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Archives for September 2019

Six Autumn 2019 Interior Design Trends at the Vancouver Interior Design Show

artwork by Emily Forgot
Selwyn I. Artwork by Emily Forgot, in the entrance installation at IDS.

September means teens are back to school, leaves are changing, and it’s time for the Vancouver Interior Design Show!

Design DNA is the theme for 2019. This year’s show offers a “deep dive into the fundamental ingredients that shape the West Coast’s design landscape”. IDS definitely took a different direction this year, with less focus on exhibiting designed rooms and more emphasis on product lines.

This year’s opening party was busy as ever. DJs kept the vibe energetic as fashionista designers jostled for glasses of bubbly. Conceptual installations were mobbed by selfie-taking enthusiasts. An older gent confided that he attends to party to see beautiful women.

It wasn’t until yesterday’s Trade Day that I got the chance to take my time and explore the exhibits. IDS is a good place to see this year’s interior trends once they have settled down at the level of the home.

In this post, I cover seven autumn 2019 interior design trends at IDS that stand out to me.

dining table with rattan chairs
70s-influenced neutral colours at Benjamin Moore

1. Neutral colour palette trend

Colour is being used in a much more restrained way in autumn 2019. What I’m not seeing at IDS this year: maximalist colour palettes and patterns. Designers are offering simple and soothing colour palettes. Black adds drama, sometimes contrasting with white. Shades of grey make up most of the in-between.

A modern free-standing tub with black and white geometric wallpaper at Benjamin Moore
Modern free-standing tub with black and white geometric wallpaper at Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore

The beloved paint manufacturer’s exhibit was designed by Sharon Glech. It features a few trends:

  • black and white geometric pattern with a black feature wall
  • greys, whites, and creams (pick up some large paint chips!)
  • soothing neutrals with a 70s influence
  • dry-erase paint that actually works

Dark + moody

Lock & Mortice’s solid wood furniture in a dark and moody setting
Lock & Mortice’s solid wood furniture in a dark and moody setting
  • Lock & Mortice’s booth features modern solid wood furniture in a moody and atmospheric setting. People are loving this exhibit.

2. 70s autumnal colour trend

upholstered Scandi style chairs at J & M Home
upholstered Scandi style chairs at J & M Home
  • Colour lovers will enjoy artist Emily Forgot‘s entrance installation. Her palette combines 70s autumnal olive, ochre, brick, and peacock blue, updated with 80s pastels: mint, pink, and powder blue.
  • Muratto: 70s colours are prominent in cork wall panels
  • Formica: this historic company has new collections in colours we remember from the 70s
  • J & M Home‘s exhibit includes 70s coloured upholstered accent chairs
Muratto's three-dimensional cork wall panels in 70s colours
Muratto’s three-dimensional cork wall panels in 70s colours

3. Irresistible surfaces trend

People are really responding to surfaces that they can’t help but touch. It’s all about, matte, leathery, three-dimensional and tactile materials:

  • Muratto: three-dimensional wall cork wall coverings—great for sound installation
  • Formica: check out the new 70s coloured felt-textured laminate. There was much fondling! Amazingly, it still has stain-proof properties
  • Matt Concrete: concrete wall panels in dark and light neutrals
  • Capital Tile + Stone: lots of three-dimensional geometric tiles in neutral colours
  • Caesarstone: natural grey stone looks in leathery, matte finishes
New felt texture laminate at Formica
Amazing new felt texture laminate at Formica

4. Apartment scaled trend

maroon chair with lamp
Small scale Danish design featured at the “The Apartment”

Those of us who don’t have palatial homes appreciate exhibits that highlight apartment-scaled furniture and fittings.

