KONMARI METHOD®
What is the KonMari Method®?
The Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo developed the KonMari Method®.
She introduced the method in 2011 through her bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Beyond starting a global movement centered on intentional living and joy, she also created a professional training program for certified KonMari® Consultants. I am part of a global network of 800+ certified KonMari® Consultants across more than 50 countries.
Marie Kondo © Photo credit KonMari Media, Inc.
What makes the KonMari Method® different?
Many people first encounter the KonMari Method® through the question “Does it spark joy?” This shifts the focus from discarding out of obligation to choosing what supports your ideal lifestyle.
Rather than aiming for a perfectly tidy or Instagram-worthy home, the method centers on intentional choice and alignment. It uses the home as a way to support how you actually want to live.
“Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.”
How Tidying Works
Tidying in the KonMari Method® follows a clear and intentional sequence. First, belongings are decluttered. Only after that are they organized. This order matters — it’s what allows lasting change. It can also mean things feel more visible (and messier) before they feel better.
Decluttering
Decluttering means holding each item in your hands, one by one, and asking: “Does it spark joy?” This is an embodied process that brings both practical and emotional awareness into decision-making.
Joy doesn’t have to mean excitement or beauty. It can also show up as relief, usefulness, or a sense of ease — when something genuinely supports daily life.
Over time, the question deepens. What begins as “Does it spark joy?” becomes “Does this item support the life I want to live?” This is why the KonMari Method® begins with clarifying your vision. It helps guide decisions when things feel challenging or unclear.
Organizing
Only once a category has been fully decluttered does organizing begin. The focus is on visibility, ease of use, and systems that feel natural to maintain in daily life.
One well-known example is the KonMari® folding method. It allows clothing to be stored upright so everything can be seen at a glance. For many people, this increases clarity and reduces friction — but it’s not a requirement. Organizing in the KonMari Method® is always adapted to the individual, their habits, and what feels sustainable over time.
The goal isn’t visual perfection, but simple systems that support how you actually live — so your space continues to work for you over time.
Tidying by Category
Instead of organizing room by room, the KonMari Method® works by category. This means gathering all items of the same kind — even when they’re stored in different parts of the home — so decisions can be made once, with the full picture in view.
The five main categories are:
Clothes
Books
Paper
Komono (miscellaneous items)
Sentimental items
Working through all five categories in sequence is often referred to as a Tidying Festival. This is where the method has its greatest impact, as different areas of the home are interconnected and decisions build on one another over time. At the same time, it’s not a requirement — meaningful shifts can happen even when working through one category at a time, in different seasons of life.
The categories are approached in a specific order. They begin with items that are often easier to decide on and gradually move toward those with more emotional weight. This structure helps build decision-making confidence over time.
Working with a Certified KonMari® Consultant
Certification means being trained in the foundations and nuances of the KonMari Method® as it’s meant to be practiced. It includes working with real clients, receiving feedback and guidance, and continuing to deepen the work over time.
This shared foundation creates a clear compass for how the method is applied. Each year, certified consultants gather to reconnect with the practice and hear Marie Kondo speak about the heart and philosophy behind it. This ongoing connection helps keep the focus on joy, ideal lifestyle, and intentional choice — rather than efficiency, aesthetics, or external standards — and supports applying the method with care and integrity.
KonMari® Certification Levels
Certified KonMari® Consultants progress through multiple levels, from Green to Master. Each level reflects hands-on client hours, continued training, and experience working through the KonMari Method® with real households.
This structure makes experience visible — not as a hierarchy of “better,” but as a way to understand how much practice a consultant has built over time.
Certified Green
30+ tidying hours
Certified Bronze
150+ tidying hours
Certified Silver
300+ tidying hours
Certified Gold
600+ tidying hours
Certified Platinum
900+ tidying hours
Certified Master
1,500+ tidying hours
Experience & Certification
Kati Carrapa brings long-term, lived experience alongside KonMari® training to her work. She began decluttering and organizing during her university years, supporting friends and family.
She discovered the work of Marie Kondo and felt a strong resonance with the approach. After completing her own tidying festival, she knew she wanted to become a KonMari® Consultant.
She later began working professionally and, after gaining hands-on experience with clients, chose to begin the KonMari® certification process. She was certified soon after.
Nearly two decades of decluttering and organizing experience
Professional organizing practice since 2017
KonMari® Consultant Certification (2019–2020)
Master Level KonMari® Consultant (2024)
1,900+ hours of one-on-one KonMari® tidying experience
“Kati goes deep. What began with the goal to ‘just’ declutter and reorganize my closets ended months later with all the contents of my apartment, organized in such a way that it will continue to bring joy, calm, and order to my life.”
— JACQUELINE MURRAY, CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER | MANHATTAN, NY, USA
The Netflix Series
Many people first encounter the KonMari Method® through the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and Sparking Joy. The shows offer a broad introduction to how the method works.
In real-life work, the process often unfolds a little differently — especially in smaller apartments and in cities like New York. Sessions are paced so spaces can be restored at the end of each day, rather than everything being taken out at once. The work is more contained and adapted to real homes, real schedules, and real nervous systems.
Working with a certified consultant brings the method into your own life — in a way that fits your space, your pace, and what’s actually sustainable for you.
