I know what you are thinking: clutter is the big, bad habit to break when it comes to a well-decorated home. Most experts — myself included — will agree that keeping clutter like unnecessary trinkets and old papers around can indeed make a home feel overwhelming to live in, but this particular design trend proves that some clutter can actually be intentional.
Intentional clutter combines a few of my favorite interior design trends. The style plays on the unique, quirkiness of maximalism but with a more mindful, eclectic approach resulting in an interior that feels well thought out and fabulously curated. We all have our favorite things around the house to reflect who we are and what we love, but the thread that pulls it all together is styling those items in a way that is planned and purposeful.
Interior Designer and Content Creator, Kerry Villers, shares her love for the intentional clutter look. "It makes homes feel more individual and gives a sense of a home being created over time, through a collection of loved and cherished pieces," she says. As we build our homes, and find the decor and furnishings that reflect our personal styles, a collection builds.
If "cluttercore" shamelessly celebrates the maximalist, then intentional clutter is the middle-ground design style for those of us who are not quite ready to shut minimalism out completely. Interior designer Joanne Thelwell explains that this trend feels more like a mindful approach to the striking maximalism design aesthetic "because it is all about displaying treasures rather than displaying everything you own". The basis of intentional clutter is that you don't have to fill every single wall; leaving gaps to break up your collections is encouraged.
With this trend, I immediately think of gallery walls and charming coffee table trays, as does Kerry. "Stacked books or trays to place smaller objects like plant pots, decorative boxes, and candles helps create a space that looks more intentional and stops surfaces from becoming messy or disorganized," she says.
When it comes to styling, you want to avoid the build-up of bad clutter and focus on how to positively fill your space. If you are big on decluttering and minimalism and are not sure where to start, it can be best to begin by limiting your intentional clutter design to one space. "In a living room, you could have relatively clear surfaces throughout," says Kerry, "but perhaps add a bookcase behind the sofa with stacked shelves and art hung across the front of the shelves." Envisioning the look?
Another cozy living room idea that leans into the intentional clutter trend: arranging gallery wall moments with all of your favorite photos and art or styling with your books away from your shelves.
You can add accent chairs stacked high with a pile of your favorite books, or a mini arrangement of art on the wall. Just remember, things like the books you are choosing to stack should be your more visually appealing choices instead of a tattered paperback. Joanne recommends saving "chic postcards or pottery from trips away as they will bring back lovely memories whenever you look at them."
In the kitchen, kitchen countertop pedestals are a chic way to highlight your favorite items while still practically storing what you tend to use most often.
Intentional clutter is all about creating moments of visual interest and conversation points throughout the home.
The items you decide to display in your home should bring you joy and lovely memories while having space to breathe and be noticed on their own. "Intentional clutter is not about going out and buying new shiny things to fill your home," says Kerry. "It's about displaying and cherishing items you already own, with a hefty dose of thrifting thrown in for good measure."