oak kitchen cabinet
Danish Reform oak kitchen cabinet topped with Corian at “The Apartment”
  • The Apartment features Danish furniture, lighting and interior objects curated by CASESTUDY STUDIO. The solid oak Corian-topped kitchen cabinets by Reform brings restrained luxury to the small home. “Rooms” combine sculptural lighting with dainty seating pieces. Maroon adds some colour to off-white, light wood, and black tones.
  • a simple, dainty navy sofa is the focal point in EQ3‘s neutral palette living room exhibit
  • J & M Home‘s Scandi-style furniture pieces combine natural wood with light neutral upholstery and accent pieces in 70s colours
  • The Kompact kitchen by Bauformat brings some serious wow factor to IDS. The astonishingly small footprint kitchen hides a fridge, a microwave/oven, a mini dishwasher, a washer/dryer, a table, and a TV!
Navy Oma sofa at EQ3
Navy Oma sofa at EQ3
Kompact kitchen by Bauformat
Kompact kitchen by Bauformat with everything hidden away
Kompact kitchen by Bauformat showing hidden features
Kompact kitchen by Bauformat showing hidden fridge, dishwasher, microwave/oven

5. Modern free-standing tub trend

sculptural Victoria + Albert tub at Norburn Lighting and Bath
sculptural Victoria + Albert tub at Norburn Lighting and Bath

A must for today’s luxury bathroom. The IDS features a variety of modern free-standing tub styles:

  • House of Rohl has gorgeous Victoria + Albert volcanic stone tubs on display. Cleverly, the plug releases when the tub gets too full, thus eliminating the clutter of the overflow.
  • Norburn Lighting and Bath has a sculptural Victoria + Albert tub that is a must-see
  • ROBINSON features a white tub that sits in a black metal frame
  • Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware‘s display includes a black marble-like fluted tub
  • Native Trail‘s tub has an earthy modern vibe
Black marble look tub at Cantu
Black marble look tub at Cantu

6. Statement faucet trend

white, black and gold faucets
Theory tapware collection by Blu Bathworks at Cantu

For kitchens and bathrooms, a European style sculptural faucet feels luxurious. IDS has so many on display this year:

Over to you…

Did you check out the Vancouver Interior Design Show this year? Are you seeing these trends where you live? Tell me in the comments.

 

 

 

 

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How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths Naturally: All the Best Ways

clothing handing in a closet
Rescue your wardrobe and get rid of clothes moths naturally

Inside: My detailed plan for how to get rid of clothes moths naturally, plus tips for prevention.

Reading in bed is one of life’s delicious pleasures. Snuggled under my duvet. Lights dimmed. A fresh book on the Kindle.

But recently, horrifying intruders have ruined my peace. Tiny moths flutter around the closet, looking somewhat drunk. Unfortunately, I know what that means. My cashmere is in peril.

I went through all the stages:

Denial: “Seriously? This can’t be happening to meeee!”

Anger: “I #$%& hate clothes moths!”

Bargaining: “If only I had protected my woolens from this scourge!”

Depression: “Only wine can fix this”.

Acceptance: “Apparently, we have a clothes moth infestation. Perhaps I should do something about it.”

Then I started Googling like a madwoman. Read on to learn about my findings and battle plan.

wool sweaters in drawer
clothes moths love wool, silk, leather, feather, and fur

What’s the big deal about clothes moths?

A couple of clothes moths might not seem like much to worry about. But they can be the first sign of ongoing damage. They have champagne tastes—and they will satisfy them on your budget. Cashmere, wool, silk, fur, feathers.

Once they settle into the dark corners of your closet or dresser, they are extremely hard to get rid of.

You need to take action. But first, let’s understand what we are dealing with.

Natural history of the sweater-munching moth

Time for a quick biology lesson. Why? It will help you to eradicate clothes moths from the face of the planet your closet. And justify my M.Sc. degree!

I’m not an entomologist but… Usually, we are dealing with the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella).

Their life cycle takes 4-6 months. To save your wardrobe, you need to get rid of every stage.

clothes moths on trap
adult clothes moths caught in pheromone trap

Adult clothes moths

Seeing moths flying around is usually the first sign of an infestation. That and finding holes in your sweaters.

The flying moths actually don’t feed at all, so eliminating them doesn’t solve the problem.

Adult moths:

  • are small (~1/4″), yellow-brown, with a satiny sheen
  • avoid light and attempt to hide when disturbed
  • prefer to scuttle on surfaces rather than fly
  • live for 15-30 days

Moths flying around are usually males looking for some sexy time. The females tend to be too lazy to fly. Instead, they lounge on a sweater and wait for the males to come to them.

