https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:47:27 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1715083 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 19:04:25 +0000 unfrumped 1715083@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's right, Susie! Also a possible job change. Both helped set the stage to let go of some stuff and move on. </p> <p>Regarding kids- I agree! I don't pretend that they would never have to sort through " our stuff" one day nor do I plan to live as though my funeral is next week! And it's okay for me to have some mementos or files that are dear to me in some way.<br /> I think it has more to do with the total amount ( Marie Kondo did not set limits, if it all brings you joy, but I think at some point there is a volume issue!) and with mindfulness.<br /> I also have to resist the idea that our girls might want certain things so I should hang onto them. For better or worse, we're not in the position of giving them first right of refusal for things ( or not often, anyway) I might decide to liberate. ( we're not talking about the family sterling or anything, but if something were an item they have some memory of or is sentimental. )<br /> So I have to not think like my own mom or my MIL and instead think, again, for better or worse, maybe I am just " keeping house" for me and DH in real time so that at any given time, my stuff is stuff I currently like and use, and maybe that is a legacy, not an architectural dig through the decades "just in case". </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1715028 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 18:01:28 +0000 Susie 1715028@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's an interesting perspective- that a grandchild helping you focus on the present rather than looking back- makes it easier to let go of things. </p> <p>I don't ever want my children to feel any pressure to take my stuff or to feel guilty about getting rid of things. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1714956 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 16:09:17 +0000 unfrumped 1714956@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JAileen, I'm working through the same thing.<br /> Some items are from my own parents who are gone now.<br /> But then<br /> My in- laws downsized to a retirement apartment about 5 years ago. My MIL is the type that thinks every item has to go to someone in the family. She was willing to give stuff away, but it became clear that estate sale or Goodwill was not acceptable- ii had to be family. </p> <p>So even after taking a bunch of things I really thought I would enjoy and use, we had still more items pressed upon us and we took some things we thought would help them clear out their house for sale.<br /> Plus, she boxed things for our DD's but for US to give to them.<br /> And even now, she is still sorting through papers and such and mails them to us.<br /> Here is what is helping, and it includes Marie Kondo.<br /> First, we did intentionally take a lot things to be helpful during their time of great transition -I say an act of love- realizing how hard it is to leave home and habits and we will likely face that one day, and DH's parents have been a huge support to us over many years, and it was clear that MIL. woulc not change, nor was it my goal to attempt that. So we knew we did not have to keep stuff, but were helping MIL separate from it.<br /> But still, family stuff DOES get its hooks into you, and it can be harder to offload than I thought. I get sucked into letters and memorabilia . And my love of vintage serving wear and linens.....<br /> So the " thank it for its purpose" is helping ( not really thanking the object but giving credit to what purpose was served by our taking it, clearing the house, reminiscing with MIL , reading the letters)--and that I don't have to keep the object after.<br /> Second, much like the serene new apt mentioned--MIL did not take THESE items with her! So many are not even her favorites!<br /> Also I experienced that she took the same approach to EVERY item, from kitsch to fine linen, from an old manual to a great letter from an important relative. She could not " sort" by use or beauty or even who gave it.<br /> I'm not that way-- sure, I get bogged down with some " maybe" items but I can at some level see what I think is lovely or useful.<br /> Finally-- we are going to be grandparents! So that helps shift the focus to the present and future and encouraged me not to spend too much of my time looking back and shuffling stuff. And I have a new " lens"-- for now saving a few things that might be useful with a grandchild and getting rid of overduplicated household items. Also as per KonMari, "visualizing" how a more streamlined home and upkeep will support being able to make road trips, or to babysit or shop for baby things! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1714470 Mon, 15 Aug 2016 19:13:48 +0000 Anonymous 1714470@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This whole concept sounds great if I could just get my husband to get 100% on board. We made some headway as we had our bedroom, bathroom, and laundry/mud room recently repainted. As we packed things up to get the rooms ready for painting, it was an eye opening experience for him to see so "much stuff" packed away that was never and will never be used. He "purged" many things and it put a smile on his face that he was able to finally find stuff he needs immediately, instead of continually searching.