The crusade against clutter is one of the most frequently waged battles in the modern household. It's true that nothing feels quite like a good clutter-purge, and somehow it seems that no matter how little I buy or how often I prune my belongings, there are always plenty of items that I could part ways with. But is this constant crusade actually a healthier way of approaching one's home? And to what extent is it okay to make peace with a little bit of mess?
Jackie has written several thoughtful posts lately that have been inspired, at least in part, by Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. Out of curiosity, I picked the book up last week, and lo and behold, there was a section about clutter that particularly caught my attention:
I'd been relentlessly purging everything superfluous from our apartment when a friend said to me, "Remember to leave a little mess.""Really?" I asked, surprised. "Why?"
"Every house needs a few junk drawers where you can find unexpected things. It's good to have a bit of chaos someplace, with some things that don't really belong anywhere but that you want to keep. You never know when stuff like that will come in handy, plus it's just nice to know it's there."
I've generally been an adherent of the belief that keeping my space clear of clutter is one of the main ways to create a healthy home. When my office is clutter-free, the difference in my attitude and productivity is palpable, and I when my home feels light, bright, and open, it seems that my mood follows suit. But there's something to be said for all that extraneous stuff. I have more pieces of artwork than I could ever "need," and I get real joy out of occasionally using the fancy teacups that my grandmother gave me. If I were truly following my "get-rid-of-everything-unnecessary" impulse, these things would have left my home long ago. So is clutter really so bad?
After some consideration, I'm still going to respond with a resounding "yes," but I think that a caveat needs to be made: clutter is different for each person, and each individual needs to carefully consider his or her metric for evaluation. It's more than okay to have some playful, sentimental, or artistic items that have no use. In fact, these are the things that make our homes homes instead of catalogs. But clutter never starts out as clutter (or else we wouldn't bring it into our homes!), and when objects become so numerous that their beauty is obscured or when we keep things that no longer give us true happiness, they become distracting.
So how do we keep the "little bit of mess" that actually makes our lives richer distinct from clutter? While the amount of acceptable mess differs from person to person, I've come up with several solutions that work for me:
• Re-evaluate your collections. Collections have the ability to make us happy, but if they start feeling like a mass of unenumerated objects, then it's time to look them over. The point of a collection is that you think each piece is special, so don't squelch that uniqueness by crowding items. Just as an art gallery wouldn't shove four paintings into a tight corner, don't try to shove four delicate vases onto one shelf.
• Curate sentimental items. Think of your personal history as a collection of memories. Don't keep every birthday card that you've ever been given. Instead, keep only the ones that include some sort of sentiment that you'd like to hang on to. I keep a single file box with separate folders for cards, letters, and memorabilia, and I don't let the box get overstuffed. When it gets too full, I go back through it and pare. It gives me a chance to revisit some memories while also making sure that I'm not keeping things that have lost their sentimental luster.
• Check your stock. Excess is the cousin of clutter, even if that excess is hyperorganized. Here's a list of items that you may have too many of.
• Leave some space empty. As part of the Eight-Step Home Cure, Maxwell recommends leaving 10% of each bookshelf empty, and sometimes even suggests up to 25%. I try to stick to this rule in all the shelves in my home, and when it's possible, I try to leave an entire shelf empty. It makes you feel like you're swimming in space, and perhaps strangely, it helps you feel like your home is full of possibility.
• Tackle the junk drawer. You truly might need some clear fishing line or twist ties or floral wire one day. But that doesn't also give you license to keep every non-working pen, ancient rubberband, or mostly-used tube of glue. Consider reorienting your mindset to think of these drawers as "necessity drawers" instead of "junk drawers."
What are some "little messes" that you have, and how do you keep them from becoming clutter?
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These are all rather sound suggestions and I'll keep them in mind when I help my mother clear out her house this fall. To say she has a lot of "stuff" is an understatement. We're talking about someone who buys new knives instead of sharpening the old ones.
(We tackled her garage and basement this spring and filled a 13 cubic yard dumpster--which I didn't believe was possible.)
Thanks for the post. As I put together my first real home, I'm struggling with how to welcome small amounts of clutter that feel charming, cozy and lived-in, vs. being overrun with clutter that screams "crazy" or "messy." To my surprise, it's a difficult balance!
