grrrl, I feel your pain.
especially with the "stuff I don't need now but might later"

the anti-clutter objective comes smack against the thrifty anti-waste/don't fill landfills with stuff you'll need to just buy again in a year campaign

(sigh)

I just want to make the storage efficient for the things I will keep and use.

I don't know if this helps, but this is what I did. I got myself a storage room outside of my apartment. With all the stuff OUT of my apartment, I could think better (this place is really tiny). and yes, a lot of stuff like good curtain rods, cookware, some clothes have made it's way back home, and other stuff I thought were 'keepers' that stayed here weren't. It took the stress of having to decide what to throw out when I really didn't know. By the way, I never actually threw out anything, I donated it all to charities.... at least if you make a mistake getting rid of something, at least you know something good came of it ;-)

I took all my stuff that I thought I needed to a storage locker and put a date on the box. I returned after six months and realized what I could not live without and gave the rest to Goodwill. I think DRCny is right once out of the apartment, You mind is free!!! The date on the box helps put into perspective what you can live without.

-what would you keep if you had to move across the ocean? that's all you really need.
-what objects could have a better use in someone else's hands right now than in yours?
-papers are your enemy. your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to throw away as many pieces of paper as you can. anything that doesn't have a really compelling reason why it HAS to stay, goes.
-don't keep things that "might come in useful one day" unless they are truly one of a kind or very high quality. for all these knick-knacks, you don't know for sure whether they will be useful in the future, but right now it's certain that they're clogging up your space. trust in the future, that things will work out. you will get all the curtain rods and kitchenware that you need when you do. you wouldn't have gone into this project if you didn't deep down know that you needed to simplify.

I am going through my books right now and have decided not to keep any book that I've read and thought was only okay, not to keep things that are not on my immediate reading list ("hmm... I *should* read this one day...") if I can easily get them out of the library, to focus on keeping the things that will be useful for my current professional path and those that I love, keep taking off the shelf to re-read parts of, AND have special sentimental value. (I'm not going to keep a mediocre book just because my mom gave it to me...)
when I moved out of my parents' house I took a bunch of their books because I needed to have books around me to reinforce my image of myself, and because in my family, a library makes a home. now I have a lot of books of my own and I am ready to pack my parents' books and ship the books back to them...

and to be cheesy in closing, "the fact is that our own continuance and well-being does not depend on any object continuing to be in our possession." (Karen Kingston)

good luck!

Where did you get those fabulous statues of the people doing yoga? I love love love them!

I am dealing with this right now too, specifically with linens:
http://compassandcoffeespoons.typepad.com/compassandcoffeespoons/2008/01/secrets-of-the.html

I have inadvertently started my own cure in the past few weeks. I'm trying to stay calm and not let the temporary disorder bother me. I like stuff in its place, but I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize for down the line. Eventually, it'll pay off!

If you don't have Maxwell's Apartment Therapy book, then you might want to find a copy. It was INVALUABLE in supporting me to let go of stuff (I am still purging) when I moved from a 4 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom apartment. Try to touch stuff ONCE (put it into your OUTBOX corner for now). Try to only get out what you can deal with in 30 minutes, deal with it, then go for the next "load." Try using a timer and breaking your work up into "cycles" of 20 minutes or so (This really does help with the OVERWHELMED part). Recruit a friend who can give you some help, some friendship and some tough-love support. Keep posting for emotional support! :)

you are too adorable! i too am feeling the anxiety. in my case i'm about to move. it's killing my desire to keep this place decent. well, that & getting sick. but it'll be so wonderful when you're done. & LOOK AT THOSE WINDOWS!! please, make those a focal point in that room. they are so nice!

*ps- read the book

I have no helpful advice to offer, as I too cannot seem to get rid of stuff, however I'd like to note that your windows are gorgeous. :)

You have a small apartment. You need to have room to turn around before you can figure out its potential. That means you have to reduce the volume of stuff that's comin' at ya right this second.

1. Curtain rods. Give them away. You will never again have the same size windows as you had before, and even if you do, either that apartment will come with its own wonderful rods, or styles in curtains will have changed so dramatically that your old rods don't work.

2. Kitchen supplies. If the gadget is not so essential that you've unpacked it already -- or are itching to unpack it -- you don't need it. Do not pay for storage (or drive yourself crazy) for the fantasy that you might make waffles someday. Spend your money on the things you really do.

