Hush Your House in 5 Steps
When your name becomes a verb, you know you’ve made it (think “You got mossed” and “I kondo’d my closet”) Thanks to Queen Marie, whose books have sold more than 11 million copies in 40 languages, decluttering has become an international pastime. Kondo, who is Japanese, says a decluttered house is like a Shinto shrine—a place where our thoughts become clear.
But there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and sparking joy isn’t the only decluttering strategy out there. Cozy Minimalist Myquillyn Smith talks about quieting your space—a straightforward process for decluttering your environment: “A hushed, simple space is the best way to give your house a fresh start. It’s a simple, painless, lazy, smart woman’s way to jumpstart the decluttering process.”
LET’S DO THIS
Pick one room to quiet.
Choose a holding area (not in the room you’re quieting) where you can store all your stuff for several days.
Remove everything from the room except furniture: Knickknacks, tchotchkes, collectibles, photos, books, electronics, hanging art—everything. Hardcore hushers even remove the drapes.
Let your space breathe for at least three days so you can reconnect with it.
On the fourth day (or later) bring back the things you really love, miss or need. Do not fill an empty space just because it’s empty!
BETTER TOGETHER
You’ll find your family naturally gathers and lingers in the calm spaces you’ve created. The clutter you don’t even see anymore makes people feel restless. But once your spaces are quiet, you’ll feel at ease sharing the area together.
NEAR-INSTANT GRATIFICATION
Resetting one room doesn’t take the commitment you might think. And sometimes, a drastic change happens in just a few minutes! Removing extra furniture takes maybe half an hour—instant serenity.
RECLAIMED TIME
Less stuff means more time. Just that simple. Fewer things to pick up and put away. Uncrowded spaces that let you maintain your organizational systems. Shorter, easier housecleaning sessions.
RESTORED ENERGY
Science: Messy spaces passively drain energy. Even stationary objects vie for attention, pulling our energy in every direction. A room with ample “white space,” one that contains only the items we’ve intentionally chosen, is a room that can breathe. And we can breathe with it.