I get old suitcases for a dollar each (or less when there is a glut and they have a sale on them) at a place where one of the thrift stores sends things that didn't sell. I put a tag on each one saying what it contains and then put like items in each suitcase. So there is a suitcase with material, one with tablecloths, one with wooden bowls and statues, etc., and one with metal candlesticks, for example. I can then pile them up on the floor of a closet, for example, and I have the things if I need them but don't have to take up a lot of display or storage space in cupboards for them. For those with the collector gene, it's a good compromise between viewing all the collections all the time and getting rid of them to clear the clutter. The Japanese used to keep all their treasures in separate wooden boxes and would take out one item at a time, place it in the "tokonoma" and view it for a week or two, and then put it away again. This is sort of the same concept but they didn't have nice old wooden boxes at the thrift store, just suitcases.
I was about to toss a few items I considered clutter, such as random earrings without a mate. I had these things ready to go, but then I started studying art. Though I'm being judicious, I can see some of these things becoming part of a mixed-media project, so I've kept them. But again, I'm being judicious in selecting what stays and what goes. Over time also, I plan to reassess what stays if something hasn't been used. I'm a big fan of putting things away in another room for a while before selling, tossing, and even giving away. Most of the time, after a few weeks or months, they go because I am ready for them to after the wait. But sometimes, on rare occasions, something stays, perhaps for a while longer until I'm ready, or perhaps for an unforeseen purpose. Note that I said on rare occasions.
I do have a couple of "junk drawers" that I throw odd things into, but overall, I am much happier purging often and living in a clutter-free space. If others like their clutter, I don't have a problem with that - as long as I can go home to my relaxing, clutter-free zone.
I will most likely always have a junk drawer. There's something satisfying about tossing an item into a drawer and shutting it away.
As for the rest of my apartment, I have always heard "you can't organize clutter" and I'd nod in agreement but think "I CAN organize clutter" and tried so very hard. I have more pretty baskets, storage containers, white IKEA boxes, and banker boxes than one person needs. And yet my closets are cluttered and I can't think clearly.
So....it's time to pare down my belongings (I LOVE the idea of leaving at least 10% empty space on any given shelf or in a drawer) and gain breathing room and a sense of order.
I sort of hate the sterility and sameness of the no-clutter movement. I love my books and fabric and art supplies. I know there's a happy medium, and I'm trying to recognize when the stuff owns me more than I own and love it, but an empty white space with maybe one oh-so-carefully-considered cerebrally chosen object is kind of dull, in my opinion, and it doesn't look like the home of a person who makes things, reads things, has been places, and lived a life. It looks like the home of someone who wants to impress me with their level of control.
I reorganize my drunk drawer at least once a month. Mainly because my roommates like to stuff anything and EVERYTHING in there. It makes me feel a sense of relief and accomplishment when I clean/organize. I may have a slight OCD.
My husband and I are semi hoarders. Collectibles. We've both opened Etsy shops, try to list on eBay every week, and are setting up at a flea on Sundays this summer. As I've hit my 40's I'm just not into the upkeep of cleaning everything anymore. I try to keep what I love and the rest is outta here. Open spaces in the attic and basement are starting to excite me and keep me purging!
I must say I admire that giant pill collection in the shot...but I won't ask! ;) I might be tempted. Hehe.
I'm the odd man out; I DO NOT have a junk drawer. I like knowing where everything is so each drawer is organzied accordingly. I do collect 'things' but to a minimum. If I don't have the space, it doesn't go home with me. I also perfer if I don't get gifts of the items I collect simply because I'm really picky which ones I buy and which ones stay in the store. I purge EVERYTHING at least once a year but have gone through my home twice a year for about 3 years now; mostly clothes and shoes. I'm a shoe hoarder but not with clothes.
@tarainsevenvalleys: I thought those were soaps, but soaps in the pic make little sense...so I'm going with giant pill collection now (which also makes no sense, but hey)...
I find that having a general place for things and a limited place at that keeps things from getting too overwelmed. I can only keep as much of my preschooler's art as fits in on drawers before it is time to sort it out and put the best stuff in the portfolio and recycle the rest.
I am also a huge fan of my outbox. Everthing that is not working for me now and may not belong goes there and I have a few months to retrieve it if I miss it but otherwise it goes to Goodwill.
Part of this also has to do with how you define clutter. We have stuff in our house that if/when we move to a smaller place, it will be gone. For now it lives well-organized and contained in our basement, etc. because we have the room for it and we would rather not buy or rent it again when we need it once a year or two years or whatever. I suppose it could be considered "clutter" but it is not for us since we have it organized and contained, we understand the limits of why we have it and it isn't straining any resources (space, time, personal energy, etc.).
