Pulizia vs Caos: Bastano un Letto e Uno Spazzolino Per Essere Felici?
Ogni anno che passa le cose aumentano nelle nostre case mentre, lo spazio rimane sempre quello. Cosa fare? Buttare tutto senza guardarsi indietro, cambiare appartamento ogni sette anni, vendere su Ebay o accogliere il caos con stoica rilassatezza neo hippie? Meglio darsi regole ferree o seguire il motto “life is too short to declutter”? Prima è meglio capire che tipo di persona siamo.
Test della personalitàSecondo la scrittrice statunitense Mindy Starns Clark, autrice del libro The House that Cleans Itself, esistono tre tipi di persone.Type 1. Practically perfect in every way. Keep calm and go on“Remember that the more things we own, the more time we sacrifice to that ownership. But if you are overly neat by nature, so type 1, then you should work on relaxing a little”, says housekeeping expert Mindy Starns Clark. “Strict rules only create tension and make everyone miserable. Thanks to your natural instincts, your home is going to stay clean enough, rules or not, often without much conscious effort. It’s simply who you are”.
Type 2. Find some rules“If you’re type 2, a little messy but otherwise okay, then you should probably try to find a few workable rules and stick with them but otherwise relax. There’s more to life than dusted baseboards”.Type 3. Change your house, not you“If you’re type 3, ‘housekeeping impaired’, then neither strictness nor easygoingness will work for you. Instead, since your behaviours are likely never going to change, you must focus on changing your house to fit your behaviours. In other words, arrange, organise, and store your stuff in such a way that it’s actually as easy to do the clean thing as it is to do the messy thing. This takes a little work at first and starts with an honest analysis of the most consistent messes in your home, figuring out what causes them and what you can do to keep them from happening any more. Once you’ve managed to define your problem spots and implement solutions to fix them, then your home will begin to stay cleaner almost without your help”.
Siamo costretti a vivere come in campeggio per essere felici?Il motto di Erin Doland editor in chief del sito Uncletterer è. “clutter is anything that distracts you from the life you want to lead. If you are storing more stuff than you have space to store, it’s in your way and time to unclutter because it’s causing you stress or frustration. Life’s short enough, no need to have possessions get in the way of what is important to you”.
Houzz ha pubblicato un sondaggio in diversi paesi in cui si chiedeva se le persone preferivano avere poche cose (“What I need is just a toothbrush and a bed”), se organizzavano una pulizia stagionale (“I have to declutter at least once a year!”) o se piuttosto vendevano o davano via le vecchie cose (“I regularly make presents/give away/sell at flea market"). In tutti i paesi la preferenza è andata per le grandi pulizie annuali anche se almeno un 10 per cento ha dichiarato di preferire il minimalismo e avere bisogno di poco pochissimo.
Achille’s heels and awards: every country has its ownsMinimalist in JapanFumio Sasaki is a book editor running the blog entitled Minimalism on minimalist living, with his friend Naoki Numahata, a creative director. Sasaki wrote the book entitled We Do Not Need Things Any More. The book, in which he describes how he has become a minimalist, has become a bestseller of 160,000 copies in Japan since June 2015. Why do you think your blog and book become so famous and viral among people in their 30s?“I think many people have learned that gathering many things does not make you happy. The older generation (over 40s) have experienced the bubble economy, which praised material abundance, but our generation didn’t. I think minimalists are increasing in developed countries. You can feel more liberated by having fewer things around you. Japan is an earthquake-prone country, but if an earthquake hits, I can run away with all of my belonging that can easily be compiled in a small case within the size of a carry-on baggage on the plane. I think of my one-room apartment as a ‘tea ceremony room’. In a tea ceremony, you entertain your guest with a cup of tea in a very limited, minimal setting. I oft...
