More than Marie Kondo: Japanese ways to organize home
MANILA, Philippines — Having spotless and more organized spaces is one way to attract luck brought by the Year of the Tiger.
According to Tet Fojas-Bachmann, who teaches meditation and sound healing at Urban Ashram Yoga, the Tiger zodiac is a well-known bringer of wealth, but also carries with it an element of danger. As tigers are wild animals, you have to get them on your side to be able to enjoy the luck that they bring.
“You have to raise the vibration of your space. It’s the ideal time to declutter and clear the space around you,” advised Fojas-Bachmann.
She explained that vibration and energy surround us and you take them to places you stay in. This is why it is important to practice space clearing as it harmonizes your home or office elements to ensure good health and fortune. She referred to it as “spiritual hygiene to clear your home’s energy and change your luck.”
Besides Marie Kondo, another Japanese, Yori DIY furniture, offers the following tips to help everyone redesign and declutter their spaces in this year of transition.
Start by doing a mood board
Imagine spending your evening under the light of a beautiful floor lamp or working on a desk with a spacious shelf for your hard-earned Funko collection. Mood boards can spur you to do a cleanup, and it can also help you prioritize items you've always wanted to have — a desk for your home office, a shelf for your living room, or a cart for your kitchen.
Creating a vision in mind with pieces that are both flexible and stylish make it one step easier to making your ideal room. Whether you go for an elaborate or simple design, you’ll never go wrong if you choose all the pieces you love. You'll quickly discover what does and doesn't look nice on it.
Start your decluttering list
Determine which items you want to keep, donate, or discard. Keep all necessities, donate old clothes and discard everything that does not “spark joy.”
After channeling your inner Marie Kondo, you’ll find yourself in a room full of possibilities — from curating your space to buying your favorite home furniture. If you need new furniture for your fresh start, purchase from a brand that makes furniture shopping easier.
Choose furniture pieces that make life easier
Creating new functional areas at home is not a simple task, especially when time and space are limited. Choose furniture pieces that make life easier — furniture that is easy to build and keep when more space is needed. You can also elevate your room’s aesthetic by choosing lighting that complements your furniture.
Available in SM Home branches nationwide, ShopSM website (shopsm.com/collections/yori), SM Call to Deliver (#14376) or Yori’s official website (www.yori.ph), the furniture label assured that all its materials are of high quality and made of MFC (melamine faced chipboards) to ensure durability and resistance to liquid and humidity.
"Easy does not mean sacrifice... Products go through multiple quality assurance (QA) inspections to check for any loose wood pieces and to make sure all screws would be able to fit in well. Customers do not need to remove any screws to fold and unfold the furniture — which makes it easy to put away each time," the brand explained in an e-mail to Philstar.com.
A case study in Japanese design
The Season’s Residences in Grand Central Park in Bonifacio Global City is set to open the country’s first-ever Mitsukoshi, Japan’s oldest department store.
Set to open at the podium of The Season’s Residences, the premium commercial space is showcasing Japanese design elements in a casual but elegant setting.
At the basement level will be Mitsukoshi’s signature “depachika,” a haven of top-shelf Japanese food and related products.
Another floor will house a modern beauty store that offers natural and organic cosmetic brands. The mall aims to offer a wide range of new lifestyle experiences through well-curated tenants, Japanese style interior design, and mall operations.
Federal Land, Inc., the real estate developer behind The Season’s Residences, together with Nomura Real Estate Development and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd., is also launching the third residential tower of The Seasons Residences – Aki Tower.
Inspired by Japan’s evocative season of autumn, discerning homeowners can expect meticulously designed amenities and living spaces to channel one’s creativity. The launch of Aki Tower follows the first two towers Haru and Natsu.
The joint venture tapped renowned Japanese firms to pave the way for the authentic design found in all towers: Nikken Sekkei Group for the overall conceptual design; Nomura Co., Ltd for the interior design of the mall; Torafu Architects for the façade concept; and Asao Tokolo for the façade pattern.
Upholding Japanese artistry and excellence are the partners that brought the development to life. The Seasons Residences features impeccable Japanese innovations meant to elevate the standards of comfort, convenience, and functionality for its residents.
Innovative Japanese technology is optimized to ensure safety and security. All four towers are equipped with Viscoelastic Coupling Dampers, a breakthrough in earthquake vibration control technology that can withstand earthquakes and high winds, common to the Philippines and Japan.
Each unit is equipped with a unique Japanese storage system, like kitchen floor storage, shoe cabinet, and bedroom closets. The kitchens are fitted with a space-saving kitchen sink with draining and cutting boards to maximize counter space, a rangehood with Japanese oil filter technology, as well as air-washing tiles that minimize excessive humidity and foul odors in the air. As leakage protection, the units are equipped with a sunken slab or a below-floor drainage system for easier pipe maintenance. The development also has eco-friendly solutions like water-efficient Japanese-branded shower toilets in all units and motion sensor lighting in common areas.
Meanwhile, the amenity floor is inspired by the seasons of Japan, with the arrangement of the elements patterned after spring (Haru), summer (Natsu), autumn (Aki), and winter (Fuyu).
The launch of the Aki Tower all the more signifies the popularity of Japanese aesthetic among Filipinos.
“The Japanese design is iconic for its elegance, simplicity and state-of-the-art technology, as well as design deficiency. Japanese design is the epitome of minimalism,” said Guita Saenz-Resurreccion, Federal Land Head of Sales.
“It’s popular among us Filipinos because living in clean, uncluttered spaces greatly contribute to our overall well-being.”
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