Use your scanner and use your camera:
- scanner to scan in cards and sentiments you like (then set up a slow slide show every so often) then throw out the cards. Electrons take up so much less room.
- camera: to take photos of tchotchkes with sentimental value. Once digitized and deemed well captured, throw out/give away/set up etsy shop/ ebay, what not and set up a slide show
- oh... and i am about to digitize all movies (DVD and VHS) as well as tapes (tapes?) and store them on one external hard drive. Need to find a cloud storage system, too.
- books are dust collectors unless they are on my kindle :-P
it takes a lot of energy to edit....
I think if you get really joy out of ocasionally using the fancy tea cups your grandmother gave then you DO need them. You need them for joy.
I don't have a junk drawer either, but I have a "general drawer" in the desk and one in the kitchen. Nothing is loose in there, but there are little cheap mismatched plastic bins with stuff that fits in each bin. I go through them a few times a year, and they have settled down to batteries, pens, pencils, toothpicks, cocktail decorations, birthday candles, BBQ lighters, etc. I never think I'm organizing them for the last time, and that takes the pressure off.
Decluttering was and is a great thing. Now I probably get rid of one utensil where in the beginning I got rid of a shipping bag full.
I work nicely in a happily cluttered space. My office has shelves and shelves of books, odd objects, broken items waiting for repairs, fabrics, etc. Some people have trouble working in a cluttered space, but I feel uninspired in a sterile space.
As for my home, I try to keep it simple, but I'm not draconian about anything. I make my bed, I clear the table, I put laundry in the hamper, etc. But I also keep all my birthday cards and letters in crisp white magazine files. I have a junk drawer for things like crazy glue and masking tape. I don't trust people who don't have books on their bookshelves. It's like their home life is a lie - you stage your home on a regular basis?! Strange to me.
A couple of ideas. (I love the comment that "clutter doesn't START OUT as clutter) (emphasis mine.) Boy is THAT true!
One thing in, one thing out. If you get your decor to a pleasant level and discover another item you LOVE, one solution is to get the new thing but use it to replace some thing you love less by now. (This sometimes works!) (If you are disciplined!)
Don't be a completist. I have had many collections in my lifetime, lots of which have gone away over time. In the early 70's it was owls. Bought them, made them, got them as gifts. After a while it almost felt like an obligation to get every owl I saw! (There were fewer of them then than now, but still...) If you collect, for every single addition to your collection, evaluate how much you love THIS one, all by itself. (Unless things make up a set you want all of, which is a different problem.) If you don't love it, do you really need to add it to the collection? Maybe you loved it when you got it, but this NEW one is so much more glorious... see previous suggestion!
I have a higher clutter tolerance than some here, I can definitely tell. But I also hate dusting. So I try to keep most of the stuff behind glass doors where I can admire it longer before having to clean it. If you have to pile stuff on the floor or move things to eat or do anything else, perhaps your clutter has passed the threshold where action is required!
"clutter is different for each person, and each individual needs to carefully consider his or her metric for evaluation" Really? Are you telling me there is no hard and fast rule how much clutter is allowed in my house after all? No holy grail of clutter-less-ness? Oh wait, phew, there is one: "Maxwell recommends leaving 10% of each bookshelf empty, and sometimes even suggests up to 25%."
But how many bookshelves are allowed? I'm at a loss! HELP!
I only have a cord drawer for electronics (chargers and adapters) because if I threw away every one I no longer use, I would just repurchase it when I got a new device. Also I have mini-drawers in a cabinet for junk that would clutter my purse like discount cards, coupons, lip balms etc.
I have corraled clutter that I still can't justify now. One box always in a closet is historical newspapers from the JFK assasination, moon landing, bicentennial & 9-11. All easily gotten on eBay if I wanted & I now don't really know what I ever planned for them.
The other is the late 1800's 'family' trunk filled with pictures etc + my own '50s teddy bear; not valuable & no, I'm not attatched, but it doesn't make it to the garbage. My sis has a similar cedar chest with the 'family stuff'. The current kids, nieces, nephews aren't going to want any of it; both containers just seem to get passed on to the next generation because the current 'caretakers' are too chicken to be the ones who harshly purge through it.
There is a consensus that we won't allow family snaps; especially those whom the younger generations won't know or care about, become 'garage sale relatives' or 'instarelatives' those old photos you see in antique or thrift stores. We'll burn or shred them first.
Funny thing is, if most of the stuff was suddenly gone (by someone elses hand) it wouldn't be missed.