Practical life in Sweden Paulina Draganja is Sweden’s unchallenged queen of organisation, with a popular blog, TV performances, lectures and a new book coming out all on how to declutter and stay on top of stuff in the home.She says Swedish are a very practical people, which you can see in everything from cooking to fashion and design. “We want things to look good, but still be easy to maintain to suit a lifestyle where both parties in a relationship go out to work. So no complicated, pedantic solutions for housewives, but smart and simple systems. And with a pared-back look.The hallway seems to be a recurring challenge anyway in Sweden. Clothes are the trickiest things to store, especially as we have cold winters and a lot of bulky clothes”.
Surrounded by memories in Italy and SpainGallay is a personal organiser. She has been running a company called Organización del Orden for 15 years.“In Spain, most of the old stuff remains in the houses forever, even if people live in small apartments. Clothing is the only thing we get rid of, when closets are too full. And normally we donate it. But old furniture and books only get out the house to go to the attic, lumber room or country house. We don’t have a wide second hand market in Spain. There is no culture of swapping or garage sales, although many of my clients tell me that they would like to do it. The house of a traditional Spanish family is very cozy and tends to be full of photos, pictures and other memorabilia. It is very rare to find a minimal and aseptic home in Spain. In my nearly 15 years of experience working in Spanish homes, I have found parents who keep everything, even if their children are not interested in those objects from the past. Many keep linens, curtains, lamps, beds and other furniture, in case “children” need them in their future own home”. Italy is quite the same: people grow fond on things and find it hard to get rid of them. ...
Procrastination in FrancePauline is working as home organiser for 6 years in France. She created her own method and train other pros. “France has a very specific issue: the incredible volume of paper people have. French homeowners, who are called ‘paper kings’, receive a huge volume of administrative papers (a record in Europe!) and they have to keep them. So paper is one of the first source of cluttering. There is no trend according to socio professional categories, but cluttering is very often linked to life issues (illness, divorce, death…): homeowners don’t take the time to declutter and think they will “do it after” but they get snowed under with the amount of things they have. They often call a home-organize two years after, when they feel better and want to clean up the all house to get a new start.There is a gobal trend a decluttering that i feel because my activity grew up hugely in 6 years, and because i am more and more interviewed by media. Anyway French people struggle to throw things, they are stacked in the it-can-always-be-useful approach which prevent people from throwing as much as they should. Also, French are attached to souvenir and feelings are very important ...
6 domande per 5 esperti1. What’s your absolute top storage tip?“To constantly declutter and get rid of things, which is necessary to create space for things we really want or need. Everything in your home needs to have its own place, where it belongs. I try to stick to things I really like and use, and always ask myself where a new thing will be stored. If I can’t see the space in my mind, I often avoid buying. Then it’s better to focus on the things you already have and love, and keeping them well stored is part of that process”.Paulina Draganja
In the Japanese My Houzz story entitled A Timeless Primitive Beauty in Praise of Shadows, product designer Gwenael Nicolas founder of Curiosity says, “When you design a house/apartment, remember that you will plan to have 2.5 times more spaces for storage than the spaces sufficient for all of what you have currently.” 2. Meglio quindi un declutter spietato o cercare di ricavare spazio per il vecchio?“Dal mio punto di vista è meglio un declutter spietato che mi dia la possibilità di reinventarmi delle nuove combinazioni e quindi giocare più di fantasia piuttosto che avere tante cose, tra cui molte vecchie quindi poco alla moda o poco mettibili.Sono una persona molto attenta alla funzionalità e credo che sia meglio avere un guardaroba funzionale piuttosto che semplicemente ben organizzato con tante scatole, contenitori, divisori ma stracolmo di cose.Non mi piace però l’idea di una casa gestita in base a delle regole da magazziniere (last in/first out o first-in/last out) piuttosto credo sia importante insegnare anche ai bambini fin da piccoli che ogni cosa ha un proprio posto e che questa cosa agevola la loro autonomia”.Daniela Mosca, autrice del blog Dani&Colf, tiene corsi per f...
