade prefers cosy nights in enjoying her home - and couldn't see herself changing her minimalist lifestyle.

She said: "I'm so much more confident and comfortable in who I am. The way I'm living - it makes everything much more simple.

"I'm chilled out and can focus on the important things. I love a simpler lifestyle - having less stuff, not dealing with negativity in my life."

Jade's top tips for a minimalist lifestyle

• If you're just keeping something just in case get rid of it - there will be an alternative if you need it in the future.
• If you haven't used something in 12 months - bin it.
• Stop impulsive spending - "When I'm shopping I ask myself three questions - where is it going? What is its purpose? Am I going to use it?"
• "Protect your peace. This is done by being kind to your mind and decluttering the amount of information and negativity/stress you fill it with." Try journaling and filling in a lifestyle planner.
• "Cut off the toxic people - people who are negative, bad vibes, aren’t supportive."