3. Office supplies and papers. Consolidate these into boxes and put them in the smallest storage locker you can stand. You'll need to deal with these eventually, but they're demoralizing, especially since it's impossible to buy office supplies in the small sizes one really needs.

4. Books. If you're likely to need it at 2 a.m., or it's not stocked in libraries you have access to, or it's just plain rare, you need to own it. (This can lead to owning a lot of books or none, depending on your habits.) Otherwise, a book is just a means of storing information.

5. Things you have definite plans for in a subsequent abode. THESE are the things that merit storage during a temporary move to smaller quarters. You can always change your mind and cull them later, but there's no point in ripping your heart out or in paying substantial amounts to rebuy. Using storage as a way to manage your decision-making process can be a good investment because you then don't spend the same money on coping with the stress of having to make decisions you aren't ready for.

6. Things you use frequently, but they're a bitch to fit into your space, like large seasonal sports equipment. This is another argument for using off-site storage. Sometimes, it's cheaper and easier and nicer to pay for an apartment you really like (without space for these whats-its) plus specialized storage elsewhere, rather than trying to find an apartment with all your desired features plus this sort of storage.

Remember, your goal here is to make YOU happy, not to conform to an abstract ideal of domesticity.

It's hard to express the satisfaction I felt after knowing that every item in my apartment--dining table, bed, books, etc--fit into a cargo van and could be packed, moved, and unpacked in a day.

rebecca, you are brave. keep at this. by the time you reach your 40s, you will not suffer the process all my friends are going through.

regarding process--offsite storage, or a 'staging area,' is definitely worth obtaining. you see the choices and decisions clear up, the energy change, the burden begins to lift immediately. your room is the runway, and the clutter needs a changing room.

for books, try asking yourself if your energy and consciousness still need the ones you have. for reference books, are they available at work, or online? for nonfiction, have you already obtained the wonder, knowledge, growth, awareness or happiness from the story?

for objects, treat them like 'rentals,' unless you really feel they feed your soul long-term. are your passions before you? that is, does everything around you move you forward, or inward, or whereever you want to be? if not, removal is important. there is no vacuum in nature--things feed you, or not.

acquisition is nearly involuntary in this country. strict compliance with a 'no new stuff i don't need' policy is difficult. donations still require a measure of energy, will, discipline, and time.

rather than storage, do we need to fill a new niche, perhaps some smaller, private libraries for like-minded readers? an apartment therapy 'stuff' exchange, e.g. curtain rods, for apartment therapy readers?

best wishes.

Avianmission, I love the idea of an apartment therapy "stuff" exchange. I know you can always go to places like freecycle, but there's something about knowing that certain items will go to people who really care about good design -- like a.t. readers.

that picture says it all! Stepping away from the project for a few hours helps me get my gusto back to dive in.

I dont believe in storage either. Why spend good money when you know in your heart you wont want most of it back?
(winter/summer storage is ok) but if that method works for you....

Christine in DC - Give you least pretty linens to an animal shelter. they'll use them as bedding. It'll purge you a few pieces and its good re-use

Give each topic an area - Eg I have one file drawer for paperwork. I go through it once a year and chuck a good chunk of it - expired warranties, old health insurance manuals etc (usually tax time!). I dont work from home, or own a house or car. I shouldnt have serious amounts of paperwork - 1 drawer is sufficient.

If you have a few nice things that would be of value to others. Craigslist them, and use the proceeds to treat yourself to a nice dinner (or whatever floats your boat) for parting with them.

The friends comment is a good one too. A few years ago before a friend moved two of us went over and helped her chuck a lot of stuff. the other perspective can help. "Yes its a ratty sentimental college shirt, do you need 9 of them?". We gave her a 20% clause. She could take up to 20% of the things we were making her chuck back out of the garbage. i doubt she even kept 5%.

But hey - a good start is half the battle.

Good job girl!! Keep it up!

I definitely feel your pain..I have tons of boxes stored under my bed that I know are filled with unnecessary items and papers..I just bought Maxwell's book this week and haven't been able to start it yet, but I did buy the following book that has helped me start to "wade" through all of my junk:

http://www.amazon.com/Messies-Manual-Complete-Bringing-Beauty/dp/0800759796/ref=pd_sim_b_title_5

I'm not implying that you are a "messy" person - the book explains that some people (for different reasons) like to hold on to things either for some time they might need it in the future, for sentimental reasons, etc. and gives advice on how to let things go and decide what you really need to keep..It's really helped me a lot and even made me feel a bit better about the "mess" I've acquired throughout the years :) Just thought I'd throw it out there..

