Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life by Marie Kondō

Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life Reviews

• 
  ashes ➷

  (I was given a finished copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
  
  A lovely, calming book to flip through and consider as I reorganize my life. Kondo moves from discussing tidying to taking an expansive view of everything that makes up our everyday lives in this delightful followup to her original book.
  
  

  If you find you’ve run out of time or emotional space, I recommend letting go of something. The trick is to decide what your bottom line is on any given day. In my case, it’s that my children are healthy and happy and that I don’t get worn out.

  
  
  I've made my thoughts on Marie Kondo pretty clear in my
  last review, and I think they've honestly only gotten more positive since then: she's open about the need to individualize her advice, she's empathetic, she's creative, she's insightful, and most of all she's genuine and kind. I find that I can never really criticize someone who is being so honest and open about their intentions and whose intentions are so overwhelmingly positive.
  
  ...and the book is helpful, too! I bookmarked a bunch of pages for use, and I imagine it'll help a lot of other people who enjoy organizing and/or need help moving forward with living their ideal life. As with many of my favorite advice books, I think this is a great, accessible book for asking some big opening questions or getting a little deeper into reorganizing your life. The hundreds of photos were incredibly helpful in understanding my own aesthetic preferences, and the questions Kondo poses gave me more insight into how I live.
  
  

  I do, however, talk to the bath as I wipe it dry, saying things like, "That was such a refreshing bath," and "It's amazing how you're always so clean and free from mold."

  
  
  You can't talk about Marie Kondo without talking about her Shintoism, and I'm going to do it again. I love it. I think there is nothing better than someone talking unabashedly about something they deeply care for, which I know nothing whatsoever about. I may not start talking to my bathtub, and some of Kondo's ideals are different from my own religious beliefs... but I can always incorporate the vibes into my own life my own way. I'm just going to preeempt any possible criticism of Kondo's inclusion of her faith in her writing: it's fucking awesome! And, honestly, I wish I had approached it differently before; so much discussion of Kondo's faith paints it as weird and idiosynchratic, and while some of it's certainly unique to her, that seems like such a myopic way to view practices stemming from larger cultural traditions.
  
  

  It's difficult to form new habits. But for me, there is one key approach that seems to work: try it every day for ten days. Just like the KonMari principle of tidying, do it thoroughly and completely, in a short period of time.

  
  
  And then there are RECIPES! Recipes for all her favorite foods! Again, these may not all have been applicable to my lifestyle, but once again not everything is about me. I thought it was WONDERFUL for her to include her personal favorite foods and I'm sure I will try them when the ingredients become more accessible to me.
  
  What I REALLY liked were the worksheets-- though I'm not someone who can bring myself to write in a finished book (especially one as glossy and beautiful as this), I'm confident I'm going to be printing a dozen copies for myself and every one of my friends. It is hard to overstate how incredibly fucking excited I am to fill out worksheets about my ideal day. It's like heroin to me.
  
  

  If your window happens to look out on a beautiful landscape like the sea, that's wonderful. But even if your bedroom doesn't have a window, or your only view is the building next door, don't worry. Imagine what would give you the greatest pleasure if it was the first thing you saw when you woke up, and then design the interior of your room with that in mind.

  
  
  If I could ask a next question for Kondo to tackle as she hopefully continues releasing books, I would love to hear her advice for people living in a transitional state: that is to say, anybody who is not living in the place they intend to live for the rest of their life. Particularly in America, I find that most people coming of age about five years ahead of and behind this moment are taking much, much longer to get to a permanent living situation-- if they ever do feel they're there at all. Personally, I'm currently renting a place I may not be able to afford when the rent inevitably rises next year, and if I could afford better, I know exactly where I'd like to live and what I would rent or (imagine!) buy. I know a lot of people who are living with parents before, during, or after college, all hoping to someday Not live with their parents. I know people in wonderful living situations who nonetheless plan to up and move across state lines in the next year.
  
  Right now, my solution has been "pause the Kondoing." It's hard for me to know what I have when it's sprawled across multiple locations (mine and my parents' homes), and it's hard for me to understand my storage space when I'm hoping and praying to get more as soon as possible, but also strongly fearing getting even less. Especially when my shopping drug of choice is books, it's quite difficult to, for example, get rid of books to match my storage space now when 1) my books all spark joy... 2) I would hate to then have to re-buy books if/when I do have the room for them.
  