3. How and why is order connected with our happiness or unhappiness? “Happiness or unhappiness can occur in either situations. Happiness is not dependent on order. However, order brings with it a sense of calm and control and gives people more time to do things that make them happy as well as bringing happiness because of the order. Order also brings with it freedom to be, have and do whatever you like and you are more likely to be in the moment, or in the present. By contrast, disorder (if perceived as a problem) keeps people stuck and unable to move forward. (they put their present and future on hold while trying to sort our their past). Minimalism certainly lends itself to happiness potential.”Mary-Anne Bennie, author of From Stuffed to Sorted and Paper Flow: Your Ultimate Guide to Making Paperwork Easy“The old adage ‘Tidy desk, tidy mind’ is completely correct. Not knowing where things are, or living in a dirty or chaotic environment has a detrimental impact on our lives. We waste valuable mental energy when we live in a mess”.Helen Winter of Coral Interiors...
4. What do you suggest to do with old stuff, like clothes or things people are emotionally linked to but not actually using anymore? “My technique for clearing clutter is based on the understanding that every possession you own, from the tiniest button to the biggest couch, consumes a piece of your time—time to clean it, store it, move it, fix it, lose it, find it, wash it, wipe it, and on and on. The more things we own, the more time we sacrifice to that ownership. Thus, when de-cluttering, ask yourself, “Is this item worth the total time investment that owning it requires?” If it is, then keep it. If it isn’t, then get rid of it. It’s that simple—unless the item also carries an emotional component”. 5. Every new things entering the house means something that need to goes out. How does this rule seem to you?“Sounds great if you’re the type of person who can remember to do it and/or force yourself to be timely about it. I think for more housekeeping-impaired types like me, it’s a habit that’s not likely going to take hold. Better to schedule regular decluttering appointments with yourself—such as on the first day of each new season for a total of four times per year—and consistentl...
Una storia (abbastanza) incredibile da GiapponeBlogger Fumio Sasaki (in the pictures) became a minimalist not long ago. “In 2013, I happened to google the term “minimalist” in Japanese, and learned about Andrew Hyde, a famous minimalist blogger who live only with 15 items. In retrospect, I think, at the time, I was frustrated with my life and wanted to change it. It was almost a sudden enlightenment”. Is a empty room better for our karma?“I think when I had many things in the past, I wanted them because I compared myself with others. I was judging how happy I was comparing with the way others live”.Don’t you get in love with objects any more?“All I have around me is what I like. But I don’t want to be attached to them. I like things. I like to find what I like. However, for example, I don’t like to have a unique, precious work created by an artist or artisan, because it feels too heavy”. What do you do now with the extra things you are not using? Storing or selling or just giving away?“When I was on the way to become a minimalist, I used online auction systems a lot. Nowadays, I prefer giving away things to someone rather than selling. When I have something I want to get rid of, I...
Che cosa fare per uscire dal caos (o decidere di restarci con orgoglio)1. Prova con il true test“Attachment is a very subjective thing and when people claim to have a strong attachment to something they don’t use, the true test is whether they place it in a position of honor in their home. If it is relegated to storage, often a photo of the item will suffice as a memory prompt and the item can be released to others. If the item is something to be passed on to the next generation, then suitable storage needs to be found. There has been a huge increase in external storage rental and environmental removal services in Australia”, suggests Mary-Anne Bennie.2. Ask yourself the right question“Is this item worth the total time investment that owning it requires? My technique for clearing clutter is based on the understanding that every possession you own, from the tiniest button to the biggest couch, consumes a piece of your time—time to clean it, store it, move it, fix it, lose it, find it, wash it, wipe it, and on and on. The more things we own, the more time we sacrifice to that ownership”, explains Mindy Starns Clark“Keep the floor tidy and put away everything lying on the ground at le...