You're doing so well! I think all of us hold onto stuff. But I will tell you it's worth it!!! I'm in the habit of regularly recycling stuff and have used Maxwell's trick of the outbox, and it works. Recycling makes me feel like someone will use those curtain rods now...and the outbox makes me realize that I totally don't need that old paperback novel. (Books are my Achilles heel. I've just begun to thin them out, thanks to a post on AT.)
The great thing is, once you've cleared stuff out and have places for everything, you really feel like you can breathe.
So keep the faith...and good luck!

honestly, i think you just have to be patient and work towards moving what you can out daily. i think the first 2-3 weeks in your new apartment are really all about getting used to the space, seeing what you will need/can live without, just really getting a feel for the space. (i remember sorting through and shifting piles around a lot in a very small apartment i just moved into) early in the 3rd week i finally had an idea of the direction i wanted to take the apartment. take your time, reorganize piles, and it will slowly become clear what you want and what can be thrown out/donated. i still have one small pile of clothes that have to be listed on ebay...maybe i'll try them at buffalo exchange as well! wishing you all the best!!

postscript to earlier--by storage, i meant temporary storage. once you have your system down, you may not even need storage. all-or-nothing may not be helpful. universal mod has a great point--process is useful in itself.

I am just about to move after 10 years. I'm lucky enough to be moving to a much larger apt, but I don't want to take all my stuff and overstuff it again! I feel your pain too!
Not only that, I work in the design field, use to have a retail store, and own tons of vintage clothing. EEK! So, I trudged huge bags of old clothes to a flea market, only to be offered like, $3.00 a piece. That's when I decided to call Housing Works ( In NYC ), and have them pick the whole lot up (including furniture). I was first depressed for days, not wanting to let my possessions go ( In spite of not wearing - or never having worn them, and having decided to get new furniture). But, I decided to keep the really important pieces, and now love the fact that my other things will find a good home and look great on other girls.
Books I gave to them as well. Only a small number of reference and hard bound or favorites are with me.
But in the end, here is what I decided:
I DESERVE to have a beautiful, well organized, serene apartment! I bought nice boxes for mementos and photos, journals. it helped me to work on the vision for my new space. Don't let your vision of how you want to live go!
start with the least emotionally charged category - for me it was books, for you it may be different.
Good Luck - nice apartment!

Oh man, my heart goes out to you. I just moved in with my boyfriend and have spent the past YEAR going thru stuff and getting rid of as much as possible in preparation. Huge. Here's my take:

PAPER - Get a scanner and try to digitize as much as possible. I got a high quality one off ebay for $50 and i'm digitizing a lot of my old photos. Once i'm done i can wrangle with the decision to just recycle the old ones or put them in storage, but at least i'll know i have a digital copy in case i want them back one day, or they get damaged in storage or something. Either way, it'll be MUCH easier to get them out of the house, AND free me up to create digital photoalbums like the one from Apple! As for other paper, scanner has a capability to make scanned files SEARCHABLE by word, so they not only take up a ton less room in digital form, but they're actually more useful since you can quickly find what you're looking for ("now where did i put that copy of my lease?")! Again, scanner on ebay was only $50, great investment.

Books - I was happy to get rid of all my books except for a handful (10-15) that i LOVED. The rest went to friends or were sold on half.com. Not only do you get some cash for your books, but you know they're going somewhere where they are WANTED. Very satisfying. Then you can use your cash to buy more books you want to read from the same site, and sell them back when you're done! Its like getting books for free, if you're not into the whole library thing and don't want to worry about late charges etc (that'd be me).

Storage - i too am opposed to storage. I find you usually don't need it. Seasonal items like skis/snowboard? I found that not only is that stuff a pain to travel with to your destination, the cost of rentals usually winds up being a good deal cheaper than the cost of actually buying the item and storing it most of the year. Plus, rentals let you change your mind or try the latest new thing. Unless you're a diehard or professional, i really don't see the need to have your own equipment in NYC.

