How to organise your wardrobe and bathroom cabinet the Marie Kondo way to achieve marital bliss
· More than one in five couples (22%) argue about shared space around the home every few days
· Marie Kondo trained expert shares expert tips for couples on how to organise the bathroom cabinet and wardrobe to live harmoniously
Shared spaces in the home are among the most common causes of conflict among couples, according to new research. With lockdown 2.0 in full swing, couples up and down the country will be spending more time than ever together at home, so now is the perfect time to organise those shared spaces.
Self-storage company, Space Station, polled 2,000 British couples to discover what they argue about the most whilst living together, finding that many regularly fall out over having to share spaces in the bedroom and bathroom. Partnering with Marie Kondo expert, Sue Spencer, Space Station has revealed the secrets to organising some of the most argued about spaces, to avoid conflicts.
With two homes becoming one, finding the space to combine toiletries is a touchy subject for many, with one in five (19%) admitting to having argued with their partner over how much space they take up in the bathroom.
Finding the space in the bedroom for two sets of clothing is another area where British couples often find themselves squabbling, with more than a quarter (27%) revealing that they have had disagreements in the past about how much room their partner’s clothes takes up in the wardrobe.
It seems that no matter how long they have been together, UK couples still argue about how much space each other’s belongings take up. Couples in a relationship for less than six months have found to be more likely to argue at least once a day, whereas more than a third of couples (34%) in a longer relationship, between five and nine years, admit to arguing a few times a month about living space.
To help bring harmony back into relationships and resolve arguments on space around the home, Sue Spencer has shared advice on how couples can seamlessly bring two households together as one.
Sue’s expert tips:
1. Have a shared vision of how you want your home to look and feel. Talk about your bathroom and bedroom spaces – what you need to fit in them, when you use them and how you’d like them to look. That way you can discuss any potential differences of opinion and agree on a compromise that works for both of you.
2. Declutter before you move in together, so you don’t spend time or money moving things that you don’t need. Also, be realistic about the space you have in your new home. There’s often a lot of overlap in items such as kitchen equipment, so check if you have duplicates you don’t need once you’re living together.
3. Organise the space you have by giving everything a home. Make sure the items you use most frequently are in easily accessible places that work for both of you.
4. Establish some ground rules early on for keeping on top of things. For example, putting the lid on the toothpaste, throwing away old toiletry bottles so they don’t clog up space in the bathroom and not using each other’s special products. A weekly reset of each living area is a great idea too to keep areas neat and organised.
5. Remember, communication is the key when trying to tidy away each other’s things. You can’t declutter each other’s belongings, but if you’ve agreed on a shared vision mentioned above, you can pop things back to their rightful home.
Vlatka Lake, Marketing Manager at Space Station, said: “Moving in with a partner is a very exciting step in a relationship, but it isn’t without its pitfalls!
“Whilst being a big step in a relationship, as we’ve seen from this research, living together can also result in arguments about whose belongings go where. Couples are often so used to having their own space that it can be a shock when they realise that they have to share.
“The bathroom and bedroom are areas in our homes where we store most of our personal belongings, so arguments over space can be a common occurrence. We hope that the insight from Sue Spencer can help couples looking to move in together avoid these types of clashes.”
Space Station has also worked with Sue to create an organisational audit for bathroom cabinets and wardrobes for cohabitating couples. To find out more about how to organise your shared spaces like a pro, please visit: https://www.space-station.co.uk/blog/how-to-organise-your-storage-space-to-ensure-cohabiting-harmony