“L’Art de Ranger” Is the French Lifestyle Practice to Follow When Decluttering

When I was in my teens, I was deeply researching the tenets of minimalism and the benefits of owning less. In seeking to live a downsized lifestyle, I had always wondered what to do with decor items. In most cases, decor items aren’t essential or vital to a home’s functionality. You can live without decor; however, it’s what makes you enjoy your space more and infuses personality into your space. That’s when I discovered Marie Kondo and the KonMari method, which encourages you to keep only what “sparks joy.”

Fast forward to the present, and I learned about another philosophy that’s changed the way I declutter. Enter: L’art de Ranger, a French philosophy that helps you fine-tune the look for your home with intention by assigning value to an item’s ability to enhance the aesthetic of a space. I spoke with professional organizer Inga Fira of Home in Balance to learn more about this practice (which is not too dissimilar from Kondo’s ideas).

L’art de Ranger, which translates to the art of organizing or arranging in English, is a lifestyle practice used during decluttering to help a person achieve a space filled with intentionality. It does this by not only encouraging a person to remove what is no longer necessary or not serving a practical function, but also to think about the impact each object has on the overall space.

“It’s about much more than just decluttering,” says Fira. “L’art de Ranger is about creating a space that radiates positive energy and supports emotional well-being. A home that feels peaceful, clean, inviting, and relaxing, as well as a source of comfort and happiness.”

Putting these ideals at the forefront of your mind while decluttering and organizing your home will help you to create a place that aligns with what truly brings you meaning — not just a life pared back to purely include essentials. “This is precisely why L’art de Ranger isn’t about getting rid of everything,” says Fira. “It’s about focusing on what truly serves an individual in their daily life — practically and in terms of happiness and personal fulfillment.”

If you’re decluttering your home, Fira says the key to following the principle of L’art de Ranger is remembering that keeping what you use, need, and love is relative and includes items that contribute toward cultivating an aesthetic that you enjoy. “Let go of what no longer aligns with your current lifestyle,” says Fira. “Things that take up space without purpose, objects that feel like obligations rather than joys, and anything that contributes to stress rather than ease.”

“The aim is to end up with a home that’s peaceful, organized, and intentionally designed,” adds Fira. “It reflects the owner’s personality while maintaining a sense of calm and balance. The key is to shift your mindset from accumulating more to living with intention.”

To stay focused, Fara recommends asking yourself the following questions: How do I want my home to feel? (Calm, inspiring, minimalist, cozy?) What are my biggest challenges with clutter? What is truly essential to me?

Once your home is decluttered using the principle of L’art de Ranger, embrace it through your organizational methods. Surround yourself with items that bring out positivity within you — whether it’s a few or a number of them — and allow yourself time to simply look around your space and enjoy the feeling of being in it.

“I believe L’art de Ranger is more important than ever in today’s world,” says Fira. “We live in a time where consumerism pushes people to buy more, often without taking time to consider whether those items truly add value in any capacity to their lives. In reality, true fulfillment comes from meaningful connection and experiences, but being mindful of our possessions and crafting a home that fosters positive ambience will help us to live in a state of peace and ease.”