Posted on: June 13, 2007

The Krazy World of Klean

Order in the home? Designer Karim Rashid has it down to a routine

By Timothy R. Schulte
CTW Features

For most of us, housecleaning is a sometimes thing. Before company arrives, we can be found leading a mop in a vigorous waltz across the kitchen floor and tagging the living room with Pledge like a graffiti artist. Not Karim Rashid. He doles out the soul-deadening chore in short daily bursts and ruthlessly pares his possessions in order to avoid having much to clean in the first place.

“Clean your house 10 minutes a day, then it will always be clean,” says the man who designed the distinctive Kone handheld vacuum for Dirt Devil. The more people can edit their choices and time-consuming scenarios, he says, the more time they’ll have to use in constructive and contributive roles.

Rashid, born in Cairo, Egypt, has designed a store’s worth of home goods, from barware to sofas, all with a playful, contemporary feel. For him, a chair is not simply a chair, it is an invitation to embrace a new life. “Design is about the betterment of our lives,” he says. “My real desire is to see people … release themselves from nostalgia, antiquated traditions, old rituals, kitsch and the meaningless.”

The daily clean-sweep routine is just the start. Keeping a home according to Rashid’s concepts requires sustained discipline, from purchase of furnishings (a universal remote is a must) to, uh, editing them (all curtains must go.) We caught up with Rashid on the road. He e-mailed us his 20 most important recommendations for keeping a clean, contemporary home:

1. Have large, white spaces with accents of strong, positive colors. Knock down walls that are not structural and open up spaces as much as possible.

2. No visible books, magazines, CDs or clutter. That means no bookshelves.

3. Flat surfaces attract clutter. Keep a small side table near the entryway to your home to store keys, phones, iPods, etc.

4. Put all chargers in one place with one surge protector. Keep it under the entrance table to you can plug in and take mobile devices with you upon coming and going.

5. Purchase a flat-panel TV. It takes up less space.

6. Consolidate your technology so your TV is your computer monitor, stereo, etc., and use one universal remote.

7. Keep the kitchen bare and beautiful. Display the most sensual, artistic design and keep gadgets, small appliances and accessories hidden.

8. No curtains – just seamless mesh blinds. Curtains collect dirt and dust and make spaces look small, with added weight and bulk.

9. If building a new place, make soft, rounded corners between floors and walls for easy cleaning and a softer, more human space.

10. Line objects up perfectly. The more lined up things are, the more they tend to inspire order. Your place always will appear organized, clean and perfect, and the order creates a sense of ease.

11. Use materials that are easy to clean and age well: plastic floors and countertops, polymers and laminates.

12. Throw out newspapers, magazines and all paper products in a timely manner. When a new one comes in, out with the old.

13. Do not buy useless, kitschy souvenirs unless they really are handmade or really meaningful and beautiful.

14. Use dimmer switches everywhere so you can adjust moods.

15. Use and express yourself with color. Color is beautiful and very expressive.

16. Use wallpaper instead of paint. It will last 20 years longer and is easier to clean.

17. Wall-to-wall carpeting is warm, easy-to-maintain, pleasurable, soft and friendly.

18. Use biodegradable and natural cleaning products.

19. If you buy a new place, make sure it has large windows and lots of daylight. Daylight is essential to positive thinking and well-being.

20. For every object you buy for your home you must give away something, so you always stay at equilibrium and never accumulate more than you need.

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