Stuff you'll need later - Honestly, get rid of it. You won't need it later. That's hard for me to say, as someone that thrifty to the bone, but i've learned from experience. By the time you actually need the item, you'll either forget that you already have it, have more money so you can afford (and want) a nicer version, or your tastes will have changed that you no longer want it. I have a set of decorative pillows and dishes that i bought on sale in HIGH SCHOOL thinking i would want them once i got my own place. You know what? 10-15 years later, i do NOT want bright red TASSELED pillows covered in chinese characters, nor do i want a set of dishes with a single pale green fern on each plate. Live and learn. Don't hoard!

Finally, my year of purging gave me some additional benefit that i'm just now starting to realize. I know that taxes are not really particularly exciting or motivating to ANY of us, but i kept all of my receipts when i donated large bags of stuff to charity, and as i'm getting ready to do my taxes this year, i'm going to write off more than $1,000!!!! Crazy how much "stuff" you have that you really don't need. Not only will someone else benefit from having my stuff, i'll benefit from NOT having it clutter up my place, and i'll save $300-$400 in taxes too!

I would just add: don't put too much pressure on yourself to always make the "right" decision about whether to hang onto something. You may get rid of something that at some point, could be useful, but so what? You'll just say 'oh well' and/or get another one.

I totally agree with guido's comment [first]. I've learned that I can't perfectly reconcile the anti-clutter objective and the frugal/green objective.

Now, if I accept that I am going to make a mistake, I prefer to err on the 'anti-clutter' side - it's a question of whether one wants to deal with the occasional inconvenience of replacing something tossed (by whatever means), versus the daily stress of maneuvering around unused stuff.

The funny thing for me lately has been finding that things that I've kept over the years for their 'sentimental value' don't seem as, well, valuable anymore. Maybe it's something to do with the start of a new year. I couldn't make the call on that stuff when I was moving in and already overwhelmed, but I think that's okay: it's a process, and there's no rule that says you have to sort everything out this instant.

Welcome to Brooklyn, btw!

I love the outbox in theory, but where do you put it if you are in a small apartment? For a while I tried under my desk, but that made the desk unusable. Now I trip over it! I guess I just have to suck it up until I finish decluttering, but it makes me irrationally mad at it as I have to manoeuvre around it (unfortunately, decluttering, for me, is not a fast process). Am I the only one?

Having all this stuff doesn't make you a better person. Dragging all this stuff around with you for the next 60 years will only make your life very UNHAPPY.

In my apartment I have two closets. In one I have my clothes and a paper shredder. In the other I have a suitcase, a box of Christmas decorations, a boxed Christmas tree, the ironing board and the vacuum cleaner.

Either DISPLAY all your stuff in your apartment or get rid of it. None of your friends want to help you move this stuff next time you move and your family won't want to go through it when you're dead. LESS IS MORE.

Having all this stuff doesn't make you a better person. It doesn't make you a more important person. It doesn't make you a more interesting person. It doesn't make you a more "colorful" person. Having all this stuff makes you an UNHAPPY person.

Learn how to get rid of "stuff" now or you'll have a very messy and unhappy life.

as far as reconciling the anti-clutter objective and the frugal/green objective the answer is simple. the green movement is based on three basic principles: reduce/reuse/recycle. reduce is first not because it sounded better that way but reducing the amount (of anything) you consume is the best way to be green. clearing out the clutter in your life is great but unless you change the way you see things coming into your life you will forever be stuck in the consume/purge cycle which no matter how you look at is anti-green - even if you buy only 'green' products than give away/sell for reuse and/or make sure it is recycled properly it's still wasteful consumption. the best thing to do before tackling a purging project is figure out what your goals are beforehand. how do you envision your space and daily life to be afterwards. is cooking honestly important to you or are your hobbies like sports, reading, knitting? figuring those things out can be extremely helpful for the process. but remember it's about YOU and what YOU BELIEVE to be important in life not what other people tell you is important. then from there you can decide what

(having computer problems...sorry for the broken up response)

then from there you can decide what to keep.

then most importantly when you are bringing anything new into your life (new to you, not necessarily brand 'new') think how you would if you already owned it and were purging; do i need it, do i love it? this, with time, should help reduce the amount of things you accumulate. consuming for most people, is simply a habit that with time, practice and will can be broken

like a few other people mentioned, no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. life doesn't have to be all or nothing, just try your best to be the person you want to be and things will fall into place from there.... Good Luck! and i love the picture!!!