Females lay 40-100 eggs. That can hatch into 40-100 angora-loving larvae. Ugh!

Clothes moth eggs

Eggs generally take 3-21 days to hatch.

They can hatch in a wide variety of temperatures, from 50-91°F (10-33°C). Warm and damp is the hatching sweet spot (75°F/24°C) and 70-75% relative humidity).

Clothes moth eggs are surprisingly hardy. To break the clothes moth life cycle, removing and killing eggs is essential.

Eggs can survive freezing to -9°F (-23°C). The interwebs will tell you to stick your sweaters in the freezer. Unfortunately, at 0° F (-18° C), the typical home freezer isn’t cold enough to kill the eggs.

You can kill eggs with heat. It takes heating at 120°F (49°C) for 30 minutes or more. A typical clothes dryer on a hot cycle should be effective.

Clothes moth larvae

Hatching larvae are tiny. They hide away and begin to feed immediately.

The larval stage lasts between two months and two years. They wander around in the dark looking for your other cashmere sweaters. Eventually, they’ll make a cocoon. After pupating, the adult moth emerges and the whole thing starts over.

What clothes moth larvae find delicious:

  • silk
  • leather
  • wool
  • fur
  • feathers
  • human hairs, pet hairs, or clothing strands that accumulate in corners
  • synthetic/wool blends
  • occasionally cotton

Larvae particularly love to feed on clothing after it has been worn. Human body oil, sweat, and food residue is like gravy to them.

So you have #$%& clothes moths in your closet

My first idea was to get moth traps. After all, if I could get rid of the moths, the problem would be solved, right?

Wrong. Getting rid of flying moths doesn’t get rid of moth eggs, moth larvae, or lazy female adults.

My next idea was cedar. Or lavender. Or cloves. The problem is that these aren’t reliable for killing any stage of the clothes moth.

Let’s not even talk about mothballs. They deter clothes moths. But the smell is nasty! Plus we don’t want to be breathing that in.

How to get rid of clothes moths naturally

I did a tonne of research on handling clothes moth infestations.

I ruled out a lot of suggestions. Like freezing (impractical and ineffective). And baking clothes in the oven (that couldn’t possibly go wrong!). And parasitic wasps (I can’t even…).

I came up with my very own battle plan. AKA Operation MOTH-ageddon.

Read on to find out exactly how I plan to tackle this vexing problem.

But first, the dry ice safety chat

My plan includes using dry ice. You must take complete responsibility for transporting and using dry ice safely (here’s some info). I take no responsibility for the consequences of your use or misuse of dry ice.

Aeroxon moth traps
Aeroxon pheromone moth traps for hanging in your closet

Supplies

Next, let’s gather supplies.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Plan for Operation MOTH-ageddon

Here is my detailed plan for how to get rid of clothes moths naturally. It won’t be easy, but I hope that it will be a permanent solution.

