Organizing Expert Lee Jeong-won's Housekeeping Methods: Rediscovering Monitor Stands and Paper Shopping Bags

Lee Jeong-won, a 41-year-old working mom and organizing expert living in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, revealed her own efficient residential space management know-how through the 'National Housekeeping Showcase' episode of the YouTube channel 'Jeongni Market'. Living in a 39-pyeong apartment with her husband, 12-year-old daughter, and 11-year-old son, Lee presented storage methods suited to the purpose of each space based on a newly established system after moving. In particular, the process shows how housekeeping, which she started for survival in a poor environment, became established as a systematic organizing philosophy.

Rediscovering Discarded Items: Efficient Storage in the Kitchen and Laundry Room

Lee Jeong-won's kitchen is full of ideas that reinterpret the use of objects. An unused monitor stand has been transformed into a kitchen shelf and used as a stationery drawer, through which medicines for the child, mother, and father are stored separately by type. For the kitchen cutlery holder, she chose a partitioned product to increase organizing efficiency, and for seasoning containers, she used a steel rotating tray to make it easy to take out items from the inside. Additionally, considering her short stature, it is notable that she utilized rotating trays to make it easy to take out items from the inside of the refrigerator.

The upper space of the refrigerator is divided using paper shopping bags, and management efficiency is increased through labeling, marking the dates on food ingredients that are close to their expiration dates. Rice is also stored in small portions in the kimchi refrigerator to prevent insects from appearing. In the case of the laundry room, she secured storage space for recyclables by using existing system shelves as foldable ones. In the gap space, she placed room-temperature food ingredients such as potatoes or sweet potatoes by utilizing the characteristic of the shelf that blocks sunlight. Furthermore, she uses a baby washing machine as a dedicated washing machine for her dog, and applied the idea of hanging a basket over the entrance of the washing machine to resolve the inconvenience of items falling when storing laundry. She showed how she minimizes discarded items, such as recycling discarded pants hangers by hanging them upside down as storage space.

Living Room and Master Bedroom Space Configuration to Help Children's Independence

The living room focused on creating an environment where children can act independently. She arranged dining tables or storage locations low to match the children's height to encourage them to prepare and eat food themselves. This is a result of Lee's educational philosophy to foster independence by teaching organizing methods from a young age. The space behind the sofa was created as a reading environment where children can read comfortably by placing children's bookshelves and bean bags. A separate board game space was also prepared in case children come over to play.

The master bedroom minimized unnecessary furniture for deep sleep and recharging energy. In particular, Lee chose a unique method of not having a chair when using the vanity. Since sitting in a chair slows down movements and causes delays, her purpose is to shorten organizing time by working while standing. Additionally, she showed flexible storage methods, such as using unused document file holders as Airwrap organizers or using existing items as they are when storage containers are insufficient. The bed area also uses an option space that includes lighting and outlets instead of a nightstand to use the space efficiently.

Bathroom and Dressing Room Increasing Cleaning Efficiency with Floating Storage

In the bathroom, all items were made to 'float' to maximize the convenience of floor cleaning. By storing slippers, cleaning tools, toothbrushes, etc., in the air using hooks and walls, she manages them so that items do not touch the floor. Practical life-oriented ideas stand out, such as cutting paper shopping bags to use as storage tools. However, in the video, she also mentioned a specific dispenser product as a 'not recommended item' (bi-chu-tem), noting that the lid does not open well.

The dressing room used a combination of hangers and drawers to overcome the narrow space. To reduce the volume of winter clothes, instead of using vacuum compression bags, she used compression covers to prevent damage to the clothes and reduce visual stuffiness. Small items such as hats or belts were stored by hanging them on the hanger using hanging storage containers and drawer-type hangers, increasing space utilization. At the entrance of the dressing room, a laundry basket was placed to establish a movement line where clothes can be organized immediately.