She famously tells clients to cut down the amount of items in your home and wardrobe, and only keep things that ‘spark joy’. That’s right, don’t think in terms of ‘Do I need this?’, but more ‘Does this bring me happiness?’
She also has a formula for folding all clothes, towels, sheets etc - where they’re neatly folded into a rectangle and stored upright in a box. And it seems that philosophy extends to the kitchen, where Marie has some tips that will surprise many.
The star says she always stores her carrots upright in a drink holder - in keeping with her philosophy to never stack items. Marie believes that when you pile items on top of each other - including carrots! - items at the bottom lose their spirit. When you stack things vertically, however, you’re treating them respect - plus they’re easier to access!
Around the kitchen, Marie also suggests applying some of her other organisational philosophies. For example, while you made one day NEED an array of cake tins in different shapes and sizes - only choose the tins for the cakes that really ‘spark joy’ in you.
And she also suggests that labels with a lot of words have a lot of ‘noise’ and can visually clutter your kitchen. Try moving things like spices and herbs into plain jars with small, simple labels to make your home more calming.
She also suggests that while it’s nice to have items in your kitchen and home that have sentimental attachments and a sense of nostalgia, that can also be holding you back. So if you’re hanging onto plates that were given to you as a wedding gift or dishes that were handed down through generations, these could unconsciously causing you more stress at home.
Marie’s ‘Does it spark joy?’ cleaning philosophy has seen her sell millions of books and be named as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People. Her new Netflix series Tidying Up With Marie Kondo is a cult favourite, already one of the big hits of 2019.
