Spark Joy: An Interior Designers Perspective

Spark Joy: An Interior Designers Perspective

Simple, Considered, Beautiful - a linen closet by @julieblanner

The other day I jumped in a mid-city Uber. After exchanging various niceties, my driver and I soon realised we were both interior designers.

John studied in Tokyo. He learnt from the masters of minimalism and brought his practise to Sydney where he helps people to declutter, re-organise and reconnect with their homes. I immediately resonated with this - 

As an interior designer what is more meaningful than having 
your clients feel more at home because of the work you’ve done? 

For the remainder of the trip, we discussed Marie Kondo in-depth and the art of minimalism and how it’s helping people. And it’s got me all inspired to share what I know about this topic.

I’ve long been fascinated by systems, efficiency and organisation, so it was only natural I came across the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up a while before it hit the top seller list. So it happens, I’ve been designing along the principles of this book for a few years now and I thought I’d share what I know about the process of cleansing your things, space and home.

Declutter

• The whole concept of sparking joy is taking each item in your hands and asking yourself if it makes you feel the way you want to feel. If it doesn’t, responsibly dispose or repurpose it. Be mindful of any patterns that are emerging in the items discarded - this process will teach yourself a lot about who you are.
  

• I would consider incorporating into our design process a cleaning-up period where my clients methodically declutter and dispose (responsibly) of items that no longer serve them. It would be wise to do this quickly, as an instant and dramatic difference will empower everyone involved to continue the process.
  

• I loved this point in the book, “What is the perfect amount of possessions? Keep reducing until something clicks and you feel the way you want to feel.”
  

• Be mindful of long-forgotten pieces that your client has in their home. These pieces are often beautiful in their own way and can be repurposed within the home and seen in a different light. Intercept the instant reaction to remove and throw away. Instead of asking, “Do I need this?” Whilst holding your grandparents keepsakes - shift your question to, “Can I live without this?” The obvious answer will present itself. It’s so important to be mindful of our overwhelming amount of landfill and wastage.

Organise

“Form follows function”
Louis Sullivan

The next step that organically follows decluttering is to organise...

• I design spaces around how they will be used. Everything must have a home and be returned to this space when not used. Whether this be on a small scale - designing storage for teacups next to your kettle or on a grand scale - building windows to receive the afternoon sunlight… Take the time to figure out the most efficient and effective ways to live in your own home. 
  
  

• There are thousands of ways to organise - Pinterest is particularly handy for researching methods which could work for you. Since reading this book, I have heard of people storing their pyjamas in their bathroom so they can dress immediately after showering. We all have unique needs and wants - it’s so important we learn how to work with them. 
  
  

• Here is one of my biggest tips - don’t just stop at the organisation of household items. Store important documents on a private cloud system, only have apps you need on your mobile and use programs like Asana to keep track of lists and ongoing tasks. This act of streamlining has been life-changing for my personal life and my business. You’ll undoubtedly save money, time and effort.

Reconnect

• With an emptier space, you’re able to discover what has been missing. Maybe you need a really lovely armchair or better cooking utensils. Now you don’t have endless magazines, you have room to show your favourite photos on your shelves.

• If you need to purchase new furniture, decor and household items take the time to really explore options that will best work for you. For my clients, I choose pieces that are incredibly well-made and can withstand many generations of use. I want the pieces for my clients home to eventually tell a story, soften and age well and not end up as useless clutter or thrown away.

• Once your home has been cleansed of clutter and oriented to be more efficient, you can consider ways to reconnect with your space. This whole process is an act of compassion for your environment and self, but there is a vital step needed to complete the journey...

• Lastly and most importantly in the decluttering process is the act of celebrating your home. Open the windows, play your favourite music and light some candles. Have friends over and share with them your new, inviting space. Observe how life becomes easier in the small ways, and how those small ways build into bigger life changes. Celebrate everything that the space can do for you and how it defines you.

Thought of someone whilst reading this? Send it to them and see what they think!