Over the years I’ve been in business, I’ve seen organizing fads and trends come and go – much like fashion. Fads appear and disappear quickly. Trends are gradual changes and tend to stand the test of time. Let’s take a closer look at some of the organizing fads and trends in today’s media.
Rainbow Fad
I already expressed my thoughts about organizing by colour. It’s not always practical. It’s great for staging a home. Rainbow organizing looks lovely as a backdrop for video conferences and family photos. However, for efficiency, organize by function. I suspect we’ll see the Rainbow Fad disappear as quickly as parachute pants did. However, we do organize by colour when it comes to clothing, but we organize by function first (tanks, short sleeves, long sleeves), then by colour.
Spark Joy Trend
For many years we watched reality television where organizers encouraged people to toss (sell, donate, recycle) all the stuff they didn’t want. On those TV shows, we would see homeowners being pestered and badgered until they cried! (Something Out of Chaos has never done and will never do!). In real life, it’s really about compromises – whether your stuff or your space is more important.
Then along came Marie Kondo. I have some issues with the KonMari Method of organizing, but her emphasis on keeping things that “spark joy” flipped the narrative of decluttering upside down in North America. For many people, focusing on what they want to include in their life made the decluttering process much more manageable. I believe this is a trend that is here to stay because it heightened the awareness of letting things go if they stir up feelings of guilt, remorse, shame, etc.
Folding Clothes Fad
The KonMari Method of folding clothes has space-saving and aesthetic benefits. In some cases, it is also time-consuming. I know many parents who don’t have time to fold clothes, let alone take the time to do it the KonMari way. So the approach might simply be: Don’t fold your socks. Buy six pairs the same and dump them into one basket in your drawer. Boom! Your socks are organized. We are slowly moving out into the world after the COVID pandemic. As parents head back to the office full-time and kids start school and activities, no one will have time to fold their laundry beautifully. The Folding Clothes Fad will probably disappear quickly for those that are time-starved.
Extreme Minimalism Fad
A few years ago, people were blogging and making movies about minimalism. All of their possessions fit into one backpack. They lived in tiny houses not much bigger than a single hotel room. I keep asking myself how these people fared during the COVID pandemic lockdowns. I’ve seen images of their spartan homes, and to me, some look cold and uncomfortable. Extreme minimalism may work for some people, but it’s only an attainable and comfortable fad for those who are very strict with their ability to let things go.
Hygge: A Fad and a Trend
If you listen to Google Translate pronounce the Danish word “hygge,” it sounds similar to the English word “hug.” And interestingly enough, the definition of hygge (“A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being”) is also remarkably like the feeling you get when someone hugs you.
Some people may consider hygge a fad, and marketers are perpetuating this myth. As Laura Byager pointed out in her article on Mashable, “Hygge, like love, cannot be bought.” During the COVID pandemic lockdowns, we have had the chance to realize how much our homes mean to us. We want our homes to feel like a hug – a place of comfort and contentment. But you probably won’t have a comfortable feeling if you buy a $5000 ‘hygge’ chair on a limited budget. Having a pleasant and cozy home is an enduring trend, but the marketing part of hygge is definitely a fad.
The Tried-and-True vs Organizing Fads and Trends
Out of Chaos uses tried-and-true methods of home organizing. We focus on purposeful and functional. We listen carefully to our clients and provide leadership and guidance. Our team members are patient and understanding and present resourceful options. Sometimes these options incorporate parts of the latest organizing fads and trends in a way that will benefit our client in the long term. But mostly, we help our clients create a personalized space that is functional, comfortable, sparks joy and feels like a warm hug.
Learn more about our home organizing services by clicking here, or contact Out of Chaos through our website, by email at info@outofchaos.ca or by phone at 604-813-8189.