  I know that Kondo's advice is purposefully malleable: she explicitly states many times that her intention is to focus on current situtions, without moving outside the client's or reader's means, and that it's natural for an individual person's ideal lifestyle to change over time. It's a short leap to "you can and should create your ideal living situation where you are now, even if you're fearing or hoping moving out soon," but I still found myself wanting this addressed just a little more directly all the same. Honestly, if I could pitch a book I wanted Kondo to write at this point, it'd be a KonMari guide for people in situations that can make it all complicated-- poor people, college students, people with five housemates, people with full-time jobs, etc. I love when she gives specific tips and ideas, and I'd love to hear how she'd tackle those differences.
  
  

  [R]ight from the start, schedule breaks into your day. Even just ten or fifteen minutes makes a difference. [...] Consider what you find most refreshing. A walk around the block? A short meditation? An afternoon espresso?

  
  
  In short: highly recommend!! I always highly recommend Kondo, and a friend even flipped through this one the second I put it down, just because her bright outlook is so fun to read about. The major advantage of this book is that it's also organized in very brief chapters, so you can pick it up and put it down totally at will. What a joy to read.
• 
  Rina

  3.5 stars
  
  I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist, with my tendency to collect beautiful things (my alternative way of saying ‘hoarding’). But, I do like to see my things arranged neatly. This was why I got into Marie Kondo’s KonMari method. When I saw that she was releasing this book, I just had to get my hands on it!
  
  This book is the full-colour, photographs-enhanced edition of the popular KonMari philosophy that was introduced in Marie’s first book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”.
  
  If you have read Marie’s previous books, this one isn’t going to teach you anything new. The main principles of KonMari are rehashed with accompanying photos in this one. The only new practical things you get with the book are some recipes (which do nothing for me) and the worksheets/templates at the back of the book to help you design your ideal mornings, afternoons and evenings (which I do like!)
  
  What the book does well is to encourage you to slow down. Flipping the pages and absorbing the pictures force you to stay in the moment.
  
  I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to get the summary of the KonMari method without having to read Marie’s entire first book. I’d also recommend checking out this book if you’re in need of a mindfulness anchor, i.e. something to guide you to pay attention to details and slow down.
  
  (Thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
• 
  Donna Craig

  Ms. Kondo is an author who changed the way I live. Her newest book is beautiful to hold, look at, experience. This is definitely a hard-copy-only book. The author expands her concept of “the ideal life,” introduced in The Life-Changing Magic…. I really like the templates in the back of the book which help you envision your ideal life.
  While this book wasn’t life-changing and lacked the easy-to-read energetic writing style of the first book, I enjoyed the beauty of it, the recipes, and the templates in the back enough to bump it up to four stars. Ms. Kondo is a mother now and has developed a more relaxed attitude toward life. I actually miss her former, more motivating style.
• 
  Jasmine

  This book was really calming and beautiful. It perfectly communicated Marie’s message that tidying isn’t about getting rid of all your stuff but rather making sure your living space is reflects the life you want to live.
  
  I like the idea that you do the best with what you have and show gratitude to your belongings and surroundings.
  
  Also this book came with recipes for things like Miso and Spinach with sesame sauce and matcha lattes. That was really cool! I like the included worksheets for creating an ideal morning customized to my needs.
  
  I really enjoyed reading this book.
• 
  lauren

  This book is a fluffier restating of her earlier books, but it is inspiring me to get rid of things so it’s worthwhile for that reason.
• 
  Donna

  I've read this author's other books and I love the simplicity in her style and her method. But letting things go is not that simple. Or even that calm. The process takes some getting used to.
  
  There wasn't much new in this one but it did feel more personal as she talked about her own life, her family and her own home. I like that she emphasized change at all the different stages in life. I also liked the emphaisis on being grateful. Overall, she inspires me to want to do better. So 4 stars.
• 
  Kyle Spishock

  New Marie Kondo, new girlfriend. Our room is a mess and I asked her if Marie Kondo would keep any of our clutter. My gf responded: “what do I care? I don’t know her. She’s not my friend.” I will continue to spark joy alone, in silence.
• 
  Cindy

  Marie Kondo makes me feel calm. There wasn’t much new in this book as far as text, but it was her first book I’ve seen with multiple photographs. The pictures were of pristine, nearly empty rooms, which is calming, but not especially helpful. The best take-away for me was her suggestion to plan your ideal day, from morning to night, with notes on how to achieve it. (Ex: if you plan to indulge in a hot bath, have your supplies ready).
• 
  Amelia

  "Does it spark joy?"
  
