Netflix’s ‘Tidying Up With Marie Kondo’
Written by
Scott Kosmach
Wearer of clip-on ties.
If you're obsessed with organization like us then chances are you've heard of the KonMari Method. The creator and best selling Author on the subject Marie Kondo just had an 8 episode mini series released on Netflix titled ‘Tidying Up With Marie Kondo’. In each episode we will get to see the KonMari method put into practice in homes with unique levels of organization needs.
What is KonMari?
The KonMari method consists of gathering together all of one's belongings, one category at a time, and then keeping only those things that "spark joy", and choosing a place for everything else.
The 5 categories as prescribed in the book are:
1: Clothing
2: Books
3: Papers
4: Komono (Miscellaneous items)
5: Sentimental Items
Kondo says that her method is partly inspired by the traditional Japanese Shinto folk religion. Cleaning and organizing things properly can be a spiritual practice in Shintoism, which is concerned with the energy or divine spirit of things and the right way to live.
The KonMari method prescribes not just simple tidiness, which removes objects from sight, but the paring down and organizing belongings so that you have precisely what you need, where you need it.
The Netflix Special
The show is taking the nation by storm as evident from reports of charity groups such as St Vincent de Paul getting a 38% increase in donations, year on year, as we get rid of the clothes, books and household items that don’t “spark joy” or have a place in our future.
Each of the 8 episodes feature a diverse range of owners, who are all in different stages in their life's and have their unique needs and desire to get their homes organized. After watching 2 episodes I could already tell this show will display the flexibility and benefits of KonMari and that I HAVE to blog about it!
In the next few weeks, I'm going to write 8 reviews, one for each of the 8 episodes.
| episode 1 | Tidying With Toddlers |
| episode 2 | Empty Nesters |
| episode 3 | The Downsizers |
| episode 4 | Sparking Joy After a Loss |
| episode 5 | From Students to Improvements |
| episode 6 | Breaking Free from a Mountain of Stuff |
| episode 7 | Making Room for a Baby |
| episode 8 | When Two (Messes) Become One |
The elephant in the room
You might be asking yourself, why is someone that works for a company that sells a folding/organizing product promoting the KonMari method, which includes it's own prescribed folding method?
We respect the KonMari folding method but like any solutions, it's not for everyone. The folding method is a very small part of the overall KonMari system.
Our goal is not to be a solution to all people and all spaces. If approached the right way the KonMari folding method can be a relaxing, spiritual experience, but it may not be the best solution for some peoples places and needs. The 2 main things to think about when deciding what organization solution is right for you is Space and Time.
Space - The first thing to take into account is the space you plan on storing your clothes. ThreadStax is focused towards tapping into the unused vertical space. If you look at your shelf or drawers and think to yourself, I really wish I could stack 10, 15 or even 20 shirts high, then ThreadStax is right for you. If your shelves are 6-10 inches high then the KonMari might be right for you.
Here is an example of ThreadStax utilizing all the vertical space in this closet.
Below is an example of a tall shelf with the KonMari method. The shelf below is roughly 15 inches tall and 32 inches wide. When I plug those numbers into our Custom Closet Calculator it estimates this shelf can hold 60 t-shirts, 3 stacks of 20. From the pic I count 29 neatly organized and 3-4 packed on the side. That's only a 50% utilization of the space. Both methods provide easy visibly and selection of items but ThreadStax is a better choice for this shelf.
Time- The folding method that KonMari prescribes is meant to be slow and methodical. As KonMari is all about keeping things that spark joy, it also focuses on showing the items you choose to keep respect and love. Having been brought up in American I see a big cultural difference here. A good example of this is the following segment from The Ellen Show where Marie Kondo is teaching Ellen Degeneres the folding method. Ellen approached it as a thing that just needs to be done quickly, while Marie is very methodical and present in the moment for every movement.
When we designed ThreadStax, we were focused on folding quickly and uniformly onto the magnetic slides. When you get into a rhythm I can fold very fast, usually to some music.
Final Thoughts
KonMari method is great in that it includes detailed instructions but still provides a fair amount of latitude for how to interpret it. The sense of joy that possessions should give you is not strictly defined, and individuals can choose what joy means to them. Learning to pair down and let go of things is a great skill to have. It brings to mind the ancient proverb from Tyler Durden.
The things you own end up owning you. - Tyler Durden
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