February 8, 2019
Picture walking into your home after a long day at work. You greet your house like an old friend and proceed to remove your shoes, place them neatly on the rack and empty your purse, keys, phone and lip balm onto a perfectly-sized tray in the hall. You glide into the kitchen where there is nothing on the worktop but a kettle and make yourself a cup of herbal tea.
Sound like a dream? Not if you’ve followed the instructions of tidying guru Marie Kondo!
Kondo fever has been sweeping the nation since the bestselling author’s show aired on Netflix at the beginning of January. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, while not everyone’s cup of tea, has proved to be a massive hit – especially with so many of us looking for a fresh start in the New Year.
Kondo’s famous method of keeping only items that spark joy has inspired individuals not only to overhaul their wardrobes but their whole lives. The result, less stuff, less clutter and the most Instagram worthy drawers you’ve ever seen.
The process of KonMari-ing your life is incredibly cathartic. However, for many, the biggest stress is not the daunting ‘discard’ phase, but rather once they need to figure out how to store all their belongings. What is the best way to store their belongings so that they stay neat and ordered?
Fortunately, we’ve come up with our three favourite storage solutions to help you keep your home clear of clutter.
But remember, you must do all your discarding first before you think about storage – that way you can be sure you’re buying only enough storage for your needs.
In her second book Spark Joy, Marie Kondo speaks about her experience visiting restaurants in Japan and exploring their kitchens to see what makes the perfect cooking space.
She quickly found that there is only one requirement for a kitchen to spark joy – it must be easy to clean.
Marie’s advice is that everything from your blender to your knives and even your washing up liquid should be kept off the countertop. Before and after cooking you should be able to wipe down the sides without having to move a single thing.
The same can be said for the bathroom, where the key is to keep everything clean and dry.
Although at first this may sound like an impossible task, being savvy with your space can make the dream a reality – and don’t forget, good organisation can help make a kitchen look and feel bigger!
There’s so much free space on the back of doors that goes unused, so why not take advantage of that? Elfa’s wire door rack is a tidy and very useful solution that gives you an abundance of extra storage space. Perfect in the kitchen and bathroom to free up space on the surfaces and keep your room tidy.
One of the hardest elements to tackle in the Kondo process is komono. Spare nails from flat-pack furniture, safety pins, hair bands, stamps and foreign coins all accumulate over time and can be found in many a ‘stuff’ draw.
Although we may be forgiven for having one messy draw in the house, this is not the case in Marie’s world. The secret to success when it comes to the little hard-to-place items is making a home for everything.
The only way to prevent accumulating again is to know what you have and where everything is. This means creating a home for every last item in your house and making sure it gets put back there once it has fulfilled its purpose.
Boxes are ideal for organising these little bits and pieces. Anything from takeaway pots to old trainer boxes will help you to systematise your items.
But if you’re really looking to up your storage game then the acrylic storage range from Muji is perfect. Since all the storage boxes are transparent, you can see everything you own yet the small compartments mean you can separate to your heart’s content.
In The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Marie Kondo explains that after every day, when she returns home, she greets her house and unpacks her bag. Unpacking your bag every day is a key part of the KonMari process as it is the final stage in giving everything a home.
Spoiler alert – the bottom step of the staircase is not where your rucksack belongs!
Although the thought of empting everything out of your bag may seem like a massive chore, it actually makes complete sense.
According to a report by the Independent, Brits spend, on average, 31 minutes looking for lost things throughout the day. One of the main culprits of this wasted time is searching for house and car keys.
The joy of emptying your bag at the end of every day is that you will always be sure where these slippery items can be found: right where you put them.
Give it a go and see how much time you save. It’s vital that you designate a spot for all the everyday items in your bag rather than just picking a random place in the house – this way your system will be foolproof.
What we love about KonMari is that once you’ve completed the process, your house should remain as tidy as the first day.
Minimalism isn’t for everyone but the joys of a home where everything has a place are quite incredible.
One of the greatest perks is how easy it is to clean without having to move everything first! We’re sure once you’ve started you’ll be as hooked as we are. For KonMari success remember the following:
1. Be sure to discard any unwanted items before you start storing your belongings away –
you’ll be surprised at how much space you have even without these storage hacks!
2. Utilise the back of the door in the kitchen and bathroom to keep surfaces clear
3. Store all similar items together in one place so they’re always easy to find
4. Empty your bag at the end of every day and enjoy never looking for your keys again!