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1714410 Mon, 15 Aug 2016 17:06:41 +0000 JAileen 1714410@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would like to do this. My house was fine until my mother moved into a retirement home. Each of us kids took things for our own homes, such as pictures, pieces of furniture, etc. Then my mother insisted that I take other things that were "too nice for the estate sale". I went over the tipping point then - too many wine glasses, serving dishes, candy dishes, etc. I am having a hard time figuring out what to do. Some of these things are really lovely, but I don't use them, and they make my cabinets too crowded.</p> <p>My mother's apartment at the retirement home is actually very uncrowded, surprisingly. She only kept what was absolutely necessary, and the best quality. It's a very serene environment. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1714386 Mon, 15 Aug 2016 16:25:03 +0000 Susie 1714386@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have to add that visiting my Mom and my Inlaw's homes reinforces my desire to be clutter free and own much less stuff. </p> <p>My Mom has a lovely condo on the water. It's an ideal space for a single person or couple. But there are so many pieces of furniture in a small space and decorative items and pictures cover every surface. It's very tasteful and she has beautiful pieces but it is so overwhelming to me. </p> <p>My Mom attaches great sentiment to her things, for the memories associated with them. And I do appreciate that; they are important to her so of course that's fine. She is not like my grandmother who hoarded things like canned goods and plastic containers. But of course she lived through very different times. What was sad was how many nice things she had saved but never used. I remember helping Nana move and asking her to please wear the pretty nightgowns. It reaffirms Angie's assertion to wear the good stuff! And it also helped me learn to not keep unnecessary stuff. </p> <p>When I visit my Inlaw's, it's books. Shelf after shelf of hardback novels. Nothing of any real value they just want to keep them. And a shed full of stuff- I came home with Beany Babies for my grandson And they have clothing they haven't worn in 30 years while they wear the same few things. I definitely don't do that! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1714351 Mon, 15 Aug 2016 14:46:16 +0000 Susie 1714351@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I started the de cluttering process about 3 years ago. Ironically it was when my daughter was pregnant so I thought of it as reverse nesting! </p> <p>I've never been much of a saver and I regularly did closet edits. But there was always stuff I sort of just glossed over without really thinking about whether it was needed it or not. </p> <p>About six months ago we started thinking about selling our house to downsize and I got very motivated again to continue de cluttering. I got rid of a lot of kitchen gadgets, duplicates, random dishes, etc. I also got rid of a lot of books; that really wasn't difficult for me. I've used an e-reader for years so rarely read a real book anyway. </p> <p>I also did sort some clothing by categories- socks and underwear, gear, scarves, pajamas and loungewear. I managed to empty 2 dresser drawers and haven't been temped to refill them. </p> <p>With the upcoming change of season, I will soon do another closet review and cull. </p> <p>Good luck with your project! I can say that I really haven't missed anything I've gotten rid of it. We still have waaaaay to many glasses for 2 people but until we know more about what our house situation will be, I'm ok with it for now. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712739 Fri, 12 Aug 2016 13:06:34 +0000 unfrumped 1712739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Staysfit, I hear you on books. Both DH and I acquired and kept books. However I made s first into book discarding a few months back when I first got the Kondo book ( Kindle version!) and I found that I COULD discard more than I previously thought, at least for typical books. I think that is because I was able to convince myself thst I could always re- access via the library, including the increase in access to e-books. The second thing that I had to admit to myself was that I was probably using the many shelves of books as some kind of record of my reading accomplishments. That can be a pleasant memory lane kind of thing but it has a cost in upkeep ( my open bookshelf storage is a dust magnet). </p> <p>I expect to keep a fair number of books; I actually DO re- read some books, but some books I keep because they " spark Joy" yet I am able to finslly tell that others don't. Usually it's authors that have a unique " voice" that stays with me.<br /> The other thing is the recognition that I want to keep reading new books-- really new or just new to me- and many things were interfering with that, including having books I hadn't read and felt I " ought to" read but was not inspired to do so. