KonMari Method - Part 2: Storage
The KonMari method believes you don't need any fancy storage goods to store your things. Your house should have every storage you need. Otherwise a good shoebox or any plain box should work fine in storing and organizing your things. The secret is in how your store your things: standing vertically. Very much like how you would store books on the book shelf, you want them standing and on its thinnest side if possible. You won't be able to store as many books if you had them all facing the cover side down or even forward. Having them vertical makes it clear to see everything at a glance.
This part of the method is challenging for me though. I kind of wish the book went into more details in storage.
The first category is clothes. I don't have drawers but boxes and storage bags to put my clothes in. I know its weird, but I do not plan on living here long term. Folding is key to storing clothes. I probably only folded my clothes a handful of times in my life as I find it to be a waste of time. But I've figured that the time that I search my clothes to wear vs the time to fold them for easy picking is probably the same so I might as well fold. I am also too lazy to iron unless it it too wrinkly to go out in. Though her folding method didn't make my clothed wrinkle free, I do notice it makes slightly less wrinkly than usual. Folding took a bit to get use to. KonMari method doesn't have a strict rule to folding other than making a neat rectangle. I was able to get my clothes to fold enough that it can stand on its own when placed on the open side of the fold. I wasn't able to get everything in the box at first, but hopefully I will find a way to get it all to fit or actually get myself drawers.
Books are harder to store than clothes. Mainly because I do not have a bookcase and don't really have room for a one either. Bookcases are also heavy and bulky for a petite person like me to easily maneuver. So all this time I've just used plain cardboard boxes and plastic totes. They are scattered and mainly hidden. Some of the books I've kept are big and thick like my Lord of the Rings book. So I've just put them in boxes again, but they're all in the same spot now. I will have to wait till I finish discarding the remaining categories to have enough space to figure out where their home should be. I might get an actual shelving unit and just use bins or crates like for toys to store them in.
Papers are preferred to be kept to the bare minimum. The KonMari way is the put them into 3 storage types: The must keep papers, papers thats needs my attention now, and others. Kondo says to put each type into one folder or container. Having them vertical is ideal as well, but my desk drawers are not vertical unfortunately. Before I had my papers scattered around in racks, envelopes, boxes, and plastic totes. Now I plan to keep them around my desk since papers are for work so it be better to have them nearby and not hidden to be forgotten again. I do have a magazine box that I can keep the folders vertically in, but I also have a number of bigger paper that I need to find storage for. So far I can only think of the portfolio binders so it will have to do. I have them leaning against my desk legs vertically at the moment but I do plan on getting a bin crate to store them in.
Komono is a big obstacle for storage. Its tough to find a home for these without scattering them too much. When I got to this stage, I had a lot of empty boxes, totes, and drawers. None of which I really want to keep as storage for my items again. I also have a lot of garbage. I've decided to put the majority of my komono items that isn't sorted into a box. The important stuff like cards and passport are kept in one of my desk drawers which also has the other komono items that I use regularly. I have put the majority of my electronics in one spot, and some other sub categories so at the moment things are a bit scattered. Untill I get drawers and/or shelves I won't know where exactly to put them.
Sentimentals are probably the most minimal of items I have. I've put the photos and papers into a clear bag, and since I really don't have a place for them I've put them by the komono stuff. There's also the bulkier items which I've put into a large tote that also has some komono.
So far, I've really failed at this stage. My space hardly looks any different than when I first started, but I think in time it would change. I really do need to rethink how to put things in order. I do plan on doing a continuation post when I do finally get things how I imagine my space to be.
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