Many of the decor and design spreads you see in magazines today display a stripped-back scene with minimal clutter – and rightfully so. They’re styled and shot this way so that you can see the ‘hero’ piece they’re trying to sell or the interior trend they’re trying to showcase. When you’re decorating and living in your home, though, the approach should be a different one altogether.
The most important thing to remember when you start getting jealous of homes you see in magazines, is that your home should reflect who you are; displaying pieces from your life and functioning in a way that suits your lifestyle.
I always so that nobody lives in the mags, so when you’re decorating your space, it’s important to understand that clutter is going to happen – and more importantly – that it’s one of the main elements that gives your home soul. It’s clutter (and a little mess) that separates your abode from feeling like a display home, making it feel loved, lived-in and with oodles of charm that can’t be replicated elsewhere.
Related Read: Bathroom Storage Ideas that Make Function look Fab!
The purpose of this post is to let you know that such clutter (or ‘layers’ as I refer to it) is a vital design element in the home and shouldn’t be taken away (or be something to be embarrassed about). Minimalism might look dreamy, fabulous and oh-so-chic on Pinterest, but it’s rarely a snapshot of how people are actually living in the space.
If you take anything from this post, it’s that displaying your everyday items is a must-do, that your home is pretty amazing despite you not feeling it and that there are ways to keep the clutter, embrace layering and make your pad feel stylish and orderly.
Related Read: 5 Storage Solutions from the new IKEA catalogue.
Below are some lived-in home clutter essentials and how to rock them with style:
1. Books and Magazines
If you’re like me, you have interior mags coming out of your ears! I said in a recent post that I’ll never throw them away and I mean it. Consider stacking magazines under hall tables, or using older books as the base for a good vignette. Keeping them within easy reach means they’re there when you need some interior inspiration.
2. Soft Furnishings
Coming out of winter, you might have oodles of cushions, pillows, throws, rugs and more lying about the place. Choose to feature a few (or buy some new-season pieces) and pop the others in a basket near the bed or sofa. Holding them all together like this still puts them on display but gives them a dedicated space to sit.
3. Remotes and Gadgets
There are some gorgeous bowls and fabric buckets on the market right now that are ideal for housing remotes, mobile phones, chargers and other bits and bob you need within reach. Putting them together like this also lets everyone in the family know where things are – so you never lose the remote when you want to fast-forward a reality show recap!
4. Kitchen Clutter
There’s nothing wrong with displaying the pieces you use in your kitchen. If you have the room to display them, consider pots on hooks, utensils in glass or steel containers or crockery in similar colours grouped together to create a cute vignette.
5. Kids Toys
They’re unavoidable and often left out on the floor. Buying shelves with cute baskets or buckets will help keep the mess at bay – and it’s a good opportunity to teach your kids where different toys go. A labeller will work wonders if you want to separate particular toys into different baskets, too.
Does your home embrace clutter and make it work? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Image Credits: One via Typo, two and three via Bloomingville.
3 Responses
Thank you! I have tried the pared back clean lines look and I just can’t do it! I love my clutter, it tells a story and makes me feel at home. I love baskets and books and little vases and all sorts of cool stuff. I try and keep it in one colour scheme to create little vignettes and I change them often as the mood takes me. Nothing worse than a house that lacks personality, this post has made my day :0)
YES love this post :)))))
I love that you cal it layering instead of clutter, makes it sound so much more deserving of its place in our lives. I admit to drooling over magazine layouts but must admit that when I walk into someones home and it looks like it is straight out of a magazine I cringe because it feels so sterile and un-homely. Clutter, sorry – layering, makes it feel comfortable, real and gives a little insight into the family personality.