Cleaning & Organizing

How tidy could you keep your home if it was only filled with things you love? The KonMari method seeks to answer that question. Image: David Campbell Building

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Different cultures decorate their homes in different ways. Here in the States, we love stuff. In fact, our consumer culture encourages us to buy more and more for our homes. But where do we find the space for it all? Many of us don’t, and we end up with cluttered, disorganized spaces. Does this sound like you? If you feel like your stuff is out of control – or if you have that one closet that you never want to open – the KonMari method could help.

Developed by Marie Kondo, this method is laid out in her compact, easy-to-read book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Borrowing from her own Japanese culture’s love of minimalism, Kondo helps people clear more junk out of their houses than they ever dreamed possible. How? With one simple test.

Paring down your possessions to only what sparks joy can help you create an organized home – and your ideal lifestyle. Image: Shira Gill Home

The KonMari Test

The KonMari method is a hands-on approach to home organization – literally. It starts with clearing out items that no longer belong in the home. When deciding whether to keep or part with an item, people are encouraged to hold that item in their hands. How does it make you feel? Think about why you have it in your home. Is it because someone gave it to you and you feel guilty parting with it? Is it because you loved it at one point and just haven’t gotten around to ditching it?

The KonMari method says that if you don’t love something, it doesn’t belong in your home. When holding an item, you ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?” Unless the answer is a definitive yes, don’t keep it.

The method encourages you to do your whole house in one go. Yes, that includes those stacks of papers that contain who-knows-what and the holiday decor you never get out and the bins of miscellany in your garage and the… well, you get the idea. The theory is that we always put those things off for someday, but someday never comes. With the simple joy-sparking test, you have a tool to make decisions on those long-forgotten items and can make someday today.

The KonMari method’s power to transform your home comes from the way it addresses everything, from art to books to bedding. Image: Bertolini Architects

Organize once and for all

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has sold over two million copies. Why did a book about minimalism do so well in a stuff-driven culture? Perhaps because of its promise to help you organize once and for all. Kondo claims that when you use her method, you’ll get your house completely tidied – and will keep it that way permanently. How does it work? Here are her top difference-making rules.

Envision your ideal life

The stuff in your space should help you create your ideal lifestyle. So before you decide what to keep and what should go, think through your dream life at home. Clarifying this vision will guide your organization.

Do it all, and do it fully

The once-and-for-all claim can really only be effective if you do your whole house or apartment. Every keepsake, every paper, every linen – everything needs to be considered. Don’t start the KonMari method until you’re ready to tackle it all. Then, tidy up (i.e. get rid of items that don’t spark joy) before you start organizing.

Normally when you clean and organize, you probably go room by room. That makes sense, theoretically. But when you’re doing a major overhaul like this, organize by category, not location. If you have some coats in a coat closet, some in your everyday closet, and some in storage, pull them all out and go through them together. This helps you get clarity on what you own and prevents duplicates. You might be surprised by what you find!

Designate a place for every item

Kondo believes that you should treat your objects well, almost like they’re living things. That’s why she has a specific folding method (we tried it; it’s awesome!). With her method, clothes get carefully folded and stacked for ultimate organization while keeping your clothing in top shape. Goop has a great illustrated guide on her folding technique if you want more info.

It’s not just about clothes storage, though. The KonMari method stresses having a place for each item. And, no, the back of some drawer doesn’t count. Once you’ve significantly streamlined your possessions, put them back in an orderly way. The theory is that when everything has a place, it will get put back in the place, keeping your home tidy – permanently.

Have you used the KonMari method in your home? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

The post The KonMari Method: How to Get Your Home More Organized than Ever appeared first on Freshome.com.

It’s easy to get a cluttered basement. People often treat the basement like a no man’s land. It’s rare for guests to go down there unless the basement is furnished with entertainment areas or bars, so it can make a convenient place to throw things when you don’t have room for them upstairs. Soon, an organized basement seems like something from a distant dream.

However, with a little time in the basement and a clear organizational system, you can get your basement organized and usable once more. Cleaning the basement makes a great New Year’s resolution. It’s a good home project for that time between Christmas and New Year’s when many people have time off of school or work. Plus, it’s an easy way to ignore the cold temperatures outside. Below are some ideas for finally getting that organized basement.

Built-in shelving looks like a cohesive part of a basement’s design and color scheme. Image: Peregrine Design/Build

Built-in shelving systems for an organized basement

One great way to finally get an organized basement is to make use of some shelving along the walls. The cubby system in the photo above is a great example. It shows how you can incorporate a fun, colorful paint design into the back of the shelving.

You can go about this idea in a couple of ways. You could get a carpenter to build a shelving system like this or build one yourself if you’re handy. Or, an easier way to get a shelving unit is to go for a pre-fab system that gives the look of a built-in unit. You could place something like this against the walls.

Basements with open floor plans can benefit from organized and clearly defined areas. Image: Kaja Gam Interior Architecture and Design

Visually separated areas

When organizing your basement, you may also want to think about how different areas work together towards the overall functionality of the space. An example is the space in the photo above, where there is an area for doing laundry next to a table space. Even without using dividers, there’s an internal logic to the space. You can tell where laundry is supposed to be done by the placement of the washer and dryer, and the table visually separates the space next to the washing area.

You might get a similar design by making one corner of the basement clearly a child’s play area with a colorful rug surrounded by toy bins. Or you could mark another corner as a workout area, where all the workout equipment sits. Basements often don’t have partitions, so this is a good way to give organization to an open plan basement design.

Thinking from a minimalist’s frame of mind, you might be able to clear out what you don’t need more easily. Image: It’s Organized

Basement minimalism

Minimalism doesn’t just have to be for the upstairs. This photo above shows a minimalistic basement style. Cupboards in the background keep everything neatly put away. And it’s easy to organize sparse items along the wall in an orderly way. A white color scheme keeps the space looking bright and open, as well as imparting a stark minimalism.

By thinking of your basement in terms of minimalism and minimalist lifestyles, you might be able to prioritize what to keep and what to throw away more easily. A good rule of thumb is that if you either forgot you owned something or haven’t used it in a year, it’s ripe for throwing out or donating. You can find additional decluttering tips here.

Basement workrooms can get a new lease on life with wall organizational systems. Image: transFORM

Organized workstations

The basement workroom is one of the trickiest areas to organize. Tools jumble up, cords tangle and we somehow tend to end up with duplicate tools.

Although the photo above is a garage space, it also applies well to basement workrooms. An organizational unit like this works well for holding small tools where you can easily grab them, keeping things in neat drawers and hanging large tools from the wall for better organization. With a system like this, you’ll get an organized basement in no time. You can either have the organizational system put in by a professional contractor or buy the components of systems like this.

Plastic bins are a customizable way to organize many different items. Image: Board and Vellum Architecture and Design

Plastic bin system

A popular way to get an organized basement is to go for a bin system. The photo above shows a very comprehensive one. This is actually for a LEGO room. It’s a good way to contain all the small pieces if you have hobbies like LEGO building or model building.

You can also use this system to contain small children’s toys, clothing, holiday decorating items and all the other things that tend to end up strewn about a basement. A great aspect of a bin system is that you can customize the size of the bins you need based on what you are storing.

Achieving an organized basement may feel like a daunting task — especially if it’s been a while since you last cleaned — but with these organizational tips, you can have a livable basement once again. Did we miss any of your favorite organizational systems? Let us know below!

The post 5 Clever Ways to Get that Organized Basement for 2019 appeared first on Freshome.com.