The Three Golden Rules of What Stays in Your Home: Function, Accessibility, and Joy

When most people think about decluttering, they picture giant trash bags, donation boxes, and tough decisions about what to part with. But what if we shifted our focus away from what we’re letting go, and instead asked a more powerful question: What’s truly worth keeping?

I’ve spent countless hours helping clients sort through their belongings. Over time, I’ve discovered that the items we choose to keep can, (and should) meet three simple criteria: they serve a function, they are accessible, and they spark joy. These three principles, when combined, create homes that not only look tidy but also feel supportive, peaceful, and personal.

Function: Does This Item Serve a Purpose?

Everything in your home should have a reason for being there. Whether it’s your trusty blender that helps you make a smoothie every morning, or your winter coat that keeps you warm on January days, function is foundational.

But function goes beyond utility. It needs to be about relevant utility. A pasta maker may have been a thoughtful gift, but if it’s been sitting in the back of a cabinet untouched for years, is it really serving you? Likewise, duplicates can creep into our lives under the illusion of usefulness. Do you truly need five water bottles, or will two well-loved ones do?

The goal is not to own less for the sake of minimalism, but to own only what serves you. When your belongings are functional, your home becomes a tool for living well, not a storage unit for "someday" items.

Accessibility: Can You Get to It Easily?

An item may be useful, but if it’s buried behind clutter, it's not actually available to serve you.

Accessibility is about ease of use. Are your everyday dishes within reach, or do you have to Jenga your coffee cups to get to them? Are your favorite sweaters tucked away in a bin under the bed because your closet is overflowing?

When items are hard to access, we often forget we even own them, or we avoid using them altogether. This leads to unnecessary frustration and, ironically, more clutter as we duplicate items or leave things out for convenience.

Organizing isn’t just about where things live. It’s about how they live in your space. Do they support your lifestyle? Do they encourage daily routines, creativity, or calm? When your belongings are stored intentionally, your home flows more easily. You find what you need when you need it, and you waste less time searching or re-buying things you already have.

Joy: Does This Item Make You Feel Good?

This is the heart of the KonMari Method: the idea that our belongings should bring us joy.

Joy is personal. What sparks joy for you might not make sense to someone else. A worn cookbook filled with your grandmother’s handwritten notes may not be “aesthetic” in the Instagram sense, but if it fills you with warmth and connection, that’s joy.

When we surround ourselves with items that spark joy, we create environments that reflect our values, tastes, and memories. You can feel the difference in a space that holds only things you love.

And joy doesn’t only apply to sentimental items. Even practical objects can spark joy when chosen mindfully. A perfectly weighted pen, a towel that feels luxurious, or a mug that makes your morning coffee feel like a ritual. All these are small sources of joy that uplift everyday life.

It’s when all three principles, (function, accessibility, and joy) come together that your home truly transforms.

Let’s say you have a pair of scissors. They're useful (function). But if they’re always lost in a junk drawer (lack of accessibility), and you don’t even like them because they’re dull or uncomfortable to use (no joy), then they aren’t serving you fully. Replacing them with a sharp, well-designed pair, and storing them in a dedicated spot, turns an ordinary item into a small daily delight.

This framework helps guide not just what we keep, but how we live with what we keep.

Home organizing is often viewed as a chore or a one-time project. But the reality is, your relationship with your belongings is ongoing. As your lifestyle shifts with new jobs, family changes, evolving hobbies, so too should your space.

These three criteria provide a flexible, sustainable guide that adapts with you. Instead of rigid rules, they ask you to stay curious: Is this still working for me? Does this still belong in my life?

So, the next time you’re wondering whether to keep something, don’t just ask, “Should I get rid of this?” Instead, ask:

• Does it serve a function in my life?

• Is it accessible and easy to use?

• Does it spark joy?

If the answer is yes to all three, congratulations—you’ve found a keeper. And if not? It might be time to let go, with gratitude.

Because the best homes aren’t filled with things. They’re filled with the right things.