This Year, Our Best Home Advice Had Nothing To Do With Decluttering

While decluttering will never go out of style, a lot of the advice we've shared in 2020 has been about inviting things into the home instead of carting them out in black plastic bags. So it makes sense that our favorite "decluttering" tip of 2020 doesn't require throwing a thing away.

Fairley referred to it as a self-care sanctuary. In her new Fundamentals of Tidying masterclass, organization icon Marie Kondo called it a power spot. Maybe in your home, it goes by "cool-down chair" or a "chill corner." By any name, this space is where you go with the sole intention of doing something that fills you up—be it journaling, meditating, doodling, etc. Here's how to make it:

Reserving physical space for a habit can help you stick to it—and it doesn't need to be an entire room. Anywhere you can comfortably sit—the side of the couch, a certain cushion on the floor, or a seat by the window—would work. When deciding on placement, designer Kelly Robinson offers up this helpful tip: "I really like to take into account where the sunlight and moonlight come into a space and create little sanctuaries around [them]."

"It's thinking about functionality first and then about a way to make it energetically work," Kilkenny said on a call. That might mean that your self-care area is also your dining table. Spaces can do double duty when we approach them with intention.

"I think this is a time when we have to work harder to stay inspired and continue to dream," Kilkenny said. Adding one of the items below (or another object that speaks to you) can set the stage for ritual and remind you of your commitment to setting aside time and space for yourself this year:

After a year that has taken so much away from us, this little area can be where we go to start to fill ourselves back up. Here's to leaving the sorting bins by the wayside for now and kicking off 2021 with a more functional, fulfilling home.