I once read that keeping things in case "we need them later" puts out a message to the universe that we aren't confident that we'll be able to get what we need when we need it. Give them away, and if you find you need something in a couple of months, keep it in your mind and I guarantee whatever you need will find its way to you. Case in point: we have a corner in our living room that needed a lamp. Instead of rushing out to buy one, I kept it in my mind that I needed a lamp. A couple of weeks later I found a great lamp on the street, when I was least expecting to, in an odd location where one doesn't usually find lamps.

So much good advice here!

I've got to share my story, too. Today I love the liberated feeling of unloading stuff. But it wasn't always a snap. Every time I moved I would go through boxes and repack stuff I hadn't looked at since the last time I moved. Humans attach sentimentality to things that remind them of experiences they don't want to forget, and then the thing becomes more important than the experience.

My mother used to have a fancy yellow bathrobe that she saved for the "someday, when I don't have money for a new bathrobe." The lesson was valid: take care of your things because you may need them to last a long time." Well, her house burned down and she never once wore that fluffy happy bathrobe. How sad, huh? I decided that my mom missed the point and that I would never ever save anything that I wasn't using in my life (seasonal exceptions, of course).

That was the year I decided that if I hadn't used it, looked at it, read it, been glad I had it for some utilitarian or purely decadant reason, or had a solid future plan for it, I got rid of it. The tax write off was fantastic! But the the liberation was the most important part. There is freedom in letting go of the guilt in getting rid of useless thing other people give me, or even things I loved once but no longer want.

Yes, I saved my first teddy bear, but I got rid of all the other stuffed animals and baby clothes I will never use again (who really needs 5 onsies that don't fit??!!) Yes I saved a shoebox of photos, but got rid of the bekins-moving-box full that weren't meaningful or special.

I'm facing this very issue again this month. 18 months ago I inherited my great-aunts estate including a handful of antiques, fine art, textiles, and jewelry. I've recovered the pieces I like, traded in the jewlery I didn't like and got myself one hot ring, and sold the stuff I knew I would never use. But there was a glut of "maybe" stuff that's been taking up space in my garage. "Maybe I'll have a bungalow for these antiques someday." "Maybe I'll move to the desert where the coyote painting and horse bronzes will be great accent pieces." "These were expensive once and I'll never make what they're worth, so I'll just hang on to them until I know I can make something off them."

Maybe-shmaybe. I'm having an a craigslist estate sale this week to finance the things I really do want. A new couch. A trip to the Galapagos. And * s p a c e * in my garage!

Here's to down-sizing and freedom! Best of luck.

In my experience extra storage won't solve your problem, it will just add to it. We had a nice size storage unit in our first apartment. I put things into it with the intention of eventually removing those which we never really used or liked, and instead found myself hanging onto things I normally wouldn't have because I had the space.

Ever read Bladerunner? They called junk "kipple" in the book, and it apparently multiples on it's own. That's what my storage unit became, and although it kept my apartment nice and neat, I would call my life far from "cured" at that point.

When we moved it was a real challenge to par down all the things we collected so I know how you are feeling. I started by making a pile of things I needed, and/or enjoy so much I use them on a daily basis or at least once a week. That's actually the easy part.

Saying goodbye to the rest is the hard part. Sentimental items, books, magazines, items that only come in handy once and a while, items that you think you may need eventually. Digitalizing helped alot with the magazines, cookbooks, old photographs, and as someone else mentioned is actually more organized then leaving them in their original form.

What helped was imagining I was forced to choose just a few of these items. My boyfriend actually posed it to me as "if a room full of these items was on fire, which 3 would you save?" It's pretend but it's a good way to put into perspective what you really love. I saved 5 things in the end and sent the rest up to flame via craigslist or good will. Although I had a pit in my stomach about at the time, truth be told I can't even exactly remember most of what I gave away (what books, what cooking equipment, ect). It just goes to show how attached we can be to "things" when there is no good reason. As others have mentioned it quiet liberating to free your life from that.

Good luck with your efforts!

I JUST moved (to a larger apartment, but still) and wanted to get rid of as much as possible before the move. I said "If I haven't touched it in a year, it goes," which was really REALLY hard in the kitchen. Clothes were much easier, though I allowed myself to keep one "goal" pair of pants. Having the line in the sand helped me a LOT. I also pared down my papers as far as I could.