As we prep for a cross country move, I'm getting very excited about purging. I suppose I'm a wanderer at heart because we've moved a lot in our married lives. But moving is exciting and new and opportunity to start fresh with only the things we love. That's my personal recipe for clutter. Maybe not for everyone, but it's magical for us!
HHRI: I think the limit is how many shelves can reasonably fit into a space. Once those shelves get full, it's time to purge. That may be one or two or twenty shelves. Really, though, if it's aesthetically pleasing with negative space so it doesnt look overstuffed I don't see anything wrong with dozens of bookshelves because books are amazing.
This post reminds me of a project I have coming up. I plan to return to my childhood bedroom and get rid of most of the belongings. While I usually don't have a hard time getting rid of things, this is going to be a challenge for me. Since I've been hanging on to those toys, artworks, journal entries, etc. for so long. It will be hard for me to move on.
To help me with the process, I plan to take pictures of the items I'll be giving away. I'm considering ways I can transform it into a larger project; an art project and perhaps even a social project (blog? 80's yard sale?). Whatever the outcome, it's going to get interesting...
"Just as an art gallery wouldn't shove four paintings into a tight corner, don't try to shove four delicate vases onto one shelf". This really flies in the face of advice often given to combine like objects as a collection and not scatter them around a home.
I think people should decide on their own comfort level. I don't agree that you can't think, have a new idea or whatever just because there is some clutter in your home. People who admire minimalism should remember that this is just their taste, a choice, and not a sign of a superior aesthetic.
There do seem to be people within AP who are obsessed with minimalism but I suspect that is because they are New Yorkers who have a definite disadvantage in that their living space is tiny compared to most of the rest of the country. They have to keep their belongings under control but many of us have more space to play with.
I'm struggling right now to get rid of the stuffed frogs my boyfriend gave me. Haven't decided yet. They collect dust, but also remind me of a loving relationship.
This might be a newbie question, but where is that white chair from?
I've just arrived in my holiday house. It's really messy, lots of stuff everywhere, including family antiques and useless sentimental items. People love to come and visit despite the lack of order. I think the mess makes us feel young and carefree, actually! It doesn't matter so much if we don't pick up after ourselves, we can just relax and enjoy each others' company.
Am perplexed by the photo. Is THAT "clutter"? My shelves don't look so tidy AFTER a cleaning (and throwing-away) frenzy.
I offer the idea that there is a difference between mess and clutter. Mess is, ideally, evidence that something productive, useful, or fun was going on. Mess is supposed to be cleaned up, put away, and removed from sight once it's back in its proper place. Clutter is visual junk, homeless objects that take up valuable space that other things need. I'll take the messy, lived-in look just fine. Just so long as I know that it can easily go away when it's time to clean up.
There's nothing I can't stand more than that light dusting of clutter that some how seems to collect every few weeks or so. I am ALWAYS looking for ways to stash my little bits.
I just moved into a new home, after 19.5 years in a previous place. I purged and purged, and with the new space I feel more alive. Inside a chest of drawers, one drawer lurks completely empty. In a shelving system, one deep shelf is currently unfilled. Books fill their shelves sparsely. Clothes hang inside a narrower closet, loosely. There is space on the walls and between the furnishings; old and new pieces feel energized, fresh.
This is after month one.
I hope I can still say this, a year hence.
i really love that bookcase. can you tell me where it came from???
Thanks!
I work with people on clutter all the time. Everyone has different ideas about clutter. Most people come to be and tell me they are a hoarder but they never are.
Clutter isn't about being neat for me but it is for others. My idea of clutter is different to what someone elses would be.
My motto is "if you love it and it brings you joy, keep it" and this seems to work well most of the time.
I don't believe there is a one size fits all solution but I do believe lots of tips, ideas, discussion and reflection is a good path to take.
@MADAMPINCE Keep one or two frogs that you really love, take pics of the rest. You don't need stuffed frogs to remind you of a romance, you have the memories. But you don't have to get rid of them all. :)
A place for everything and everything in it's place! If I haven't got somewhere to put the item, no matter how big or small it is, I pause to question if I really need it or merely want it. As a reformed clutterbug with a partner who has a passion for zen miminalism, I find it a constant challenge not to re-clutter. So on the whole I keep it clear and my outlet for gathering a little clutter is strictly limited to one special box in the bathroom - it's bursting with masks, gels, soaps, lotions, handcreams, you name it! It fulfills the need without taking over the whole home. Very indulgent to delve into too.