  This is the question Kondo has been asking us to ask ourselves. At first, it was about what we owned. Is it useful? Does it fill you with awe and joy? If not, perhaps it would be better off gifted elsewhere. Now, she's asking us to think about this in terms of our lives and livelihoods. Are our systems working for us? Do we feel good with how our lives are going? Our day-to-day decisions? These are the questions she wants us to think about.
  
  Largely, she also wants us to take pride in our home. Take the time to clean it. Think of all the dirt we track in just in our entryway! Think of all the grime that builds up in our bath! These are not pleasant ideas, these ideas don't spark joy, but they should inspire us to recognize what our house does for us every day. We should thank it in return.
  
  This is a refreshing way to think about where we live. Pride, respect, and gratefulness shine through in Kondo's latest book.
• 
  Miss Susan

  a very beautiful book! i wouldn't say there was much new content here but it served as a reminder and inspiration for me to do some tidying in my living room. i also liked her suggestions on planning out your ideal day. gorgeous photos too
  
  4 stars
• 
  Allison Marie

  A quick read by the organizing queen herself Marie Kondo! This book was more about sparking joy and creating space for your ideal lifestyle. I enjoyed it thoroughly! 4 🌟 overall
• 
  GONZA

  Rather repetitive if, like me, you have already read Marie Kondo's previous books. Clearly some useful stuff is there, but it is not enough to deem it a book to keep, as she would say.
  
  Piuttosto ripetitivo se, come me, avete giá letto i precedenti libri di Marie Kondo. Chiaramente qualche cosa utile c'é, ma non é sufficiente per ritenerlo un libro da conservare, come direbbe lei.
• 
  Sarah

  Dear god, why. Marie, you have sold out
• 
  Tara

  Skimmed. A lovely book and a refresher of her tidying philosophy extended into daily life. I found I didn’t need to read it word for word as much was redundant from her original book. I liked her gratitude practice, enjoyed hearing about her grandpa (“keep your expression bright and your intestines light,” he said) and am open to learning more about feng shui. The serene photos were very calming (though I did scoff a little at the pristine minimalism of the “office” photos).
• 
  Cindy(groundedinreads)

  Thank you @prhaudio for this complimentary #alc
  If you read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up by Marie Kondo, you will get a refresher on the practice of asking yourself if a possession sparks joy. This was a super quick listen at just under 3 hours. I felt motivated to tackle some areas of my home but not from the mindset that Marie sets up where you try to think of how an object feels. Maybe that will work for some but not me. One thing I took away is that I don’t always have to feel like I need to organize or declutter which is constantly on my mind. 3.5⭐️
• 
  Kristina

  Lines from this book made it clear that it was written for someone else:
  
  -Are there things in your house gasping for air? Listen closely to what each one is trying to tell you.
  
  -Discover the joy of fermentation.
  
  -I wipe the floor of my entranceway with a well-rung damp rag. (every day!)
  
  -Perhaps your shoes converse with their neighbors, your socks or stockings, while you wearing them. "It sure is hot today," your shoes might say.
  "Yes, positively steamy. Hang in there," the socks might respond.
  But privately, your shoes must be thinking, "At least you get to freshen up by being washed every time you're worn."
  ...
  That's why I adopted the habit of wiping the soles of my shoes before bed or first thing in the morning when I wipe down my entranceway.
  
  -If you make a habit of wiping the soles of your shoes, you may find that special things happen to you...
  
  -Cleaning the floor is a time for meditation. ... I actually like cleaning the floors, so sometimes I still get down and polish the floor as a form of enjoyable exercise.
  
  -If your home had a personality, what kind of person would it be?
  
  This book didn't spark joy, but it did make me wonder who its intended audience was.
  
• 
  Avi

  As many of the other reviews have mentioned, this book felt like a shorter, diluted version of
  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing that was partially meant to promote her new company that imports Japanese goods to the U.S. As a person who is not into 'modern' looking homes (Kim K's house distresses me), I was relieved that Kondo clarified to her readers that a house does not need to be spotless and empty of personality to spark joy.
  
  Some tips I liked from the book:
  -say good morning to your house every day
  -open up your window for a bit every morning to increase air circulation
  -drink hot water in the morning to clear your system
  -try to make breakfast a calming and pleasant experience
  I now realize that most of these tips relate to the morning....I really care about mornings! Onto the rest of the day...
  - make a list of people you're grateful for and why
  - find a creative outlet that brings you joy
  - think consciously (or write down!) the way you spend your days. How could you better spend that time rather than mindlessly scrolling?
  
