Maximalism Without The Feel of Clutter

Let’s explore how to avoid the cluttered feel when you are a traditional maximalist who loves collecting for your home…

I love stuff! I love pattern! I love color! I am definitely a maximalist when it comes to home design. I do Not like clutter and the messy haphazard chaos when things start to pile up and become disorganized. Frankly, it makes me anxious and tense.

Looking around my house you’ll quickly see that every surface of my home has a treasure, a memento, a little trinket and every wall has art, plates, photos…

Color is everywhere…

Fabrics are usually patterned…

BUT everything is carefully considered!

I want my home to be filled with intentional decor not accidental debris!

For me these antiques, trinkets, and heirlooms hold memory and connection. They remind me of different chapters in my life and the places I’ve been. A home devoid of these treasures would feel very blank to me and uncomfortable.

To balance my maximalist aesthetic and prevent my home from feeling cluttered I follow a few key strategies. Let’s discuss…

Design Tactics

Over the past 5 years I have really honed in on my personal interior style, taking time to understand what I am most drawn to and why then translating that to the spaces in my home. This process of self discovery can be challenging, but the benefits are ample. With a clear view point and articulated values about how you want your home to look, decisions become easier and you feel less intimidated by all the choices out there (more on this here).

You can then use your personal style to work in common threads throughout your spaces. for instance: certain colors, motifs, styles, or patterns. Incorporate some or all of these into each room to create a sense of harmony from room to room and give your home a clear point of view.

It is easier to combat the visual noise of clutter when the design of your home feels so intentional and flowing. It also works as an important filter for everything you bring into your space, making it easier to resist trends and options you are not confident about.

If you are struggling to figure out your personal style, try designing a room around an inspiration piece. Coordinate everything within the room to that inspiration in terms of color, style, proportion, and feeling. This will help you weed out the items that don’t work and then you can move them to a different room or send them on their way.

Thoughtful Styling

These days I am a big proponent of quality over quantity. I’ve gotten very picky about the decor and furnishings I bring into my home. Just because I love it isn’t a good enough reason. I also question if the piece is a stellar example of its type and if it has timeless appeal that will last for years to come. I think of this as editing up front!

With the pieces I do add to my home, I take care to space them strategically and create a rhythm around the room. Spacing can be as simple as using the rule of 3 to group things in odd numbers, while rhythm is about repeating certain elements to make a room feel pulled together.

I am also a big proponent of symmetry, especially when it comes to major focal points like the fireplace mantel. Symmetry helps create balance within a room and contributes to that feeling of rhythm as elements repeat themselves. Symmetry is very comforting and helps combat that feeling of too much.

Prioritizing Organization

Regular tidying up and seasonal purging are key to reducing the visual noise of life’s daily debris. I try to keep certain key areas organized to combat clutter: the entry, kitchen workspaces, bathroom counters, the coffee table, and living room end tables. It’s these zones that tend to collect clutter and mess rather quickly and then that throws off the vibe of the room or interferes with daily habits and work that needs to happen there.

I love to use antique and vintage furniture that work as storage power houses – think large butler’s desks, china cabinets, sideboards, and armoires. Not only do these add character to a room, but they are great hiding places for life’s necessities that you don’t really need to see.

I strongly believe in seasonal purging as I swap out seasonal decor. I just make it part of refreshing and cleaning the house for each season. Sometimes I donate or sell items, while others I pack up in tote boxes and put away for a few months.

If you are a maximalist who also loves collecting for your home but you find yourself stuck decorating a room or finding the right piece, consider signing up for my Collected Room Method course.