No doubt you have heard the name Marie Kondo thrown about of recent and her Netflix series about decluttering. Kondo’s method of organising is known as the KonMari Method, and 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 from then on.
Whilst it makes sense and is a very simple concept, in actuality, this can also very daunting, especially if you have accumulated items over the Christmas period and into the business of the New Year. Let’s face it, we can all admit to having a space, drawer, room or cupboard that is perpetually messy.
One approach would be to break the concept down into bite sized pieces, first organising your space and yourself before tackling what might seem an overwhelming task, with the goal of achieving at least some tidier rooms and some mental clarity
- Reduce Clutter
Overhauling your lifestyle at home or in the office doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a stylish space – that’s what we hope you end up with! The build-up of clutter can drain your mental energy and reduced productivity should you ever need to locate something.
Additionally, by organising your clutter, your space becomes more visually appealing. The improvement of the visual aspect makes it appear more organised and it stimulates the positive energy required to enhance creativity.
One of the easiest ways to reduce visual clutter is to literally hide it away behind doors and drawers (in an orderly fashion of course).
Regular maintenance is required for this technique and this can be reduced to a minimum by placing items that are used less frequently inside well designed storage solutions. Below are some design savvy products to help create a stylish and clean feel to your space.
The Remo Sideboard is handmade in solid American Oak by Studio Pip. With its sleek modern design with a retro twist, the Remo is available in several variations with sliding doors, drawers, swing doors, or open throughout. Its versatility also makes it perfect as an Entertainment or TV Unit, and the variety of designs allows for maximum storage capacity.
Similarly, the Phil Entertainment Unit is a credenza suitable for storage in all kinds of ways. Available in 2 heights, even the Low Phil Entertainment Unit provides a surprisingly amount of storage space. The rounded solid timber legs of this design add a softer dimension to its design and the range can be custom painted in a colour to suit your decor. To maximise your storage solutions the door and drawer options may be changed and shelves arranged in a way to create perfect placement of your treasures.
2. Improve the Aesthetics
All of these options not only store the clutter that dulls your mind, they add to your interior’s ambience due to their aesthetic aspects, including the ability to introduce colour.
Colour is an important component of our daily experience. Colours in our environments affect our moods and emotions. The choice of a colour may enhance your motivation or positivity even further, thus receiving yet another benefit of organising your space.
With the range of storage solutions and cabinets by Studio Pip, you have the freedom to choose a cool neutral that showcases the natural grain of the timber; encouraging a more calmer ambience for the room. Alternatively, you can choose a more dramatic pop of colour to create a sense of fun or to coordinate with other colours in the room, taking advantage of the many influences colour has on our moods. Of course, you could have a combination and experience both the beauty of nature in the natural timbers and a colour to help enhance the benefits of colour psychology.
The Peggy Sideboard takes its colour seriously, with the potential to colour its large, generous doors. The curved edged handles and legs provide a contrasting feature, and its construction of American Oak timber and veneer, the doors may be lacquered in any colour from the Dulux range of colours. There are 4 standard sizes to choose from, but if you have specific dimensions, the Peggy Sideboard may be custom made.
- Increase your Options.
To add to the warmth of your home or office, you need to choose the right storage options.
If your spare bedroom is a home office, you may need more practical storage for your office supplies. You may also want to create a ‘theme’ to add to the room’s character and increase your joy of working in the space. The Grace Sideboard design lends itself to a nostalgic era, with practical design solutions that can be customised to suit your storage requirements. The cut-outs also for a smooth, handle free design, ensuring a smooth seam free look, with less to dust and polish (not to mention bump in to!). You can choose from a range of standard sizes, or order a size made specifically for your space should the room size require.
To add a little fun to a room, the Phil Bedside table is an ideal companion to either a bedroom or any area with less space. The strategically placed drawer-pulls and curved leg design give this bedside extra character.
Equally charming, the Isla provides storage and charm with its handcrafted American Oak timber construction. Again, colour may be used in its design, or just the beauty of the timber can be revealed beneath a clear or tinted timber stain. Traditional woodworking techniques show off design details and the product, like all Studio Pip products, is designed and made in Australia.
- Try a design trick or two
If your process of decluttering demands that you simplify even further, you may require furniture that is scaled to size and slimmer, making the room appear larger. This creates a feeling of more room to breathe, and the Maya bedside is a minimalist design combining leather, timber and steel without taking up too much visual space whilst still providing storage.
- Combine your Goals
As your inner Virgo realises that tidying one room is akin to tidying the mind, you’ll no doubt embrace decluttering as it leads you to other parts of your home or office. A good way to maximise the space and minimise the spend is to use multipurpose furnishings. For example, Studio Pip’s Otto Sideboard’s generous dimensions can double as both a dining room storage and living room books, paperwork and periodicals.
As with all Studio Pip products, the Otto looks great from all angles. If you need to define a room in order to use it better, the Otto is an attractive room divider, offering a smooth finish with matching timber grains – a perfect place to display your most precious items.
Regardless of the size of your home, room or office, you can create a more streamlined life by creating a more streamlined space. By committing to finding a place for everything, you can then proceed to work alongside what works for you and what is no longer needed. Indeed, the process of creating better organisation will result in a lot of decluttering by default! Now that you’ve decluttered, the cleaning of these spaces will be easier. Now that everything has its place, tidying up will take less time with less fuss.
By thinking about how you work and live, you can then design storage solutions that support these patterns. And by consciously creating these solutions, your interior design is influencing your subconscious in a positive way that will continue to motivate and inspire. Perhaps most importantly, the innermost room of your psyche will now have space to be a better you.
