Marie Kondo, tidying guru who advocates getting rid of stuff, opens online store to sell stuff
Marie Kondo opens online shop after making a name for herself by helping people get rid of stuff
Many people have pointed out the irony of a tidying-up expert now selling her devotees different versions of the very items she encouraged them to get rid of, but Kondo says she isn't encouraging consumerism.
LOS ANGELES - Marie Kondo, the tidying guru who convinced countless people to re-evaluate their possessions and throw away anything that doesn’t spark joy, has now opened up an online shop selling home goods.
The irony of an expert in tidying-up convincing people to get rid of as many of their things as they could bear just to turn around and offer those same devotees a store chock-full of expensive material items hasn’t been lost on everyone — Kondo is coming under fire from social media users and the press over her decision to sell items such as a $75 tuning fork and crystal set and a $150 brass mirror.
“Can't make this stuff up: Marie Kondo, queen of the clutter-free life, has added an e-commerce shop to her site,” tweeted Hiroko Tabuchi, a Japanese-American writer for the New York Times.
Kondo’s claim to fame is her method of organization, which she refers to as the KonMari Method.
“The KonMari Method encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go,” she explains on her website.
The popularity of her methods earned her a Netflix show, called “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” in which she helps clients de-clutter and organize their lives by using the KonMari Method. In each episode, she coaches people through the process of deciding which items spark genuine joy and which items need to be let go.
In a video introducing her new shop, Kondo says that she got the idea after people repeatedly asked her about which items she uses in her everyday life.
“Many people have asked what I use in my everyday life. This shop is a collection of my favorite things and items that spark joy,” Kondo says in the video. “The goal of tidying is to make room for meaningful objects, people and experiences. I hope my vision of a joyful life inspires yours!”
The description of the video attempts to firmly frame Kondo’s methods in terms of ethos as opposed to process, claiming, “The KonMari Method isn’t about getting rid of things – it’s about heightening your sensitivity to what brings you joy.”
Kondo told the Wall Street Journal that she is not trying to encourage consumerism.
"If the bowl that you're using currently sparks joy for you, I don't encourage replacing it at all," she said.
However, if the bowl you’re currently using doesn’t spark joy for you, you can always try replacing it with this $145 cement live edge bowl from Kondo’s shop.