Marie Kondo…it’s the name on everyone’s lips right now.
While Marie’s best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up catapulted her to fame, her Netflix series Tidying Up has cemented her status as a household name. While Marie’s the KonMari method is certainly about tidying and decluttering the home, it’s also about so much more. Her philosophy is deeply rooted in the idea that the home — and everything in it — should spark joy. Marie believes that you should envision your dream lifestyle, then work backwards from that to create a space that facilitates this.
Here, she explains how to do so: “Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it. In other words, describe your ideal lifestyle. If you like drawing, sketch out what it looks like. If you prefer to write, describe it in a notebook. You can also cut out photos from magazines.”
What Marie describes is taking a proactive, not passive approach to home organization. It’s not just about throwing everything you no longer want into a giant plastic bag and thinking ‘well, I guess this is what I’m left with!’ It’s about reverse engineering your dream lifestyle by first envisioning it, then taking steps to manifest it.
As Marie puts it “When you imagine your ideal lifestyle, you are really clarifying why you want to tidy and envisioning your best life. The tidying process represents a turning point – so seriously consider the ideal lifestyle to which you aspire.”
What can Marie Kondo teach us about home remodeling?
So, what can we take from Marie Kondo’s approach and apply to remodeling or redesigning our homes? I think envisioning your dream lifestyle is something everyone should do before starting any work on the home — whether that’s renovating or starting from scratch.
How to apply the KonMari Method To Remodeling
What this looks like will vary from person to person. You may want to make a collage, journal about it, create a Pinterest board or even just meditate on it. Whatever approach you take, you just want to get as specific as possible.
For example, what does your dream home office look like? How do you want to feel when you’re working in there — Creative? Productive? Motivated to take on the day? Or if you’re creating an outdoors area, imagine in detail how you will spend time with your family there and the feelings that will invoke.
It’s so easy to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty details of the home design or remodeling process. Starting with a really clear idea of the lifestyle you want to achieve can help you keep your eye on the prize and ensure you end up with the home of your dreams.
Need help getting a clear idea of the lifestyle you actually want to achieve? In my clarity session, I work with you one-on-one to uncover what that dream life (and home!) actually looks like for you — and the steps you need to take to achieve it. You can learn more here.