How to Reset a Room
- Step 01Return everything to its home.
- Step 02Reset any soft items.
- Step 03 Bring joy back into view.
- Step 04 Open a window and light some incense.
- Step 05Thank the room before moving on.
If you’ve completed a tidying festival using the KonMari Method, then you know the joyful outcome: a home you never have to tidy again. It permanently changes your relationship with your space. Still, after a long day working from home or an extended visit from houseguests, even the tidiest home needs a quick reset.
Everyone should have a reset ritual in their back pocket. Resetting a room creates an intentional pause where you close out one chapter of the day before moving on to the next.
That might mean transitioning from a work mindset to preparing dinner with your family or resetting a living room after a joyous afternoon building pillow forts with your children. A reset ritual allows your space, and also your mindset, to begin again.
The following 5-step guide will help you reset a room of any size in just a few minutes.
Return everything to its home.
An essential part of the KonMari Method is giving every item a home. When everything has a place, the room settles almost instantly. Start your reset by returning craft supplies to their bin, a blanket to its basket and tech supplies to their homes in your desk drawers.
Reset any soft items.
Soft items like throw blankets and couch cushions often get disheveled throughout the day, creating a subtle sense of disorder. Refolding them (or straightening and repositioning cushions) takes seconds but does a lot of visual work. It’s also a lovely gesture that reminds you how much you care for the furniture and items that bring you comfort.
Bring joy back into view.
This tip is from Michelle Kolozetti, a certified KonMari Consultant and member of Team KonMari: “[When resetting,] bring something beautiful back into full view like a vase, a flower arrangement, or an art book left open on the coffee table,” she says. “If you removed a nonessential item to make room for a laptop or a serving tray, this is the moment it gets its space back.”
Open a window and light some incense.
Michelle also recommends a simple act: open a window. “Especially after a day of working indoors or after guests have left, letting fresh air move through a room can make it feel renewed almost immediately,” she says. Even a few minutes of circulating air benefits the room (and you!). Burning incense is also a great way to signal a shift and reset the room’s energy. Here are six of Marie’s favorite techniques for cleansing the air.
Thank the room before moving on.
This last step makes your reset a meaningful ritual, not just a cleaning routine. Before moving on, take the time to acknowledge how the room held you. It supported a productive workday, a dinner with friends or a joyful moment with your children or house guests. Express gratitude for this space that helps you live well and fully, day in and day out.
