Before & After using the KonMari Method on Home Decor

I’ve been bitten by the KonMari bug again. I can’t wait for you to see my home decor before and after photos. Hold onto your hat because they might be quite shocking.

If you are just coming onto the KonMari scene, Marie Kondo wrote a book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her method for tidying up has taken the U.S. and our love for consumerism by storm. Her companion book called Spark Joy goes into more detail about sparking joy and includes the tidying encyclopedia.

THE SIX BASIC RULES OF TIDYING

1. Commit yourself to tidying up.
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
3. Finish discarding first.
4. Tidy by category, not by location.
5. Follow the right order.
6. Ask yourself if it sparks joy.

These rules are not necessarily in order of sequence yet they are all important. Here’s the process I went through for my home decor before and after. I began this journey with my clothes. You can read more about it here.

I SURVEYED THE LAND

First, I walked through each room in my house and surveyed my decor. I can confidently say that each room brought me great joy. The decor I have displayed are things I love. Phew! That saves a ton of time not having to gather all the home decor items into one location. However, I knew it would still be challenging.

THE LIFESTYLE I WANT

Second I began to process my ideal lifestyle. I want my home to be comfortable, cozy and a refuge from the world. When friends visit I want them to say, “Your home is lovely.” Not as a result of the stuff I have but the environment I’ve created. I’d rather put dollars toward experiences than stuff.

Previously I decorated for each major holiday. It was a lot of work. I appreciate my friends who change every surface to represent the theme of the current holiday. I’m sure it brings them joy but I found it exhausting. As a result, I have paired down the amount of decor I display. Not only is it less to dust, but I also enjoy the seasons much more when I’m not stressing about switching from red hearts to pastel Easter eggs.

GATHERING BY CATEGORY

I believe the KonMari Method is such a success because you tidy by category and not location. Putting all my home decor items in one massive pile is humbling. What’s crazy, is that my house is beautifully decorated. All this is extra. These are the items I switch out different times of the year however they are not Christmas, Fall or even Easter. Yikes! It’s important for me to see the quantity of stuff I have collected. This is why Marie Kondo says to gather everything into one location.

 

 

DOES IT SPARK JOY!

Now, you pick up each item and see if it sparks joy. As you begin, start with items that bring you joy so you can identify that feeling. It’s a process and you may have to skip over some belongings and come back to them later. Knowing what sparked joy made it easier to instantly create a large pile for the Thrift Store. It feels good knowing someone else will find joy in these items.

Another discovery I made was I’m a collector of decor items. Many items I picked up still had the price tag on it from the thrift store. My intentions were good but I never got around to using the item. There were many more than I’d like to admit. $1.99 here and $2.99 there and a $5.99 in the mix really add up.

Finally, I put the items I wanted to keep on my shelves. Everything is arranged so I can grab them with ease.

 

 

Here’s my candle cabinet neatly organized.

 

I even have an empty cabinet that was jam-packed with stuff before I applied the KonMari Method.

 

 

 

 

FAKE FLOWER ORGANIZATION

Ok friends, you’ve got to check this out. I’m over the top excited about the way I organized my fake flowers. I had three wire square shelves left over from the nine cube racks like you get a Target. I used zip ties to secure them to my existing storage rack. Then I took jute and tied it to the shelf so it would stay horizontal.

 

 

 

Next, I stuck the flowers in the rack and covered them with two dry cleaning bags so they don’t get dusty.

 

Genius! I’m so proud of my engineering. It worked.

Do you have any before and after photos using the KonMari Method? I’d love to see them.