What Does It Mean To Organize Your Home In The Korean Style?

Minimalism, simplicity, and mindfulness are the driving forces behind the Korean approach to organizing a home. In a departure from design trends like cluttercore or maximalism, Korean-style organizing focuses on paring down to essentials and maintaining them in a manner that ushers peace of mind and a sense of tranquility into a space. On social media, the videos on organizing, decluttering, cleaning, and cooking shared by Korean creators and influencers have piqued the interest of a growing number of Western viewers who are eager to embrace a simplified lifestyle.

The goal of Korean-style organization is to celebrate and display one's belongings in an effortless yet purposeful manner, not to banish them from view. By artfully arranging your living spaces, you can introduce the Korean-style aesthetic into your own home with the help of containers, cohesive color palettes, and good cleaning habits. This merging of functionality and beauty can help streamline your daily routine and create a calming sense of space.

Smart organizational tools like containers and clever storage solutions are key to keeping an orderly space. In your kitchen, curate a harmonious-looking pantry by transferring staple food ingredients such as pasta, rice, cereals, or flour into clear storage containers — they can be store-bought, or you can DIY your own airtight food storage containers. This creates a unified look and helps keep track of your supplies in one glance. Clear containers are also useful in the fridge for arranging soda cans, condiments, or jars in a horizontal manner, freeing up more space for bulkier grocery items.

Maximize backsplash space by hanging your knives and cooking utensils on rails or magnetized blocks instead of storing them on your countertop. Use color-coded bins in your laundry area to separate clean from dirty clothes, as well as plastic containers to store detergents and other cleaning agents. In the bedroom and living area, invest in furniture pieces that have multiple purposes to dramatically reduce clutter. If you are looking into getting an ottoman or footstool that's right for your space, opt for one with hidden storage, which will come in handy for putting away blankets or extra throw pillows. A storage bench at the end of the bed is useful for storing extra linens and blankets.

Here comes the tricker part: maintaining your newly-organized spaces. You'll be surprised at how allotting a mere 15 minutes of your time to decluttering can keep your home consistently clean and organized. Establish a regular cleaning schedule for the different areas of your home, like changing bed linen every two weeks, mopping floors on a weekly basis, or wiping down kitchen counters each day, in addition to a weekly deep clean. Pick up some nifty cleaning hacks and tips from numerous Korean vlogs: Youtuber @Hamimommy walks viewers through her 20-minute cleaning routine, demonstrating how she scrubs her sink clean using leftover toothpaste, while Youtuber @Natashablue explains how she makes the most out of her small kitchen space with affordable but practical shelving and storage solutions.

Aesthetic choices can also bring visual order and clarity to your home. Forgoing loud colors and patterned fabrics for neutral and muted color palettes can create a calming atmosphere. Elevate this look by adding accents and elements made from natural materials and textures like wooden furniture, woven baskets, wispy curtains, and greenery.