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712645 Fri, 12 Aug 2016 05:24:47 +0000 Lyn D. 1712645@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It sounds like you have made a great start- I am impressed!<br />I too find myself just tidying rather than discarding, especially since I am mostly dealing with other family member's possessions now.<br />My own clothing is in very good order, although I do still keep a small holding zone with off-season pieces rather than discarding immediately.<br />I have also learnt to find the spark of joy in even my basics, and this leads to being better-dressed even when lounging at home. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712587 Fri, 12 Aug 2016 03:04:09 +0000 chewyspaghetti 1712587@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>UmmLila- my youngest is also vegan....and my boyfriend doesn't eat wheat or certain vegetables...... which makes feeding them both difficult! I sympathize with having a new vegan in the house. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712507 Fri, 12 Aug 2016 01:24:53 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1712507@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, my kid would Kon Mari the whole house if she was permitted to. She did my office, which worked well. She edited and organized the family book collection across several rooms. And she took half her clothes to consignment. And she became a vegan. Now I'm feeling maximalist just as a rebellion against the teenager. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712457 Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:29:47 +0000 Staysfit 1712457@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh my! The Kon Mari method of sorting books continues to baffle and confound my progress. I have gone through most of my house, well, almost - it's a daunting task, and the books are the stumbling point, so I am following along to see if anyone provides wisdom for this.</p> <p>I thought the closet part would be hard, but my daughter helped. The key was to do it very quickly. We emptied everything out. Then, my daughter quickly handed me items one by one and my immediate reaction as I held something up was either yes or no, and we went with that. There was no room for debate or banter on any item. As soon as that happened it became a maybe item. All maybe items became "no's". I put the yes items back in the closet. I kept the "no" items in boxes in my room for a month or two just in case. I only retrieved one item. Had I given that item away I realized it could easily be replaced. I now prefer this method of culling my closet. It's quick. It's effective. It's accurate. I was left with only my favorite items, and I felt very happy about my closet afterwards. </p> <p>If I could do this with books....... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712452 Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:19:23 +0000 chewyspaghetti 1712452@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been organizing and culling this summer, too. I like the KM method, but I don't get too strict with it. I still have a lot to get through, but school starts again soon! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712154 Thu, 11 Aug 2016 18:20:32 +0000 unfrumped 1712154@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Love that list! Humor is a necessary ingredient in this process for sure! </p> <p>Thd pencil skirt one is s little too close for comfort.,, </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712106 Thu, 11 Aug 2016 17:37:59 +0000 catgirl 1712106@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>We recently did this for one room and the GARAGE. It was exhausting but enlightening. And for a while the whole house was a mess while we sorted and categorized all the junk that had piled up. We had saved so much stuff - back up gear for visitors or extra kids, for instance - that gets used so rarely but is invaluable when needed. Kind of like the emergency ball gown!</p> <p>Meanwhile this made me laugh. </p> <p><a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/categories-i-divided-my-belongings-into-using-the-konmari-method" rel="nofollow">https://www.mcsweeneys.net/art.....ari-method</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712084 Thu, 11 Aug 2016 17:01:07 +0000 unfrumped 1712084@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Exactly!<br /> I have a number of things that support( or weigh down, as the case may be) a sort of person that I now find unsustainable in terms of time and energy and that I can see blocking paths to other things.<br /> I found MK's advice to recognize these things as having provided a purpose or lesson is helpful, and " kinder" than viewing it as waste. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712072 Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:38:58 +0000 KikiG 1712072@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What is interesting about this process is that many possessions support your identity or ideas about yourself.&nbsp; Apparently, a key element of my identity is that I'm the "sort of person" who makes homemade pasta, therefore, it is essential that I continue to possess the pasta roller I was delighted to buy.&nbsp; In college.&nbsp; In the early 1980s.