Vision that sparked action
If you read Marie’s first book, you know before you even sort a thing, you must envision the end result.
Mine was simple–have a meditation corner in my room, perhaps with a comfy chair. And if I have the desire and energy, I will put up my own oversized Zentangle art in turquoise blue, black, and white.
That vision powered me through to the end of the Konmari process. And trust me, this end vision is crucial to the process, even if the vision might change on the way, and the end result might be different.
Vision is not carved in stone
After 7 months of tidying up, I got my clean corner.
Sorry, no before picture, all I cared at the time was getting rid of the corner clutter–dusty black metal shelves, an IKEA double hamper, and a bunch of this-might-com-in-handy-someday stuff. Trust me, no one needs to see that.
I also swapped out the comfy chair idea with two Made In USA toy chests because:
- A decent comfy chair is expensive
- The chair is bulky and permanent
- I wanted something modern with clean lines
Instead, I bought some yoga gears on sale to fulfill the vision of the meditation corner.
One of the toy chests you see here holds those gears, the other holds my backpack and cloth I’ve already worn but not ready to wash. Once I put the lids down, no loose items, no visual noise.
This works so much better for me than my original vision.
Tips on vision and decorating
- Figure out the essence of your original vision. In my case, I just wanted my own quiet, uncluttered space.
- Be flexible and creative. Would following your original idea really spark joy? If not, look around, get ideas, change it. To suit my needs, I often find myself using/buying things that have different original purposes.
- Be okay to wait and buy what you need. Only after I knew what I need to make a new home for the items in each category, I start looking for their “home”, starting with what you already have. If that doesn’t spark any joy, then start searching to buy.
- To save money, use the boxes and trays you are not using/recycling for organizing things that will be inside drawers or closets. The point is to have a clean visual environment.
- Listen to your inner voice–“Yes, this definitely sparks my joy”
More on the Sprout toy chests
- If you put it next to a wall, you can prop up the lid as if there were hinges.
- I used a plastic container (and I managed to sneak turquoise blue in there) to separate my backpack from my clothing since it’s more dirty.
For assembly, it’s easier to have 2 people and a rubber mallet (I folded corrugated cardboard into a thick stack and used that with a regular hammer). And if you are a perfectionist, a level would be great, too.- Once assemble correctly, they are very sturdy.
- The toy box come in many colors.
- Sprout uses safe and recycled material. 100% Made In USA, from design to manufacturing. They offer good variety of kid’s furniture.