Beautifully stated! I concur.
I personally don't understand how anyone can find minimalism attractive. If you go into a room with nothing in it and set down your coffee cup, a magazine or paper, and throw your hoodie over a chair your minimalist room will look messy. Minimalist rooms only look good without people in them. The rooms I have enjoyed the most have always been rooms that you couldn't take in at one sitting, places that wherever you look you see something more. I love rooms that reflect the owners interests, hobbies, family, and life experiences - rooms that tell a story.
How timely. My fiance and I are finally getting into the garage tomorrow. We have a plan to start before the kids wake up and hopefully get rid of 70% of contents. Although I am the Declutter Queen and would've done the garage myself, my back hasn't been very good since our toddler found his feet. Going through clutter together is a great exercise for couples. You can learn lots about someone's thought process when they try to reason on keeping broken water-damaged junk.
As for in the home, I prefer everything to have a place. The 'junk drawer' is not something I would entertain. I do use a foldable bag to store things others in my household leave lying around for no good reason and threaten to donate or bin it after 3 days. Works wonders.
Excellent article. Old towels, sheets, bathmats, etc., can be used at animal shelters. They are greatly appreciated.
I donate books to our library book sale and buy more than I donate. Good fundraiser.
I have an unspoken tipping point that tells me I need to declutter. When my son gets something new and there is literally no place to put it in the closet, it's purging time. When I come home and feel like the walls of the house are closing in on me, it's time to clear some shelves. I feel it in my chest and my boiling blood. I might be an exception.
wow. I guess I'm the odd person out as a messy house doesn't affect my mood. At all. Ever. Things that happen to me or my family affect my mood and how I feel
. I love having stuff. My stuff. Stuff I like and stuff I love. When I no longer want it it goes in a box in the basement. If I haven't looked at it or for it in 6 mos. it goes. Same thing for my kids old toys. I don't have any rules about "1 in and 1 out" or anything like that. Why limit myself? If I want something I get it. If I want something gone I let it go. No rules. No pressure.
Oh, I do have one rule. No Legos on the floor. They hurt when you step on them.
Why on earth would I leave 10% of my bookshelves empty when I could fill them with books? I do not understand.
Also, I'm pretty sure giant pills under a bell jar are actually clutter, as I don't think they're art and I sure hope they're not useful.
Here's my definition of clutter: when items aren't in their place. You can have as many books as you want as long as they are organized and stay put; if you pull them off the shelves and leave them on side tables or under a chair, then they become clutter. Socks belong in three places: in their sock drawer (or wherever you keep the clean ones), in the laundry basket, or on your feet. If they are anywhere else, they become clutter. If you want the stuff, or like the stuff, it's not clutter until it ends up in a place it doesn't belong.
Getting rid of clutter is a matter of small, daily upkeep, and then a concentrated effort once a week or so. As Mister B stated above, every thing has a place and every place has a thing. It doesn't have to be hard.
Some people like emptiness around them. Some people like interesting objects around them. I can understand both attitudes--and everything in between.
What I can't understand is why people get all preachy about it, as if their preferences are somehow morally superior to other people's.
I'm definitely on board with a little mess. Mess makes it feel like home. Plus, it's unavoidable with kids. I do what I can but don't sweat it if my house isn't perfect.
@J DANDY - no you're not, that is exactly how I feel too.
For goodness sake, what a confused article. Clutter is bad but it's okay too as long as it's got meaning or is or isn't a little mess, or think I'll not bother re-reading, life's too short. Please, just, think for yourselves. Not a good article. Disagree? Good onya.
I like "little messes" and touches of clutter here and there. It makes us remember that a real family lives in the house -- it's not just for a photo shoot. It's only a problem if it drives you crazy.
I've got one big chest of photo's that I find really difficult to purge. The invention of the digital camera has made a huge difference in my 'clutter' pile. From no longer adding to my photo album to posting stuff on line to sell or freecycle with such ease...
Just throwing this out there... But I have OCD and I also love the minimalistic look. I cannot stand to have lots of knick nacks around, however my small apartment is very homey. I have big comfy throw cushions, rugs, soft lighting, candles and many flowers. However, I am very good at throwing out anything I dont need, my towels look like little soldiers in the closet! Minimal isnt bad. Im team "cant think" ... its what YOU are comfortable with. But I dont aim to be all snotty with my showroom looking place, its just the way i am and can relax. Thats the most important part.
I also have tons of books. :)
find a "home" for everything.
& group similar items together.