3. Sell at fleemarket “I am sorting out clothes every six months. Everything that I haven’t worn for three months is dismissed or banned to my sportswear. Old clothes are sold on Ebay or in second hand shops. If they are worn out too much, I put them into the garment collection. That way, my wardrobe stays tidy”, says Houzz user Frank Ragan“In France, second hand markets are very popular: you organize it with your family, your involve the kids to sell their old toys, you spend a day with friends and you sell old things rather than throwing them”, explains French expert Pauline.‘’Clothing I recycle, everything else I sold like the TV, kitchen appliances and so on. Better to make a little money on it, and let others make use of it”, says Danish Houzz user Birgitte Petersen.“Recycling and shopping in charity stores is reaching record proportions. Collaborative consumption (sharing resources and renting items so everyone doesn’t have to own one of everything) is gaining popularity and results in needing less”, says Australian expert Mary-Anne Bennie....
… Or on-line“List broken or damaged items on sites like preloved.com, freecycle, or Craigslist. Someone may well enjoy fixing it and giving it new life”.Helen Winter of Coral Interiors4. Swap “My rule of thumb is to cull about 20-30% of what you own in each category and implement a ‘one-in, one-out’ policy from there on in. How many times do you re-read your paperbacks? How often have you worn those towering heels? If you need the fix of new stuff, set up a book swap at the office or a clothes and shoe swap party with your friends. Everyday clothes, books, kitchen items are all replaceable should you ever need them in future. The energy of owning, cleaning, maintaining and storing so much stuff will wear you down”, says UK expert Helen Winter of Coral Interiors.
Numeri & Regole“I suggest implementing space limit rules as well. For example, tell yourself that you can hang onto as many mementoes as you want, but only up to the storage capacity of one curio cabinet. You can keep old letters and papers and kids’ artwork but only up to the storage capacity of two large sealable bins. You can keep all the books you love, but only up to the storage capacity of three bookshelves. If you decide on a reasonable storage limit—don’t be unrealistically stingy, especially not at first—and stick to that limit, then you’re only forced to purge when your quantity of items exceeds the designated space. Most people find it easier to purge beloved items when making decisions in a comparative context—e.g., the Tod’s ballet flats or the Geox loafers because there’s not room in the shoe rack for both—and over time some folks will even find themselves paring down the original amount of designated space to something smaller”, says Mindy Starns Clark.“Io credo che il guardaroba di una persona debba rispecchiare il suo stile di vita.Che senso ha tenere la felpa di quando avevo quindici anni o il pantalone della mia prima gravidanza? Capisco che con alcuni capi p...
“Each person/family needs to set their own limits on what is right for them. They can limit by number (eg 3 towels per person plus two spare for guests) orby space available (eg. one shelf is allocated to recipe books, once filled it’s one-in, one-out). Or they can limit by age (eg latest 12 months of favourite magazine.) As long as they set limits in every category, quantity issues cease to exist. However it appears you can never have too many shoes!”, says Mary-Anne Bennie.“Shoes: 5 pairs of shoes (1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of white sneakers, 1pair of rain boots, 1 pair of slip-on shoes, and 1 pair of black formal leather shoes.)Books: I don’t keep books at home. Well, I have only one paper book at a time, that I am reading at the moment, and I get rid of it as soon as I finish reading it. I enjoy using Kindle. Before I have become a minimalist, I had a lot of books I hadn’t read, and it has made me feel guilty and unhappy. I don’t feel that way any more.Kitchen items: About 20 items.T shirts: 20.Underwear and socks: 4 sets.Shirts: 4”, explains Fumio Sasaki.
Cannot do that? Then you can always thinks the way the Danish user Trine Nyborg does: “I throw out rarely, but I recycle even less. I have a tendency to prefer to store clothes, because I am convinced that they will become fashionable again… it happens rarely ! I wish I was creative enough to make from old things new, useful things for the home!”
Tutti sognano una casa perfetta, un open space intonso, senza ditate in cucina o polvere sulle mensole, con ampi pavimenti sgombri e due - due - soprammobili d’effetto che occhieggiano solitari, una cabina armadio ampia e i libri ordinati per colore nella libreria. Eppure nella maggior parte dei casi, ci si trova in realtà a dover gestire un mini appartamento pieno di libri, vecchi giocattoli, troppe scarpe e documenti dappertutto.
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