Your home is a direct reflection of who you are as a person. It has a huge impact on your day to day activities and the productivity you can achieve. Decluttering and improving your home’s organization can give you peace of mind and reduce stress. In order to achieve this, conceptual space planning needs to be done for each area in your home. That’s what interior designers can assist you with. I’m known for creating minimalistic, inviting, and intentional spaces for the busy San Francisco Bay Area lifestyle while keeping true to my Japanese heritage.
Walnut Creek resident, Yoko Oda, helps clients design and decorate their homes.
Photo by Eva Baker
How It All Started
I came to the US from Japan with just one suitcase. My suitcase had everything essential to live here within it but nothing more. While this might seem like an extreme example to many people, editing your belongings is a skill that we all need to develop. In the US, we often feel like we have to continually buy more stuff to fill voids in our lives or keep up with everyone else. Even though we have more space in American homes than Japanese homes, we quickly fill up every bit of free space. If there is no physical foundation for organizing your stuff in your home, you will lose the storage space that often comes with a larger property.
Small cleaning daily routines can help you to enjoy improved mental clarity and keep on top of your space. We tend to set aside time to do a huge cleaning every once in a while, but that doesn’t work too well because it becomes too overwhelming to organize everything at once. It’s more effective to divide and conquer. Doing this little by little when you have a small amount of clutter or decision making to do will make this task much more manageable in the long run.
Now that I have lived in the US for over 22 years, I own a lot of things in my own home. However, my house is still tidy and organized with an American husband, two daughters and a cat! I am not Marie Kondo, but there is some Japaneseness in her method. Simplicity is the key to making it all happen.
Start Simple
When you are struggling with a lack of space, your objective needs to be attainable and easily followed through not just days but years after. Think long-term. Every closet or storage space needs to have a “foundation” – for example, functional closet shelving to store your stuff. From there, you want to make sure your purchases are intentional and well thought out. When simplifying your home, you want to make sure you’re bringing focus to that special antique or unique stool you love. Be creative and use old dressers as entryway furniture or closet drawers, adding more character to any space.
If you do find that you need more storage, baskets with lids are stylish and hold copious amounts of “stuff.” The key is buying storage containers that look simple in design but are still stylish. You can find ones that have a few different size options to fit in different sized nooks and then work to finish organizing that particular space. Otherwise, you will start acting like a mad scientist and keep organizing small utility spaces endlessly. It becomes a chore and you will get tired of it. Remember, imperfection is okay.
Letting Go
Letting go of things is necessary in order to create more space in our lives! Holding on to too many items can make you feel cluttered and unorganized, which in turn creates more unnecessary stress and anxiety. Find your special items and store them in one or two boxes that can easily be stored away. You can always take photographs of the life size models that your child made in school, which will help to eliminate the physical clutter in your home.
Styling Ideas
Greenery and natural elements will always make a home come alive. Incorporate them into open shelving. Remember, your home décor and styling doesn’t have to be perfect. Think Wabi Sabi. Fill walls with art and family gallery pictures, or use peg boards for extra storage. Go upward so that you can see your stuff; think of vertical spaces in the home that would otherwise go unused. Furniture on wheels can make items easily accessible and stylish at the same time, and can be moved from one place to another.
By following these tips and working with me in the future, you can start to enjoy a more organized life. Contact me today for more information about how I can help to transform your home and reduce stress for you and your loved ones.