  1. Supplies: buy and order (see above)
  2. Calendar: plan time blocks to get the job done
  3. Clothes/accessories needed for the next week:
    • put these aside
    • pretend you’re going on vacation, except no margaritas on the beach, or fun
    • preferably, pick items that you can wash and put in a hot dryer to treat easily
  4. Empty closet & dresser
    • set up a staging area that you can clean easily
    • I’ll be using clean sheets on the living room floor as my staging area
    • remove contents of closet/dresser and put into the staging area
  5. Sort clothes into categories:
    • bag and label accordingly
    • not heat sensitive: wash in hot water then dry using sanitize cycle (clear bags are fine for these)
    • delicates that are not impeccably clean: put in clear bags labeled either “dry clean” or “hand wash”
    • delicates that are clean: shake off outside, store in contractor-grade bags, and mark “Fumigate”
  6. Luggage:
    • vacuum
    • steam clean or
    • store in contractor-grade bags and mark “Fumigate”
  7. Shoes and handbags:
    • vacuum
    • store in contractor-grade bags and mark “Fumigate”
  8. Hangers and closet organizers:
    • vacuum
    • steam clean or wipe down with white vinegar solution
  9. Items stored in closet
    • some may need fumigation, especially: sewing supplies, Christmas decorations, craft supplies
  10. Laundry:
    • wash all the things
    • dry in a hot dryer until bone dry
    • to ensure that the maximum temperature is reached, put in fewer clothes than the dryer’s capacity
    • store in clean, clear bags until the closet and dresser are ready for clothes to be returned
  11. Hand wash:
    • hand wash delicates
    • hang or lay flat to dry
    • store in contractor-grade bags and mark “Fumigate”
  12. Dry clean:
    • dry cleaning will kill all stages of the clothes moth (except for alternative “green” dry cleaners)
    • take items to dry cleaner and mark calendar to pick up when clean
  13. Clean staging area:
    • wash sheets using hot wash/dry cycles
    • vacuum
  14. Get dry ice
    • review safety info above
    • plan to get dry ice right before you will use it
    • handle safely using long sleeves and thick leather gloves
    • wrap ice in newspaper or rags
    • transport in a cooler that is not airtight
    • do not transport dry ice in the main compartment of your car (I plan to attach cooler onto the roof of my car)
  15. Fumigate using dry ice:
    •  do not use dry ice inside your home due to the risk of carbon dioxide gas accumulation (I plan to use my balcony)
    • gather contractor-grade bags marked “Fumigate” containing clothes, shoes, handbags, and other items
    • this method “gives quick, satisfactory control and kills all stages of clothes moths”:
        • wearing thick leather gloves and long sleeves, wrap the ice in rags or old t-shirts then place in the contractor-grade bags
        • if you use a bag with a 30-gallon capacity, a 1/2 – to 1-lb piece of dry ice should be adequate (I’ll be using 1 lb for the 42-gallon bags)
        • seal the bag loosely at the top until all of the dry ice has vaporized; this will allow the gas to escape and keep the bag from bursting
        • when the dry ice has completely dissolved, tighten the seal, and let the bag sit for three or four days
  16. Install access panel
    • we have a plumbing access panel in our closet that cannot be adequately sealed; a readymade access panel will be easier to seal
    • cut drywall if needed
    • caulk the edges of the panel where it meets the drywall
    • seal panel door with tape
  17. Caulk baseboards
    • caulk any cracks or crevices where moths could hide
  18. Deep clean closets and dressers
    • vacuum
    • wipe all surfaces with vinegar solution
  19. Discard vacuum bag
    • seal in garbage bag first
  20. Put treated clothes back in closets and dresser
  21. Hang cedar in closet
    • the volatile oils of Eastern Red Cedar can kill small larvae and deter moths
    • fill mesh bags with fresh cedar chips
    • hang in closet using hooks
    • replace chips when they lose their scent
  22. Put lavender sachets in drawers
    • there is some evidence that volatile oils of lavender repel moths
    • replace sachets when they lose their natural scent
    • note to self: check if husband will tolerate lavender scent on his clothing…
  23. Moth traps
    • these will help you figure out if you have solved the moth problem or not
    • they also serve as an early warning signal if moths re-invade
    • check traps regularly
    • replace regularly according to manufacturer instructions
  24. Dehumidifier
    • set up in closet
  25. Mark calendar with reminders:
    • check moth traps
    • replace moth traps
    • sniff test to find out if chips or sachets need to be replaced
    • empty dehumifier

Phew! I feel exhausted writing all that out. But I know that having a plan will make the process more efficient and streamlined.

After I eradicate moths from my closet and life, prevention will be key.

Preventing clothes moth infestations

There are many ways to avoid the misery of clothes moth infestations.

Clothing storage location

Clothes moths and larvae like to live in dark, damp, and undisturbed places. So the ideal storage is dry and well-ventilated.

Vulnerable items might be best kept in airtight containers or bags. Beware of an imperfect seal though! If moths or larvae sneak in, they will find the ideal conditions for living and feeding due to the lack of ventilation. Taping seams and openings can help.

Sadly, I lost an heirloom blanket to moth damage when a compression bag seal failed.

Make sure clothing is clean before you put it away

Ideally, clothing is impeccably clean when you put it away. Especially if it won’t be worn for a while. Remember, munching larvae love nothing more than the traces of sweat, body oil, and food on clothing that you’ve worn.

