Tchotchkes: Style and Design Tips to Prevent Clutter
A well-designed home can serve as your most sacred sanctuary, but clutter adds chaos to this all-important space. In fact, studies show that being in a physical space of disorganization— even for those who insist that theirs is an “organized chaos”—makes finding a centered, worry free headspace much more difficult to come by. The trap of clutter is easy to fall into and stay in, since it is an issue often arising from many sources, not all of which are easy to identify. Tchotchkes, haphazard piles of mail or other paperwork, and dirty clothes that constantly find their way to the bathroom floor and stay there are just a few examples of clutter sources. Fortunately, clutter can be remedied, and you can prevent it from resurfacing by following through on a few specific design strategies that will make the experience of being at home a serene and centering one again.
If you’re currently struggling with a case of the clutters, you’ll need to purge before implementing design principles to maintain a well functioning, clutter free home, and there’s never been a better time to donate the stuff that is adding stress to your space to someone whose life would be enriched by the items. Even after the current pandemic subsides, there will always be those less fortunate, so develop a mindset that makes donation a consistent way of life. At this stage of decluttering, it’s also important to check your mindset. Make sure you’re living within your means in terms of home size. That means, if your kids’ toy chest is overflowing, the next move is not to turn your dining room into an expanded play area. You need to donate the toys they don’t often use. The same principle goes for closets that are bursting with clothes, some of which you’ve never even worn, and kitchen countertops already full of culinary gadgets.
Once you have purged your home of the inessentials, it’s time to implement design strategies to help you maintain your clutter free lifestyle. Three design concepts top the list:
1.) A place for everything, and everything in its place. This tried and true wisdom has been around seemingly forever for very good reason—it works. An additional suggestion in this category is to employ a labeling system. If you have desk drawer labeled specifically for paper clips, staplers, and tape, you’ll be much less likely to fill it with unread mail that will loom in the background of your mind until it becomes inconsequential and finds its way into the garbage, unread. Yes, we’ve been there, too.
2.) Design-in your disorganization. While it’s important to have a place for everything to use on a regular basis the fact is that we often need to use random items that don’t neatly fit into a category that could be labeled. For that reason, it’s important not to underestimate the power of the junk drawer, a junk box, or a junk shelf. Just make sure that, wherever you store those ineffable items, they’re out of sight and consequently out of mind.
3.) Learn to value smaller keepsakes and shop conscientiously. A clutter-free home doesn’t necessitate a lack of decoration or comfort. but, having minimized unnecessary items around your home will naturally leave you in a more present mindset—one that values experiential memories over things and quality over quantity.
Making more conscious purchases can have additional benefits that go beyond preventing clutter, since, when you can only purchase one item, you’ll become aware of both its quality and its source. For example, would you rather buy a generic candle from Walmart on an impulse or round up a group of friends to visit a DIY candle bar in your area and create a personalized, custom-scented candle? Which candle would bring joy in the moment you light it at home? Supporting local businesses not only contributes to conscientious purchases but also makes you feel better about how you’re creating your space and your life. Taken together, the design principles outlined here will create a clutter-free home, one in which you'll be able to experience genuine and previously-inaccessible peace of mind.