  Of course, most of these are commonsense, but I still think it's important to be reminded of good habits.
  
  My main criticism of this book is the way Kondo talks about food. Much of her food-specific advice is pretty basic: eat nutritious meals, pay attention to your body's needs, etc. In one part of the book, she mentioned that she kept herself from snacking by announcing it out loud to herself and her kids. Her husband is her snack-monitor...not sure if that arrangement is healthy for everyone 😶. Her advice to keep a scrapbook of desserts and cakes and look at it when you're craving sweets was especially odd. Of course, overindulgence with sweets is not the best for you, but let yourself have that cake once in a while! Authors, especially lifestyle gurus like Kondo, really have to be careful about the way they write about food. You never know what your readers are struggling with and could trigger something by speaking carelessly about diet culture.
  
  All in all, an okay book that was mostly fine!
  3 stars!
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• 
  Aurora

  I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Number 39! Whew! The following is my honest review.
  
  I love how the book feels. It gave me joy to gaze at the cover, pictures on the back, and praise for the author. The font for the title was pleasing to look at.
  
  I could smell the pages as I turned them. Something about that new book smell 👃!
  Each page had gorgeous pictures of different parts of the author’s and a client’s homes. That was the other reason I turned the pages so slowly.
  I enjoyed reading about her recipes and could tell the recipes chosen were intentional because each recipe involved using her hands. Reading about the steps it took to prepare each dish made me think about some of the recipes my mom made for us that seemed to take forever but always ended with a good hot meal. The ingredients are in my neighborhood and am thinking seriously about trying to make the soup. I’m not interested in fermenting anything. Yet.
  I felt inspired when she discussed how to treat the walls because I recently visited a store where I felt artwork was overpriced. The author made me realize I can create my own views by painting things with my children when our schedules have us home at the same time.
  The worksheets for planning my own tidying festival at the back of the book are so pretty. I have to find a pretty pen to fill them in!
  While I don’t have a tidying end date, I did start last year but not in the same order as the author has listed each category.
  Her rituals for how she enjoys her day, morning and evening were interesting to read.
  This book was very well done and am happy to display this on my shelf! @MarieKondo thank you🫶🏽
• 
  Samantha

  I am a huge Marie Kondo fan. Although I've never finished my Tidying Festival, all of my things/spaces I have tidied according to her method have been worthwhile. I've spent money on private consultations with certified KonMari organisers. Her first two books were definite 'lightbulb' moments for me, so I was excited to dive into her latest book.
  
  This book goes into more detail about what Marie touches on in her first two books, around this idea of visualising your dream lifestyle before tidying or tidying with this lifestyle in mind. It's more of a coffee-table style book, with stunning photography.
  
  Overall, I have mixed feelings about it. While I enjoyed getting to see Marie's home and also the information she shared about Japanese culture (I think I'll be adapting her ideas of opening the windows every morning to let fresh air in, leaving small bowls of salt around the house and regularly cleansing with rooms sprays and incense to cleanse a home's energy), there is a sense of filler in this one... It's like they were trying to fill the book with enough content and some of the suggestions felt a bit basic (I can't help but eye roll these days at one more self help guru telling me to start a 'gratitude practice') and these suggestions didn't suit Marie Kondo, she's a tidying genius not a basic New Age self-help guru.
  
  I will take some suggestions from this one, and will think a bit more deeply about the lifestyle I am trying to create in my home now and in the future - but this one is a bit more style over substance.
• 
  Paulette

  I have always loved and understood Kondō's philosophy, and always bristle when certain kinds of people (you know who they are) try to belittle her by reducing it to a "throw away all of your things and be a minimalist." She says herself in Kurashi that, "Tidying is not a set of storage techniques, but rather a process of enhancing your communication with the things in your life." I have adapted so many teachings of her KonMari Method for several years now, to the point that I had forgotten this is where I had originally learned them from, and while I'm not always perfect at it, I always enjoy re-reading her books to refresh my intentions with what I own, why I own it, and go from there. She has also become more intentional in allowing and sharing other cultural points of view, which is always appreciated. She also talks more about the changes she's experienced in her life, from childhood, to living alone, to getting married, to now living in America with three children!
• 
  Ben Rogers

  Can't Seem To Evade Buddhism These Days
  
  It was fine enough
  
  Didn't learn too many new things I didn't already know.
  