But how realistic is that? Are you really going to dry clean your wool dress every single time you wear it? Or handwash a sweater after every wear? What about silk scarves?

A compromise might be to quarantine moth-prone items after wearing them. Extra vigilance with deterrence in your “lightly worn” quarantine area may help.

Brush and shake clothing

Moths and larvae hate to be disturbed. Brushing and shaking clothing outdoors can help to remove larvae and eggs. Getting into a routine of doing this every few months can’t hurt.

Spring clean closets and drawers

Periodically deep clean your closets and drawers. Any human hair, pet hair, or keratin-containing clothing strands that accumulate in dark corners provide nice food sources for larvae. Vacuuming can remove cloth moth eggs. Cleaning surfaces with vinegar can kill eggs.

Reduce humidity

Clothes moths love humid regions like where I live. A closet-sized dehumidifier can help keep your closet dry. Desiccant sachets can be used in drawers, storage bins, or trunks. These have the added benefit of keeping mustiness at bay.

Caulk baseboards and crevices

Remove access to dark crevices as much as possible. Fill holes and caulk baseboards to reduce areas where moth larvae can live undisturbed.

Bring light to dark corners

It helps to light up closets and spaces regularly. It won’t kill any stage of the clothes moth, but they won’t feel as comfortable moving around.

Use natural scents to repel moths

Both Eastern red cedar and lavender can be effective for repelling clothes moths. But only as long as their natural scent remains strong.

Quarantine vintage and thrift store finds

This is probably how some of us get clothes moths in the first place.

Any clothing, shoes, or bags from a vintage or thrift store should be kept in sealed bags. When possible, treat new-to-you items with dry cleaning, laundering (hot dryer), or fumigation.

Trap rodents rather than using poison

Okay, the ick factor is really high here. Clothes moths can feed on rodents that die in inaccessible places. So it’s better to trap and remove rodents rather than using poison.

Keep clothes in a freezer

Some go to the extreme of keeping their most precious items in a freezer. But that’s not practical for most. And keep in mind that freezing will only kill larvae and prevent eggs from hatching while frozen.

Yearly dry ice fumigation

I’ve already gone over how to use dry ice to fumigate items that may have clothes moth eggs or larvae in or on them.

Yearly fumigation can also be used to nip an infestation in the bud before there are visible signs. Blogger Erik Nillson’s write-up of his yearly routine for fumigating woolens makes for an excellent read (see his follow-up comments below the post).

Wish me luck!

So there you have it. Operation MOTH-ageddon won’t be easy. But the attack on my sweaters must end.

I’ll let you know how it went. And how many bottles of wine the whole process took…

Over to you…

Have you battled clothes moths? Did you win? Or have you given up and started pretending not to notice them? Tell me about it in the comments!

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How to Make a Vision Board That Sparks Joy

journal with KonMari ideal lifestyle brainstorm
Before creating my ideal lifestyle vision board, I did some journaling to explore my desires.

Inside: how to create a KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board as the first step in your tidying up journey.

I learned about the Marie Kondo method in 2015. I read the book and I drank the Koolaid. With the song “Turning Japanese” buzzing through my head, I made it well past the sock drawer. But, my efforts fizzled somewhere in the land of komono.

Yup. I became a tidying up dropout. And I know why.

I skipped visualizing my ideal lifestyle. The #1 mistake that KonMari newbies make. Instead, I wrote a vision statement:

A home that supports me as I live, love, work, and play. Luxurious emptiness around the beautiful and useful.

Yeah, it was about as inspiring as yesterday’s quinoa salad. I remember the thought process. If I could just get rid of stuff, my ideal lifestyle would somehow emerge. But it doesn’t work that way.

What stopped me from doing this crucial step? Truth? It was scary to let myself dream. Fear of disappointment had me holding my hands over my ears saying “la-la-la” during that part of the book.

But skipping that step held me back. Tidying requires sustained motivation and commitment for weeks or months. Without a vivid vision of my ideal lifestyle, I lost my tidying oomph. Items from abandoned categories still stare at me reproachfully.

