Japanese organizing guru Marie Kondo became a household name — and had us all obsessively clearing out our closets — with her 2014 best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and subsequent Netflix reality series. She turned cleaning and decluttering into a spiritual quest with her advice to only keep things that "spark joy," changing the way we all look at the stuff we've accumulated in our homes over the years. But nearly a decade later, it seems the queen of tidy is no longer practicing what she preaches.
Marie recently admitted that her house isn't so neat anymore
During a webinar promoting her newest book, the 38-year-old said her priorities changed after welcoming her third child, a boy, in 2021, and she's now at peace with having a less-than-perfect-looking home. "My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this stage of my life," she explained, according to The Washington Post (via NPR).
Now she's much more relaxed about things at home
"Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times. I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize that what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home," she said.
In addition to her son, Marie and husband Takumi Kawahara have two daughters, Satsuki and Miko.
Marie's confession has been refreshing for parents to hear
Many people took to social media to share their thoughts on Marie's surprising admission. Her new comments particularly resonated with busy moms and dads, for whom keeping an immaculate, Instagram-worthy home is very far down on the list of priorities.
"This was both refreshing and validating to read," one Twitter user wrote. "I have three kids and have been trying out the KonMari method every three months, but it's just not feasible."
Marie's newest book looks at the broader picture
Released in November, Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life encourages readers to apply her signature query — "Does it spark joy?" — to not just their home but also to their mindset and behaviors. It's a more holistic approach inspired by the Japanese concept of kurashi, or "way of life."
"Tidying up means dealing with all the 'things' in your life," she wrote in the book. "So, what do you really want to put in order?"
This isn't the first time that Marie has admitted that her perfectionist tendencies were doing more harm than good
In a 2020 interview with People, she said trying to be perfect all the time was taking a big toll on her physical and mental health. And she found that having children only exacerbated the situation, leading her to realize that she needed to let go of such unrealistic and unattainable standards.
"I used to be a perfectionist, but it became difficult to maintain that standard after having my children. So much was out of my control," she explained. "I hope my openness on the subject will help others to ease up on impossible standards. I gave up on perfectionism a while ago!"
