Where does the passion for decluttering come from

Living the house for so long, during the lockdown, has led many people to discover the true importance that this place has for us, how much it's connected to our life and how much this affects our inner world.  

These words would be enough to explain at least partially the popular return of a phenomenon that is nothing new. Erika Lombardo, better known as @armadiodigrace, is one of the most followed professional organizers in Italy, a journey that began with a blog, which gained great success on Instagram - where Erika boasts over 300K followers - and culminated in a book, La Casa Leggera, released last summer. Erika's philosophy is simple and therefore very effective, and it could be summed up in a mantra that says: you don't need more space, just fewer things. 

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

@armadiodigrace

Lombardo has always dispensed advice and tips on Instagram, in her feed so neat and chromatically harmonious that it makes you feel guilty for the sweatshirt left on the chair two days ago, just as she's always provided private counselling, but since the beginning of the pandemic there has definitely been a shift, a greater focus on decluttering and on the organization of spaces in general, a practice that has become part of everyday life for many, if not all. It might be simplistic to trace the success of the phenomenon and of this new mentality aimed at getting rid of unnecessary items and tidying up to the time spent at home in recent months, but the various lockdowns have actually changed the way we look and live our home. 

People contact me because they're no longer able to enjoy their home, they don't have control over it and, consequently, they let go until they understand that the help of a professional would facilitate the operations to achieve the result. Furthermore, doing decluttering independently is not always so simple and the support of a professional, even in this case, makes the difference, Erika Lombardo told nss G-Club. 

We spent an amount of time at home like perhaps never before, in forced confinement that dilated time, but not spaces, and that made us feel partly suffocated by those four walls that surrounded us; while on the other hand, we strongly felt the need to change and reorganize, finding instead space for what has become essential in our new normality. There has always been a discussion of a correlation between physical and mental order, an assumption that living and working in a tidy and spacious environment would also help to find order in our minds and to allay our anxieties, not an easy task these days. For many, therefore, the moment of tidying up and cleaning represents a moment for themselves, to find their inner peace, a concept that has always been associated with oriental philosophies, and perfectly embodied by Marie Kondo, the first truly global testimonial of this trend. Kondo's book, released more than ten years ago, started the decluttering phenomenon all over the world, introducing a method that today has been partially re-evaluated and revised. 

It's no coincidence, however, that a new app dedicated to second-hand, launched in Italy at the beginning of the year, was presented with a very specific narrative, which revolves around the act of freeing the wardrobe and making room rather than the use of the app to make money. The introduction of Vinted into the Italian market demonstrates that there's fertile ground for the success of everything dedicated to vintage, second-hand, to everything that we no longer want to see at home and that we prefer to sell to others. The success of the app, as well as that of Depop or Vestiaire Collective, goes hand in hand with the spread of a new mentality - yet to be seen whether it will last or it will wane - focused on sustainability and the constant search for green alternatives to mainstream brands and to the big chains. A more minimal approach to our wardrobe has spread, which must become a container for pieces that we really and frequently wear, and that same awareness, knowing exactly what we have in the wardrobe, is a key element to buy less or buy better. Erika also agrees, saying: "I believe that getting closer to essentiality is a need dictated by excessive consumerism that gradually leads us to fill our homes with more or less useful objects that, in the long run, nourish the stress."

Social media, Instagram as well as TikTok and YouTube, were a fundamental vehicle to spread the ideas and the practice of decluttering. In the United States, above all, they seem crazy about containers, labelling machines, perfectly stocked and organized refrigerators, - take a look at Scott Disick's kitchen to believe it - videos and images that give a certain visual satisfaction thanks to symmetrical and harmoniously coloured spaces. Netflix has even dedicated a series to the two closet organizers of The Home Edit, with over 5 million followers on IG, but it's a constant proliferation of immaculate wardrobe images, perfectly organized pantries, bathroom and kitchen drawers with dividers and items sorted.

Erika seems to have no doubts about the constant growth of decluttering, "Over time, this profession can acquire greater importance: the more people talk about it, the more it will spread and the more people will be able to enjoy the benefits of the organization".