So I’m starting over from the beginning. And this time I’m going to let a 4’7″ Japanese tidying expert boss me around.

In this post, I’m going to walk you through what I did to create a vision for my ideal lifestyle. Plus, I will go over everything you need to know about this first step in the Marie Kondo method:

  • why it matters
  • when you get stuck visualizing your ideal lifestyle
  • four ways to imagine your ideal lifestyle
  • how to create your own KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board
  • my KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board reveal

Time to embrace the woo!

But first, if you’re starting or re-starting KonMari, set yourself up for success. Check out my post Why And How To Get Started With KonMari By Marie Kondo.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Why it absolutely matters to think about your ideal lifestyle

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The promise is right in the title.

My tidying process is not about decluttering your house or making it look neat on the spur of the moment for visitors. It’s about tidying up in a way that will spark joy in your life and change it forever. {Spark Joy}

I’ve adopted Marie Kondo as my personal development mentor. Some aspects of KonMari might seem odd, but she designed the method to be life-changing.

graphic with Marie Kondo's rules of tidying
Don’t miss this step!

The first step of KonMari—and the most important one—is to visualize our ideal lifestyle.

Marie Kondo gets that we’re impatient:

You would rather start tidying right away, would you? That is precisely why so many people suffer rebound after tidying up. When you image your ideal lifestyle, you are actually clarifying why you want to tidy and identifying the kind of life you want to live once you have finished. The tidying process thus represents a huge turning point in a person’s life. So seriously consider the ideal lifestyle to which you aspire. {Spark Joy}

graphic quote by Marie Kondo: "Don't curb your dreams"
Can you allow yourself to dream?

When you get stuck imagining your ideal lifestyle

Marie Kondo makes it sound so easy. But people do struggle with this:

  • What did you picture for your ideal life?
  • Visualizing your ideal life?
  • How do you go about “Imagining your ideal lifestyle”
  • Trouble visualizing my ideal life – help?

Practical examples of how to visualize an ideal lifestyle can help. This post covers lots of specific ideas.

But some of us also need to give ourselves permission to dream:

Please don’t curb your dreams. Your ideal image is not an objective set in stone nor is it an obligation, so don’t hold back. Feel free to indulge your wildest fantasy. {Spark Joy}

(Note to self: add Häagen-Dazs to vision board…)

But it can be hard to let ourselves dream. The minute I fantasize about my dream house, my brain jumps in with 73 reasons why it can’t be mine.

We bury our desires beneath our doubts—Brooke Castillo

How do we overcome our fear of dreaming? Ask yourself these questions (inspired by this fun video):

  1. What am I afraid of?
  2. What would I dream of if I wasn’t afraid?

Muster the courage to go deep with this.

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. {Lao Tzu}

Four excellent ways to focus on your ideal lifestyle

Marie Kondo is pretty vague about how to visualize your ideal lifestyle. As with everything KonMari, that’s intentional. The idea is to tailor this step to your own personality.

But how do we actually do it?

These questions can help with picking an approach:

  • Do words or images inspire you? Or both?
  • How do you most easily express yourself?
  • Do you feel jealous of people who are good writers? or speak well? or are visually creative?

1. Sketch out your ideal lifestyle

Do you love to paint or sketch?

Marie Kondo suggests this as one of the ways to represent your ideal lifestyle. Your vision doesn’t need to be ready to hang in the Louvre—it just has to have meaning for you. Break out the pencils or brushes and let loose.

2. Write about your ideal lifestyle

Writing your vision down will have the most meaning if you’re the wordy type. Sometimes the act of writing makes it feel more real. Taking pen to paper can be especially powerful.

If you’re the verbal type, try talking about your ideal lifestyle. Talk to a friend or think out loud on your own. The voice memo app on your phone can capture your words. Then you can replay it and write down parts that make your vision feel real and vivid to you.

If you love to lose yourself in fiction, think of your favourite characters from books or movies. Do their lives embody aspects of your ideal lifestyle? (thanks to redditor Ermagerd_Unicornz for that tip).

