How to make ‘visual clutter’ more effective….
Now I know some of you like your visual clutter, and think that I, and every other home organiser are trying to make you get rid of it. You might be right about them, but not about me. Honest!
If you’ve ever been to my house, or if you saw the recent Sunday Times article on my book, you’ll know that pretty much everything is put away and surfaces are clean and clear most of the time. What I’d like to emphasise is that it looks that way because I have what I call a ‘tidy visual style’. I’m not quite one of those modern minimalists, who are all chrome finishes and into loft living, but I do like lots of space and ‘visual peace’. That’s because objects ‘talk to me’ and I don’t like it if my environment becomes too full of their voices, nagging me about every little thing.
But I’m very aware that some people actually like that ‘friendly chatter’ and that it makes them feel at home and as though the space is ‘cozy’ as a result of having lots of objects on display. My philosophy is, that if it makes you happy, and doesn’t hamper you, then it’s perfectly fine to have a disordered looking house which is choc full of stuff you find interesting. But only if it makes you happy.
If you like ‘visual clutter’ then you’re probably one of those people who are blessed enough to be visually literate. That doesn’t mean that your house will automatically look good though. You’d think it would but actually, there is a big trap that those who like visual ‘stuff’ around them can easily fall into. That trap is thinking that ‘more is better’ and that ‘unsorted is OK’.
If you need visual inspiration, then you won’t want to put everything away all the time. That doesn’t mean that you have to be undiscerning. You’re correct about the way in which your brain subconsciously finds inspiration and influences in objects and pictures around you, so play it smart and try to use that to your advantage. If you’re working on some sort of visual project over an extended period of time, try leaving out only sketches etc that are pertinent to that project and consider changing and renewing them as the project evolves. If you aren’t, then try not to make decisions about your visual clutter by default. If you have a theme, or even just a colour palate which you adhere to, then even an overstuffed home can look bohemian, elegant and interesting. Get rid of anything else, by putting it away for now.
If you take this approach, you might find yourself being prompted to be more targeted in your creativity or better able to relax in a home that feels as though it has some harmony and an organising principle about it. Take a small risk and try it out for yourself!