  I really did love this book's illustrations (photos). Although I do have to say, it was as if I was looking at a Muji product catalog.
  
  It was fairly basic and also had lots of buddhist practices in it.
  
  All this aside, I found it MUCH BETTER timed of a book than the ill-fated
  Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life, which was published like 3 weeks into the COVID-19 world-wide lockdowns. I still can't believe the publisher greenlit that release.
  
  Quick, easy, friendly read.
  
  3.4/5
• 
  Lauren Price

  Im a big fan of the KonMari method of tidying and have read all of Ms Kondos books. If you havent, I highly recommend them all. But as a fan I found this book pretty dissapointing. The biggest issue is the photos- there would be a long section about a particular painting that holds meaning for her, or a specific towel or decoration and then the photos would be of sometjing totally different that has nothing to do with what shes referencing. Its like the photos and the writing had nothing to do with one another. They were also boring- just images of her looking serene or of some generic vase or the like. They showed almost zero of her organization- i would love to have seen images of her drawers, closets, etc. Also, the writing referenced a lot of individuals that influenced her but lacked credit. Example: she mentions a gardener giving her good advice that she follows, but fails to actually give their names or the name of their nursery (its Logan Gardens in Silver Lake, CA)- this feels really disrespectful to me, as these are people that have helped shape her kurashi philosophy and I believe giving credit could help their business, send readers to check out their work, or at least give them and their families some well deserved pride. Name dropping when its due, please! I did pick up some great new tips that differ a bit from her other books, and its also wonderful to see that as her life changes and she grows and develops, her priorities are also growing and shifting. Shes a dynamic individual just like the rest of us!
• 
  Rachel

  I know Kondo is very divisive with her "spark joy" approach to cleaning and organizing but honestly, I kinda love it. Why not make sure that the things you interact with on a daily spark some kind of happiness instead of resentment or ick? I enjoyed how she broke things down and shared short stories about her clients and her life. This was a sweet, motivational, "get your shit together book. I would recommend this for folks who are looking to start fresh, into attainable self-help and are just wanting to move toward living a more conscious life.
• 
  Caroline

  4 stars
  
  What can I say, I am a Kondo disciple. There's not a ton of new material in this latest book, but it's beautifully put together and has more of a personal touch than her previous, less image-heavy books that were more like manuals. I definitely could do with improving my morning and nighttime routines, so I will be using the workbook templates to try to get closer to my ideal. Kinda wish there were more recipes for everyday meals, specifically dinners, because I have never been much of a breakfast person.
• 
  Cynthia

  Back in the 90's I used to hate watch/read Martha Stewart with her chickens who laid color coordinated eggs. Oh, the inadequacy of my supermarket purchased brown eggs! Then she went to jail and emerged kinda cool.
  
  While I didn't exactly hate-read Kondo's latest, that same feeling of inadequacy bubbles up again. Every year I resolve to be tidier, every year I'm drowning in more mess. She relates a lifetime predilection for liking to tidy that is unknown and likely unknowable to me.
  
  That said, the photos are beautifully aspirational, but not high-end (I spied a Malm dresser). There are useful hints and sample schedules. Some of her appreciative comments to inanimate objects reminded me of Manon's aria "Adieu, mon petite table" which isn't a bad thing--the aria, I mean.
  
  In short, my possessions spark despair.
• 
  Emily Pope

  As a self-proclaimed minimalist this book gave me ALL the feels! Marie (who I really need to have voice my Siri/Alexa) is so darling and inspiring, and her book is a mirror image of her sweetness. Her book left me wanting to purge my entire house and it brought me back to the importance of being intentional about what I allow in my life. Ahh! I want to be everything Marie Kondo is.
• 
  Abby

  Marie Kondo has become a big brand, so the book is needlessly filled with photos of her looking prim in sterile rooms, but I think her advice is still sound. This book is not nearly as useful as the original, but I did like reading more about her theory of tidiness as well as some small practices of Japanese housekeeping.
• 
  MariWabiSabi

  Easy to read, beautiful pictures. Nothing new here — just reinforcing living, decorating, cleaning, and organizing in ways that spark joy. I appreciate so much the Japanese sentiment of treating your beloved items with care and your homes as sanctuaries. The chaos that rules our modern mindsets is so over the top and frequently just noise that can be eliminated.