Lifehack has some great prompts for writing about your ideal lifestyle:

  • What will you have accomplished already?
  • How will you feel about yourself?
  • What kind of people are in your life?
  • How do you feel about them?
  • What does your ideal day look like?
  • Where are you?
  • Where do you live?
  • Think specifics, what city, state, or country, type of community, house or an apartment, style and atmosphere.
  • What would you be doing?Are you with another person, a group of people, or are you by yourself?
  • How are you dressed?
  • What’s your state of mind? Happy or sad? Contented or frustrated?
  • What does your physical body look like? How do you feel about that?
  • Does your best life make you smile and make your heart sing? If it doesn’t, dig deeper, dream bigger.

And this killer prompt from Marie Forleo:

Wouldn’t it be cool if ___________?

Remember, there’s no right way to do this. Make sure that your written vision is rich in detail and inspiring to you.

My printable worksheets include these writing prompts with space for you to write down your ideas.

3. Find a single photo that represents your ideal lifestyle

Minimalists may enjoy this tip from Spark Joy. Find a single image that makes you feel: “Yes, this is the kind of space I want to live in”.

Start by browsing through interior decorating magazines. Once you find a photo that captures your vision, keep it in a spot where you’ll see it all the time.

For example, Meghann found a single photo that represents her ideal lifestyle. A house entrance image captures the welcoming feeling that Meghann wants. The colours, texture, and feeling of the photo resonate with her.

4. Create a vision board that represents your ideal lifestyle

This is another method that Marie Kondo suggests and there are a few ways to do it:

  • create a collage from magazine photos: A great example is Hannah’s vision board. She combined photos and words cut out from magazines. I love how specific she is in imagining her ideal lifestyle. Her vision is so relatable: wanting to be healthy, connect with loved ones, overcome fears, and rock a bikini body!
  • fill a Pinterest board with photos that inspire you: KonMari consultant Maria Leahey suggests pinning images of your dream spaces if you love Pinterest
  • create a digital vision board: Jera worked with a KonMari consultant to create her digital vision board. It combines inspiration photos of spaces, with written descriptions of her goals, what she wants from her spaces, and what she wants more and less of in her life.
  • create a physical vision board with photographs: This is what I did. Read on for my vision board reveal and a detailed how-to.
trimming edges from photos
After printing my photos, I trimmed the white strips from the edges.

This is how to make your own KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board

As a visually focused person, photos do it for me. I decided to create a vision board with photographs to represent my ideal lifestyle. Of course, it had to be beautiful!

If you entertain your desires, if you talk about your desires, if you look at them and put them on vision boards and create visual reminders of what your desires are, your brain and your heart go to work on making them come true. {Brooke Castillo}

This is one of the most “woo-woo” steps in KonMari, so I made sure the mood was right. I found a time when my home was quiet, popped some roses into a vase, and lit a beeswax candle.

Supplies

1. Create a list of life areas that your ideal lifestyle will include

To start with, I used my bullet journal (my favourite is this one). I started by listing the life areas that I wanted my vision board to include:

  • health
  • career
  • family
  • love
  • friends
  • creativity
  • spirituality
  • finances
  • home
  • travel

I created a worksheet printable for you to make this easier. Feel free to add or delete categories according to what you want your ideal lifestyle to include.

using punch to round corners of photos
I used a punch to round the corners of my photos.

2. Use the categories to brainstorm desires for your ideal lifestyle

Still using my bullet journal, I used my category list to brainstorm what I want for my ideal lifestyle. Some examples:

  • friends: I want to have more dinner parties
  • creativity: I want to learn to play the guitar
  • home: I want to live in a small heritage house

I kept going until I had a long list of “wants”, leaving a few lines between each one for the next step.

3. Apply the “5 Whys”

The next step is the “5 Whys”:

Your next step is to identify why you want to live like that. Look back over your notes about the kind of lifestyle you want, and think again. Why do you want to do aromatherapy before bed? Why do you want to listen to classical music while doing yoga? […] Ask yourself “Why?” again, for each answer. Repeat this process three to five times for every item.

As you continue to explore the reasons behind your ideal lifestyle, you will come to a simple realization. The whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy. It may seem obvious, but it is important to experience this realization for yourself and let it sink into your heart. {The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up}

Fascinatingly, this process of questioning was developed by Toyota in post-war Japan.

