HOME DETOX THE KONMARI METHOD™
by Sarah Scaddan
Would you like to:
- Detox your home?
- Gain some clarity in your life?
- Only surround yourself with things that make you happy?
Does this all sounds too good to be true? Or exactly what you need right now? I spent an enjoyable evening with the delightful and enthusiastic twins Marieke and Eliette Staub, who have founded the company ‘Clarity’, to help clients do just this. I asked them how their company came to fruition, what makes them tick, and just how I can sort out the bombsite in which I live.
IT ALL STARTED WITH A BOOK …
What within the ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ by Marie Kondo spoke to you?
Marieke – Eliette gave me this book when I was feeling lost and my life was at a crossroads. It inspired me in ways I would have never expected. I got a sense that, yes, by putting my closet (and the rest of that messy apartment) in order there was hope for putting my life in order. This is what I needed; to get my life and my house back.
Eliette – I came across the book on Instagram. The title of the book intrigued me because it connected tidying up and sorting out with magical effect. I hadn’t then made the connection between the state of my living space and how disconnected I was from myself.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The author, Marie Kondo has her own unique method, talk me through it?
The KonMari Method™ is attracting worldwide attention by people happily “kondo-ing” their lives. Through Marie’s books she educates people on how to decide whether items are still loved or no longer needed, how to make space and store your cherished items, how to fall in love with your remaining belongings all over again and how nostalgia is definitely not your friend. You can read more about it here.
NATURALLY TIDY CHILDREN?
Growing up, were you the only sisters who had immaculately tidy bedrooms?
Eliette – Not at all. But ever since we were old enough to have our own things, our mother would ask us to go through our belongings in order to donate or sell the ones we didn’t wish to keep. So we have been used to holding our belongings in our hands and reaching a decision. We were well-known in our neighbourhood for holding garage sales. What we loved most was seeing someone approach the table where all our items were laid out, watch them delicately take an object in her or his hands, and whisper, “This is beautiful, how much are you selling it for?” Our prices were always very low because our goal was to offer our items a new life and bring joy to someone.
CERTIFIED MARIKONDO PRACTITIONERS
You are now the only certified MariKondo practitioners in Switzerland. How does it work?
We work through a space, a room, a house or an office to achieve the objectives set by our client. During the process, the client must hold items and ask themselves if it sparks joy. This decides the fate of each object. Once the spark joy check is done, we place a heavy emphasis in finding the best storage solutions for our clients.
Examples of this:
- Visibility, accessibility and new found space are the main qualities of this drawer “à la Marie Kondo”. Yes, it’s true a sport gear drawer can give you a feeling of serenity and peace! Before, my client hadn’t run for a long time. She now runs a few times a week.
- Decluttering had been my client’s dreams for years. When she did take the step to do it, I guided her to become the ruthless editor of her home. The final result looked so amazing, we were both eager to grab a book and sit there for hours reading. The technique she mastered in order to determine what sparks joy to her, she can now apply to other aspects of her life.
EMOTIONAL TIDYING
Surely for some it is very emotional clearing out objects from the past, like losing memories?
Marieke – As a KonMari consultants, we are very aware of the sadness and anxiety one can experience by decluttering. We comfort them by letting them know it is not wrong to hesitate and have emotions. We guide them in discovering and appreciating their relationship with the objects that they chose to keep.
Eliette – what I especially appreciate about the KonMari Method is that it doesn’t impose anything, but it helps determine what is truly important to yourself-and yourself only.
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
Is it true Marieke, that your four year old daughter is an advocate of this method?
Marieke – Yes without me even showing her how, she has learned the KonMari method and folds her own clothes. She will play and make the most beautiful mess out of her room but whenever it is time she joyfully puts everything back where it belongs.
TOP TIPS FOR A DETOXED HOUSE
What tips would you give to readers motivated to embark on a home detox?
- Think about why you want to do it. A Home Detox is never an objective but only a tool to get to an objective. Define your own objective, define what is the lifestyle you want to live.
- Be ready and willing to change your life.
- Don’t be too harsh with yourself. No regrets, no shame. We have been taught to acquire as much as possible as we thought this would lead to fuller, happier lives. And suddenly, we are discovering that the act of letting go is actually very beneficial. But we aren’t used to it. Think about it and gently start letting go of things.
- Take each of your belongings in your hands and ask yourself the question does it spark joy? If yes, keep and cherish it, if not discard it with gratitude. Each and every one of our belongings impact on our life, on our mood and on our energy. Ask yourself does this impact on my life, my mood and my energy in a positive way?
- To maximize efficiency, we recommend you focus in this order: clothes, books, paperwork, komono (Japanese for objects used every day) and finally objects of sentimental value.
- Once you have “detoxified” your home and in order to keep it tidy there are 2 golden rules to follow:1. select a place for each of your belonging, 2. every time you use one of your belongings, put it back in its place. It is as simple as that.
Eliette and Marieke Staub are KonMari Consultants based in Geneva. You can visit them at www.clarityhomedetox.ch.
You can also find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/clarityhomedetox and on Instagram at @clarityhomedetox.
