KICKING CLUTTER TO KERB
A POPULAR TV show has many Townsville residents asking themselves if their possessions spark joy.
And if they don’t, they’re chucking them out on the advice of Japanese author Marie Kondo, who is an expert in tidying one’s space and transforming lives.
It was enough to make Ethos Interiors designer Anna Dance clear out her kitchen and her laundry.
“When you watch a show like that, it does make you go ‘oh, I should probably do that (declutter)’,” she said.
Anna Williams, director of the same firm, said it could be the new trend of the year, with all the popular design styles “minimalistic with lots of hidden storage”.
The eight-part Netflix series, Tidying Up which launched on January 1 follows on from Kondo’s successful book The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up.
In the series Kondo helps several families declutter their homes.
Ms Williams said while the effect of the series was yet to impact Townsville, traditionally the city favoured the clean, minimalistic style.
“We don’t see houses that people have overloaded with stuff,” she said.
“I’ve always wondered whether it’s something to do with the heat actually.
“When you go to houses down south, or in cold climates, they have a lot of fabric, and a lot of things and they are a very cosy feeling.
“But because we live in a warm climate, we want it to be open, we want it to be outside, we want it to feel clean and bright and fresh.”
Last year, Townsville City Council provided kerbside pick-up for the first time in more than a decade, which proved popular among residents.
“More than 26,000 homes had rubbish collected from the kerb, with over 7000 white goods and almost 2500 e-waste items collected and re- cycled,” Acting Mayor Les Walker said.
Ms Williams said there had always been an interest in decluttering and time would tell if Kondo had an influence in Townsville.
“I think some of her key phrases are quite relevant. Don’t keep things that aren’t practical or don’t give you joy. I think when our lives are so busy people are drawn to the idea that if they have a clean and organised home then it makes their life easier.
“Our worlds are only getting busier with working and kids and hobbies, the busier we are the more drawn we are to simplifying our home and our lives.”