Under each of my “wants”, I wrote out my “whys” (there weren’t always five). Here’s an example:

I want to learn to play the guitar

Why?

Because I love music

Why?

Because it connects me to rhythm

Why do I want to be connected to rhythm?

Because it makes me feel alive.

My neglected impulse to learn to play the guitar feels irrelevant to my life. But this exercise shows me that it’s about an underlying desire to feel alive. And that shows me the depth of this want.

Wanting to be happy. Feeling alive. Our wants come back to simple underlying desires.

Try this, you might be surprised!

ideal lifestyle photos
My photos ready for arranging on the board

4. Pick a photo that represents each aspect of your ideal lifestyle

I loved doing this step because photographs inspire me!

Pick an image that gives the vibe of each lifestyle “want”. I found photos in my own hard drive, on Pinterest, and on Instagram. Take your time with this.

Don’t worry about whether someone else would understand the meaning of your photo. Pick photos that make you smile.

When I see that coffee pot boiling over a campfire, I feel alive! When I see those clinking glasses of rosé wine, my yearning to spend more time with gal pals wells up.

As you find inspiring photos, save them in a digital folder. Once you have a bunch, go through them and weed out ones that don’t make your heart sing.

5. Print out your ideal lifestyle photos

I used my printer (similar model) to print out each photo on glossy 4″ x 6″ photo paper. Uploading your photos for printing at a lab is another option.

Using a paper trimmer (similar one), I removed the white strips along the edges. Finally, I used a punch to round the corners of each photo. I love how that adds a retro feel.

6. Arrange photos on a board

Pick a background surface for your vision board. I used a piece of thin hardboard panel like this, cut down to 24″ x 24″. I could have painted the board, but I left it bare. I like that my photos stand out against the neutral buff colour of the background.

Then, arrange the photos on the board. Take your time placing them, overlapping or not, until the final result pleases you.

Finally, attach the photos with washi tape (similar). This tape works well because it’s easy to reposition.

Voila! You now have a vision board that represents your ideal lifestyle!

7. Put your board somewhere where you can see it often.

You’ll need inspiration for your KonMari journey ahead. Your KonMari vision board doesn’t look like a kindergarten project, so display it with pride. Put it somewhere where you can see it every day.

Ksenia holding her vision board
My KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board.

I made it! My KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board

Here is my very own KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board.

I won’t lie. I procrastinated on doing this. I found myself guzzling coffee and mindlessly scrolling instead of tackling this project.

But it was so worth it to overcome my fears, set the mood, and take my time.

Every photo on my vision board gives me inspiration for aspects of my ideal lifestyle:

  • a cozy heritage house on a quiet street
  • so many dinner parties
  • giving my passport a workout
  • big and small nature adventures
  • growing this blog
  • chilling with gal pals
  • launching my teens into adulthood
  • sharing a remarkable life with my guy
  • unleashing my creative side
  • a spick and span home
  • learning to play the guitar and dance
  • radiant health
  • and yes…rocking a bikini body!
KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board
I display my KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board in the living room, where it inspires me every day!

Bringing these photos together feels powerful!

Now that I’ve lived with my vision board for a while, I can truly say that it sparks joy.

Don’t become a statistic

People are diving into KonMari-ing their homes. But so many become tidying up dropouts.

The #1 KonMari mistake is not taking the time to imagine your ideal lifestyle.

Whether you’re a KonMari beginner or a reboot-er, let’s do this right, together.

Use this post to pick how you’re going to visualize your ideal lifestyle. Then take action by documenting your ideal lifestyle in writing or with a photo, a collage, a vision board, a sketch, a painting, or an interpretive dance piece. OK, maybe not the latter.

The feeling of joy that you get from your vision of your ideal lifestyle is what KonMari is all about.

Free KonMari Ideal Lifestyle Vision Board printable

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Extra credit

More inspiration for visualizing your ideal lifestyle:

Over to you…

How are you going to imagine your ideal lifestyle? Or maybe you think it’s a silly waste of time? Have you created a vision board? Tell me in the comments. And if you created your own vision board, drop me a link…I’d love to see it!