You might have heard the expression Does it Spark Joy quite a lot in the last year. If you haven’t, then what rock have you been living under all this while?

The series KonMari Netflix has released was a revelation for me. The KonMari method of organisation is a game changer. And if you’re like me and derive great satisfaction from home makeover shows, then don’t miss this series. Season 2 is just around the corner.

What is a KonMari method?

The KonMari method was named after the decluttering and organisation guru Marie Kondo.

The KonMari basics “encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go”.

There are numerous tutorials you can check, and even apply to become a KonMari consultant if that’s your thing. 

She has a system of organising and folding clothes that might not be original, but she has combined them all to make it easy for anyone to follow.

My husband and I are relatively organised people so I was skeptical if we needed more order in our lives. How naive I was!

How the KonMari method helped me stay organised

Our storage spaces were never messy, but we would find we needed to freshen it up again every few weeks. Ever since I’ve tried the KonMari method, things have been in place for longer. Even our 5-year-old has gotten a hang of it.

These are some of the changes in our organising system that have really helped me.

Separate items in boxes:

Wherever I’ve lived I’ve had more cupboard shelves than drawers. Clothes sometimes get lost in deep shelves and piling them on top of each other also makes it less accessible. 

Keeping them in boxes, facing up makes it easier to see every item so you’ll use them more. Moreover, if things get messy all you need to do is arrange 1 box at a time, which hardly takes 2 minutes. 

There are plenty of options for storage boxes for every part of your home. I love IKEA containers, but Amazon has some great options too. I also have up–cycled a lot of cardboard boxes with pretty paper all around the house.

Have a place for each item:

This seems like a given but it took me a while to understand it. Each item, when everything you have is stored inside, should have it’s own space. Not just a drawer of related items, but a partitioned drawer with a place for separate items. 

A stationery drawer with separators for glue, pencils, staplers, etc; a cosmetics cabinet with separate boxes for brushes, creams, soaps, etc. You get the picture. This way you know exactly where things are and if you’re low on stock. You also avoid over-buying things because you can’t remember where you kept that thing you need urgently.

Folding method makes it standard:

I find Marie Kondo’s 3-part folding method for clothes and linen easy to do. I feel that this method also reduces crease lines on clothes. However, if you prefer any other folding pattern then pick that and follow it uniformly. This way all similar items get folded and fitted neatly into their boxes or baskets.

Check out some awesome up-cycled boxes for storage and gifting. Just because the boxes are inside, doesn’t mean they can’t be pretty!

Do you have any tips and tricks to stay organised? Let me know in the comments.