Everything You Need to Know to KonMari Your Home
Are you as entranced by Netflix’s “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” as I am?
As a personal stylist, I found it to be my civic duty to read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up almost three years ago. I’ve never looked back - by following her method to the letter, I am here to say, my drawers, my closets, and my life still feel just as good and tidy as when I first determined what sparked joy. When I originally completed tidying, I kept talking, and talking, and talking about it. To everyone. People I knew and some I didn’t. I spoke with such enthusiasm that it ended up sparked others to start the process — but reading the book seemed prohibitive to starting. So, I made a handy-dandy summary of the KonMari method in an email, and it ended up getting forwarded. Widely.
If you’d like more information about following Marie Kondo’s methods, just follow these steps:
Do this by category, not by space - so, when you're doing your shirts, for instance, make sure to get ALL your shirts, in every place that you keep them.
Everything must come out and be put in one place, like your bed, and then you must physically handle every item and ask yourself "does this bring me joy?"
It's best to start early in the morning.
No music, minimal talking.
Once you've gone through all your items, that is when the fun begins, when you get to put things back.
Save time by carefully folding each item that passes the test and *does* bring you joy while you're going through your clothes. Most clothing, except the ones that tell you that they want to be hung, want to be folded. There is a "sweet spot" for each item in terms of folding. Imbue your clothes with love by thinking about how much you appreciate them as you do this.
When putting things back, separate clothing types first by material and then color. Heavier fabrics should be on the far left, and light fabrics to the right. It's not about having off season clothes stored away, it's about having them in the back of your closet when it's not the right time to wear it.
Dark colors should start on the left and go into the lightest colors on the right.
Try not to stack anything, but instead turn it on it's side so you can easily access everything.
Winter jackets can be stored by nailing a few hooks or nails on the back wall of your closet.
Socks should be gently folded once or twice, as should tights. Think about how you would feel if you were a sock or a tight - what would be the most restful position when you're not serving your owner's needs?
After everything has been put back in it's proper place (it may take you some fiddling and returning to the space to know what is right for each piece), fill your wardrobe and closet with items, artwork, precious mementos that bring YOU joy. Why not put a framed picture on a shelf in a cupboard, so you see it every time you open it up? Or hang a painting on the wall of your closet?
You will find that there will be *just enough space* when you've gone through things properly. Look for unused, old boxes from your cell phone, shoe boxes, anything, for corralling things. It's actually really fun to make everything fit perfectly in each box. If you notice yourself struggling to make something fit, listen to whether that item is telling you it doesn't actually belong, in that box or in your life.
GET RID OF YOUR TRASH! Donate the clothes that need to be donated immediately, and resell what can be sold as soon as possible.
Here is the order in which to start with your clothes:
Tops (tees, long sleeves, blouses, sweaters)
Pants (spandex, jeans, sweatpants)
Things that should be hung (jackets, suits, skirts)
Accessories: shoes, scarves, socks, underwear, pajamas, lingerie, bags, jewelry
The full order for the Kon-Mari method is:
Clothing
Books
Papers
Miscellaneous (kitchen, bathroom, garage)
Sentimental items (by the time you hit this category, your ability to identify what sparks joy will be finely tuned)
Remember, tidying can be fun, and the results are truly phenomenal. Of course, this method is not for everyone, but I encourage you to find ways to spark joy with Marie (even if it is just watching the Netflix show!).
