Marie Kondo is the author and Netflix star behind the KonMari tidying method. Here, she reveals how you can boost wellness at home, using tidying to create a comforting space that brings warmth during the colder months

As the days get colder and the nights draw longer, we’re considering what we can do to keep our homes – and ourselves – warm and happy in autumn. As our editor Catherine Coyle writes in the current issue of H&IS, “Every time autumn rolls around, I think the same thing: this feels like a much more natural time of year to get organised and make some plans. As summer comes to a close and there’s a brief pause before Christmas, it’s now that I find my head turns to my home and what I can do to show it a little love.” And Marie Kondo agrees.

According to Marie, a happy autumn home is a tidy home. The founder of the KonMari method explains, “A happy home is a place where I only keep things that spark joy for me; where I feel at ease just by being there and where I can just be myself.

“Creating these feelings of comfort are what will ultimately make you feel warm at home throughout the cooler months – a place where you can escape the cold and nurture your own wellness.”

As part of her autumn programme of events, Marie will be headlining the main stage at the Clean & Tidy Home Show 2024 at the Excel London on the 19th of October. Her session will be packed with advice on how to keep your own home clean and tidy all year long.

Marie continues, “Once you have tidied up, you will be able to recognize what kinds of things spark joy for you – and you will have a clearer image of the interior you want to add to your home. Enjoy this process of gradually creating the most comfortable and calming space for yourself and you will find spending your time at home happier and happier.”

Continue reading to find out how you can master the art of tidying so that you can have a happy, warm and comforting home throughout autumn and winter. Over to you, Marie…

What feelings should we try to nurture in our home at this time of year?

Ideally, the moment you open the door, you feel a sense of security and warmth; that you have come home and you will naturally want to say “I’m home” to your home.

I believe that the entrance is the face of the house and also the most sacred place where new air passes into the house. That is why I make it a habit to wipe the floor of my entrance spotless. I feel that when the entrance is clean, the breeze that passes through the house becomes lighter and it seems to bring good luck.

Is having a tidy home about having enough storage, or about how well you use the space you have?

Adequate storage is ideal, of course, but the most important thing is to make the most of the space you have. What I recommend is that before thinking about storage, you should first concentrate on ‘keeping only the things you really need’.

When you tidy up and keep only the things that spark joy for you, you will inevitably have more room for storage.

My experience tells me that in most cases, when you tidy up you are left with just the amount of objects to fit into the storage space of the house you live in. In other words, the problem of ‘having not enough storage’ itself disappears when you finish tidying.

Furthermore, in some cases, existing storage furniture such as storage boxes, drawers and sometimes even bookshelves will become totally empty after tidying up. By letting them go, you can use the space of the house more spaciously. It’s another pleasant effect that often comes with tidying.

By tidying with the KonMari Method, you will be able to utilize your space fully and maintain a tidy home.

How often should we be doing a thorough tidy?

The end of the year is the time for cleaning up in Japan. In Japanese culture, people clean and tidy up in order to let go of old things and welcome the new year with a fresh spirit.

I usually re-check my belongings once a year, either on my birthday or at the end of the year. Birthday is the time when I get a year older and switch to a new me, so I think it is best if I can tidy up on the weekend before the birthday.

Regardless of the timing of tidying up, the question I always ask myself is, “What will spark joy for me in the future?” I imagine my new life stage, choose and keep what I think is appropriate for it.

Can you share three pieces of advice for those who may struggle to keep their space tidy? How can they get themselves out of that slump?

1. Envision your ideal way of life

Before you start tidying up, envision your ideal way of life. It clarifies what you want to achieve by tidying up. This will help keep you motivated and help you go through the whole process.

2. Choose only the things that spark joy

Choosing only the things that spark joy is the most important mindset to turn tidying into a positive experience. When tidying, you tend to think you have to throw things away or you have to reduce what you own. Instead, think of tidying as a positive process to choose what makes you happy. It makes the process of tidying up more enjoyable.

3. Appreciate what you have in your home

Appreciating the things in your home is the most important thing to keep your house tidy. Each object has its own role to play, which supports your life in a wonderful way. Knowing this, you will naturally want to put things back to where they belong after you use them, which makes it easier to keep the house in a tidy state.

Is the mindful nature of folding and organizing what makes tidying so beneficial for mental wellbeing?

Tidying is like a therapy that you can do with your own hands, through which you will regain your true self and create a space that sparks joy for you.

Tidying up means having a dialogue with yourself through objects. Review the things around you one by one, choose the things that spark joy for you, and cherish them. Through this process, you will be able to remember your true self.

There is no doubt that it is beneficial for your mental well-being, which has been proved by many of my clients in the past.

We’re dying to know – how do you keep you own home tidy at this time of year?

I decide on a designated place for every object in my house. Once you have a place for every item, it becomes easy and simple to keep things tidy, because all you have to do is to put things back there after you use them.

The key is to gather items in the same category and store them together, not dispersed.

Also, when storing things in drawers, make sure that everything is stored standing so that you can see what there are and where everything is at a glance. This way, you can keep the storage as simple as possible, easy for family members to know where to put things back.

Also, even if there is a temporary period of clutter due to a busy schedule, it is relatively easy to return things to their original tidy state.

You can meet Marie Kondo at the Clean and Tidy Home Show 2024

I am looking forward to speaking on the main stage at the Clean & Tidy Home Show on October 19th. I’d like to take this in-person opportunity to convey the value of tidying anew – to talk about changes that tidying can bring and share my passion for it.

I also look forward to hearing the stories of as many people as possible who experienced life changes after tidying up. I’d be delighted to meet with anyone who resonates with our mission to ‘Organize the World’.

In addition, we are holding the first in-person KonMari Consultant Course in Europe in five years (October 18-20, 2024 at ExCeL London) in partnership with the Clean & Tidy Home Show. This will be a rare opportunity to learn directly from me and the Master Consultants.

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