It did take me a month and a half to have mostly unpacked my apartment, and that's only because my sister held my Wii hostage until I finished (I bribed her with cookies to get it back early). Don't be too hard on yourself. Moving upsets your patterns and it takes a while to get back on level ground. I always end up moving things around a couple of times until I'm happy with where it is, especially in the kitchen, where I work most frequently.

i throw out/donate/give away any and everything and i never have regretted it. i'm ruthless! my good friend is a clutterbug, i knew she had a problem when she told me she saved shopping bags. i told her to throw them away. good luck uncluttering!

Thanks, Clairepetrol, for the advice on the linens--I took a huge bag of blankets and towels (and some tennis balls I had for a few years, new in the container) to the animal shelter. I knew I could do that, but it took the reminder to make it happen!!!

I also purged a lot of other stuff this weekend--some is in an "outbox" until I find a new home for it via craigslist, Goodwill, a friend, the curb, or another charity. I realized I was saving a lot of boxes--from things that were sent to me or things I bought. Crazy...it wasn't really even intentional. I put it in a closet until I could remove it--which ended up taking months.

I'm trying to be more ruthless in my decluttering--I realize how much time I spend organizing and arranging stuff when half of it I never really use. The things that really annoy me are "supplies" that I don't use that often, like paperclips/binder clips, tape, batteries, even medicine...it just seems to take up so much space and serve so little purpose.
I think the real trick is going to be to stop clutter at the door--before it even comes in. I just signed up for many of my bills to go paperless...I figured I already pay most of my bills online or automatically. Why not go that extra step. I can't quite make myself stop my bank statements, but if I can elminate some of the filing, that will be a big improvement.

I don't know about the site's obsession with decluttering. Not all stuff is clutter, and the clean-and-clear aesthetic is great for spaces in which little happens, but I can find inspiring the full and controlled-chaos of workspaces like really used kitchens. wood shops, etc. I'm good about getting rid of paper, which is my boyfriend's problem (my files take up two drawers of a desk, he has a full desk, a two drawer filing cabinet, and several large boxes). I don't hold onto old clothes. I keep sentimental stuff in a few organized boxes. But I love to have things that let me be creative - I love my 100 cookie cutters, for example, because I get such pleasure out of having unusual cutters for odd occasions and getting to choose from the broad selection I have. I love all my kitchen stuff and my art supplies - the stacks of canvas and paper and tools. And I don't understand how books can feel draining to people. Personally, when I'm in a house that only has one or two book cases, I feel a little ill at ease. My 1200 square foot apartment is holding, at the moment, over 1800 books, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Aren't libraries about the most soothing places in the world to be? How is anyone supposed to decide that they have already obtained the "wonder" from Proust or Trollope or Hawthorne - no need to revisit those? I liked the Apartment Therapy book, and thought it had some good ideas, but I think there's a one-size-fits-all-personalities problem with some of its basic theories. The Domain Book of Intuitive Home Design I think better addresses the differences in personality that make different styles appropriate to different types.

As you unpack, pile like items with like items--all office supples together, all medicines, all paperwork, all craft supplies, all kitchen stuff, etc. Then pick one group of items and ruthlessly go through them... when you see the 300 pens in one place, it's very easy to pick the ones you like and put the rest into the Outbox. By seeing all your things in one group, I found it's easier to let go of a lot more. Then put those items where they should "live".

Another trick I learned was to give yourself permission to "table" or get rid of a project. Maybe your office supplies only occupy a small space but you have too many books--So go through your books and just toss the supplies in a box and leave it! Don't even think about it! You'll know when it will be time to go through it and then everything will be all together waiting for your approval.

Oh I see myself in you..i keep trying to down size and then i buy more things that i must have ...as for your books try this sight www.bookcrossing.com i love it and i feel like i am recycling better. best wishes Majeral512

pyewacket - de-cluttering and the clean and clear aesthetic are not one in the same. 'clutter' consists of things that are not useful in some way either physically, aesthetically or emotionally. sounds like you have a lot of things but little clutter as you seem to love and use just about all you have. having hobbies like cooking and crafts is fantastic and those activities come with lots of things, but if you are using these things and getting inspiration out of them, they are not 'clutter'.

so while you may say you don't understand this site's obsession with de-cluttering, you actually seem to represent the idea very well! you take the time to get rid of your clutter (useless papers, clothes, etc) so you can have the room for the things you love in your house and life which just happens to include many things.

kudos :)