“The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life,” says organizing guru Marie Kondo. Our consumerist society has made accumulation of stuff a lifestyle trend. The rapid acceleration of the Japanese economy in the 1970s has led to a collective mentality that physical possessions are symbols of prosperity. The Japanese, alongside their counterparts in the rich West, were hoarding clothes, appliances, cars, and other material things. At the turn of the century, people are realizing that owning more doesn’t necessarily mean living better. Condo living is a big help in maintaining a simpler, less cluttered life.
Know these 8 condo organizing tips that will improve your life.
Maintain a small book collection
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Marie Kondo, the author of the bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, advices filling up your bookshelf with books that you truly love. She said that timing is everything. “The moment you first encounter a particular book is the right time to read it. To avoid missing that moment, I recommend that you keep your collection small.” Display your books on floating shelves or in a storage space under your staircase. This will keep your condo living room clutter-free and organized.
Get rid of freebies and other tokens
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One of the positive effects of condo living is the new outlook on living spaces. The limited space allows you to downsize and choose items that have real value to you. Look around your living room. Do you have décors that are only gathering dust and adding visual chaos? Get rid of tokens such as figurines from parties you’ve attended and unused mugs from past Christmases. Clear up space for things that you’d use this year.
How to organize a closet: tidy by category
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Organizing a closet is many people’s Achilles heel. Sometimes, no matter how much you want to downsize your wardrobe, you still end up keeping everything. What’s the best way to organize clothes? Marie Kondo recommends a strategy: “When you disperse storage of a particular item throughout the house and tidy one place at a time, we can never grasp the overall volume and therefore can never finish. To escape this negative spiral, tidy by category, not by place.” With your clothes, you can decide your own categories such as according to type or purpose. Put all your exercise outfits in one box, and your office clothes in another. Once you’ve segregated based on category, you can then decide which items to keep.
Decide on which to keep, not what to discard
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How to organize a small closet? Marie Kondo said that instead of choosing which ones to throw away, you should be deciding which items to keep. What should be staple items in your closet? Fashion magazine Elle lists down 30 wardrobe essentials for female millennials.
- Waterproof trench coat
- Cashmere neck sweater
- Denim jacket
- Black single-sole heels
- Casual clutch
- Delicate fine jewelry
- Tailored blazer
- Silk scarf
- Jeans
- Non-branded carryall tote
- Diamond studs
- Turtleneck
- Sunglasses
- Silk blouse
- Black ankle boot
- Leather belt
- Matching pajamas
- Little black dress
- Evening clutch
- Midi skirt
- White tee
- Wrap coat
- Bateau shirt
- Weekender bag
- White sneakers
- Leather jacket
- Nude strappy sandals
- Ballet flats
- Ankle-length black pants
- Red lipstick
If you have these in your closet, you don’t need anything else.
2017’s lucky colors
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2017 is the year of the fire rooster. Chinese astrologers recommend three colors that will boost your positive energy this year: gold, brown and yellow. If you were born under the Year of the Rooster, avoid wearing anything red until the end of the lunar year. The rooster years are 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, and 2029. In choosing the items you’d keep, make sure you have the lucky colors in your wardrobe. No need to buy new ones. Just add a gold, brown or yellow accessory such as a scarf, and you’re ready to go!
Clear up space in your closet
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After picking out the essential items you’d keep, you can then go over the rest of the house for things that need to be tossed out. Some of these include old towels, makeup, and toiletries, expired sauces, medicines and coupons, dried-up nail polish, old prom dresses, scratched non-stick cookware, rusty jewelry and those with broken clasps, cables and wires you don’t use, broken electronics, worn-out sheets, bedding and bath mats, spare furniture parts you don’t need, and furniture manuals. If you think some items can still be useful for other people, donate them.
Maximize your condo space
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The benefits of condo living extend beyond comfort. They change the way you look at life in general. The average condo size couldn’t accommodate too many items, so you are forced to simplify your lifestyle. Install wall-mounted shelves and opt for furniture that have storage spaces. If you have extra space under your staircase, you can turn it into a mini library or workstation. An open closet is also a growing trend, just make sure you keep it organized to avoid creating visual chaos.
Consistency is key
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In any endeavor, consistency is key. Ask yourself this question before buying a new item: “Do I need this now?” If it would only take up space, it’s better to put off your purchase. Make changes in your shopping habits. Before going out, prepare a grocery or shopping list and stick to it. Owning too many items don’t necessarily elevate your quality of life.
“Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order,” according to Marie Kondo. Condo living in the Philippines via DMCI Properties can help you acquire a minimalist lifestyle which puts emphasis on things that truly matter to you.