&nbsp; Yes, I'm laughing at myself.&nbsp; Yes, I still have the pasta roller.&nbsp; My son recently used this item for the first time it has been used in years, probably in his lifetime.&nbsp; But I guess my point is that this is a process, and I need to be kind with myself.&nbsp; </p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712031 Thu, 11 Aug 2016 15:53:04 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1712031@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sounds like you are making a lot of progress. It is hard not to just tidy and put away. I take Kondo with a grain of salt when she talks about duplicates - I think she's writing from the perspective of someone living in a very small Japanese space in the middle of an urban area, where it is truly easier to buy another one of something instead of keep backups that take up space. I'm not going to have only one pair of scissors in my two-story house, it would drive me nuts and be terribly inefficient, and if I lived in the country where it wasn't easy to get to stores, I would definitely have more backups, of consumables especially. That said, the prepper/Mormon mindset of a month+ of stuff is not one I resonate with either, because it seems to take even more work, money, and mental energy.</p> <p>Two other books on organizing/stuff I really like are Peter Walsh's one, and Julie Morgenstern's. Walsh talks a lot about the emotional life of stuff, and a lot of our American neuroses, and Morgenstern's, although it's a few years old now, is great about really thinking about where things should go and how many you need of x and y. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/whole--house-konmari#post-1712018 Thu, 11 Aug 2016 15:39:15 +0000 unfrumped 1712018@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well, in my dreams, at least. </p> <p>I have had some extra vacation time this summer and one of the things I wanted to tackle is sort of a whole- house KonMari, along with about a million other projects and adventures! Boy, everything takes more time than you think, and prioritizing is necessary. </p> <p>My confession is that I did not start by following her method exactly but have gotten more on track after re- reading the book. I'm not concerned about a few detours, but I did feel that she is onto something with Categories ( multiple bedrooms and baths and storage areas, I'm Lookin' at you re: duplications !). Also the wisdom of " getting in shape " with less taxing categories- I'm inundated with family photos but am not going to tackle those yet.<br /> Anyhoo, one deviation is not fully focusing on just categories first but doing some room- by- room tidying to start.<br /> I think the key concept is To Start because I am ready to embrace her underlying premise, but after a very busy work stretch, things were UN tidy in basic living areas and hard to keep up on daily basis. So I thought that if I could do some area- based de- cluttering to start, it would help me feel better and keep up with the daily grind and keep going. So I did work on kitchen counters&amp; tables, bath counters, laundry area and incoming mail/ papers a bit.<br /> This risks doing just Neatspree, but I tried to keep the concept in mind-- discard , don't just re- organize.<br /> Also, I plan to use a cleaning service this year and I felt I needed to achieve some " surface control" to get them in, and then with that basic cleaning under control, I could continue more de cluttering as well as planning more fun activities.<br /> Along with that I did start some categories, but not in her order. I did not start by doing all Clothing! I did SOME clothing categories , some closet tidying, made some work capsules for early fall, and meanwhile started systematically wearing more of my casual wear and gear and have been discarding items that are not fab as I go along. I think clothing is a harder category for me, first, and second, many of my own other KonNari categories are about letting go of past hobbies and projects , some ancestor items, and prior work areas, in anticipation of some changes. So in " visualizing" this new focus and making space for new plans and personae, I'm sort of working toward fitting the clothing cull around that. In addition, i am not tackling winter woollies while its 100 degrees! But, I will need to face the music soon.<br /> So, that's my deal so far. I can see pitfalls and progress. I'm now getting into more categories and also giving myself booster shots by rereading chapters, as I find things resonate more, the more I do. As in, oh, actually I DID just "reorganize" that junk and did not truly assess and discard. For example, some books given to us by MIL including cookbooks( which have long, hooked tentacles for me!) and I found myself going , oh, this is s microwave cookbook and I use a microwave, I might need this some day and putting in Keep pile. Then I re- read MK and she described the exact phenomenon and I realized I was doing the rationalizing thing and not the Joy thing ( for cookbooks, for heavens sake, which are not the same thing as keeping the toilet plunger!).<br /> I am still learning as I go along and working to make bigger, deeper changes.<br /> Please feel free to comment and add any helpful hints! I may do some updates as I discover more myself! </p>