Marie Kondo On The Storage Item She Can't Live Without

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The renowned tidying guru reveals how she brings order to her family home.

Renowned tidying guru Marie Kondo has always spread the joy of creating a beautifully organised home and, more importantly, one that is super-tidy where everything has its place. So much so, there's one storage item that she says is essential for getting her own home in order.

'My favourite storage item I couldn't live without is a small box,' Marie tells House Beautiful UK. ‘Drawers become inevitably cluttered if you put things in them without dividers. But by using small boxes to break up the space, you can very quickly make it neat and tidy.'

So what type of storage box works best? 'Sometimes I use empty gift boxes, or I buy items in my favourite design. But I have always thought that boxes are the most versatile storage items, and I always will,' Marie explains.

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Her celebrated KonMari Method encourages tidying by category not location and on an individual item-by-item basis. 'Tidying up is a process of giving your full attention to everything in your home and choosing things that spark joy,' says Marie. 'You will find that everything you choose to keep has its own role and supports your life, even if it is seemingly simple or utilitarian. By realising and appreciating this, you will naturally want to put things back in their storage place after you use them, and it will be much easier to maintain the tidy state of your home.’

Since having her three children, now aged three, seven and nine, Marie has gradually learnt to relax when her home isn't always quite as she’d like it to look and feel. 'There are times when my house is not perfectly tidy,' she admits. 'Children leave their toys and personal belongings all over the place. As all parents know, it happens all the time. But, when combined with physical exhaustion and other factors, it can be frustrating.'

Having revised her priorities, Marie's mindful approach to home organising is now something her whole family can embrace. ‘I try to make sure that everyone can do their own tidying so that it does not become a burden only on me,' she tells us.

Sounds like good advice. If you’d like to learn more, Marie is the headline presenter at the upcoming Clean & Tidy Home Show at ExCel, London on Saturday 19th October. Fans will get the chance to meet Marie and some of her expert KonMari Consultants at the show, which is entirely dedicated to the art of cleanliness, decluttering and organisation.

Marie is also holding an in-person KonMari Consultant Course, the first in five years in Europe. ‘The more KonMari Consultants help people change their lives through tidying, the more people can finish tidying and live a life that sparks joy. I truly believe this will make the world a better place,' she concludes.

For tickets and more info on exhibitors at the Clean & Tidy Home Show (19-20 October 2024), visit cleanandtidyhomeshow.com.

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Vikki is the Senior News and Features Writer at House Beautiful UK. She writes on sustainability issues and enjoys interviewing gardening and wildlife/eco experts for the magazine's regular profile feature. Vikki has over twenty years journalism experience writing for various titles including Woman and Home, Good Homes, Ideal Home, The English Home as well as features for The Sunday Times Style magazine and The Telegraph newspaper. After a BA Honours degree in English and History from the Univeristy of Surrey, she gained a postgraduate degree in magazine journalism at Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture.

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