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Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about… (insert The Chicks music here)? Your house is a living space not a storage space, and having too much clutter around can be detrimental to health…really!
A decluttered home is a decluttered mind. The open airy spaces are easier to clean, easier to organize, and quite frankly just better to look at. That’s not to say that you need to throw out everything you own, or that you need to have plain, pattern-less accessories. Quite the opposite actually. Patterns and sentiment are the key to making a house feel like a home. You live there and it goes without saying that you will accumulate stuff, it’s what we decide to do with that stuff that makes a difference. Here are some tips to make a big impact with a little bit.
When you picture a high-end home what is the first thing that comes to mind? The size right, those homes look massive! Second is probably the color palette, neutral is very common but I love the daring who choose bold & rich colors. Then you probably notice all the clutter, or more accurately the lack there of! But nobody wants to live in a sterile box of white; we crave the warmth of color, the layers of texture, and the character that comes from personal artifacts of living our lives. So, let’s do it, let’s get started on your space:
First, decide on your color palette. Whether you decide to go neutral or jewel toned try to limit the number of colors to no more than 4, this includes the primary and accent colors. It’s helpful to stick with the 60-30-10 rule: 60% of the space should be your dominant color, 30% will be your secondary color, and 10% will be made up of your accent color(s). Inspiration can be pulled from a rug, a photo, a piece of art, or a piece of furniture that you want to incorporate. Pull the most appealing colors from your inspiration source and work from there.
Next, staple furniture pieces. It’s best to work largest to smallest to eliminate bringing too many pieces into the space. Start with the largest pieces in a room, think: sofas, bed + dresser, dining table… whichever room you are working on begin with the biggest piece that serves the greatest function. From there add the supporting pieces: accent chairs, consoles, coffee tables, etc. These are still going to be rather big pieces that will serve a secondary purpose, like the supporting cast if you will. A good tip to making a space feel larger is to leave the windows fronts open from major furniture pieces. The full view of the window adds a lovely touch of airiness. You can decide what pieces will be necessary and what won’t as you move through the space.
It is very important during this step to determine the flow of your space. How is it going to be use? Who is going to be using it? There is no harm in letting the creativity flow as you are setting up a space, but believe me having a plan – even a rough draft- of how you want the space & the pieces to function will save you loads of time, money, and manual labor!
By the way, if you need help with this, I’m happy to assist...
Finally, we add the details. This is typically where people go overboard trying to build an aesthetic and they end up with clutter on every available surface. Do not feel obligated to add an accent piece if it serves no function other than an additional surface to put stuff on. For example – adding a little side table for the sole purpose of displaying tchotchke pieces that you will have to dust around every week. Don’t do it. Patterned textiles can give a full appearance without filling a space with stuff, but be conscious not to overload the space with too many patterns. The 2/3rd rule helps here (is it really a rule, I don’t know?) The key elements here are curtains, throw pillows, and the rug – 2 of the 3 will be patterned, and the other solid. You can also decide 2 of the 3 to be solid with 1 pattern which is why I don’t really believe it’s a rule, but the major take away is do not make all 3 patterned!
My living room has solid curtains with a mix of solid + pattern pillows, and a patterned rug. However, my kitchen, which is mostly solid cabinets + walls, has patterned curtains + anti-fatigue runners. Another option would be monochromatic texture as opposed to patterns. For example, solid-colored pillows but with a waffle texture, weaved curtains with raw hems, or some other fun material that speaks to you. Remember pattern doesn’t always mean color, so play with it and make it your own.
Before we get to the tabletop clutter that you are itching to arrange – lets talk vertical space. It’s likely that you picked your wall color because you actually enjoy the color, so don’t rush to cover it up with stuff, but feature it as its own work of art. Afterall it’s probably functioning as the primary color of the room that you based your entire palette on. Let it be seen! However, if you do have some wall space you would like to utilize this is your opportunity to incorporate the personal artifacts in a high-end way. Frame up some family photos in a simple frame but include the mat around the picture – it will instantly make it look better. If you don’t want to hang them, consider a floating shelf and layer various sized frames and mirrors to give a bright, clean look while displaying your loved ones and/or their artwork. We are talking wide open spaces here; did you think I forgot about mirrors?? If there is one piece of advice I will always, always give you it’s “yes to a mirror”.
Okay, we’re here. We’ve arrived at the incorporation of table top décor, the place where you can make or break the whole design. I admit I am guilty of this myself at times – which is why I am usually changing out my pieces so often trying to find the right mood. Let me now start with a phrase you have heard a thousand times before, and is pretty much the foundation of this piece: Less Is More! Negative space is a design in itself, and it’s a beautiful one. But I know you are going to add some items, because of course it looks so good when you, do so let’s go over some… you guessed it…Rules:
The rule of 3. I’m sure you’ve all heard of it. Objects look better in groups, and an odd number actually makes the space look more complete. I bet some people’s OCD is waking up right now after reading that! I promise it’s good advice. The key to the rule of 3 is staggering heights, you want elevation change in your arrangement to keep the eye flowing. Now before you think “she just told me to add at least 3 THINGS in an article about having less THINGS??” I want you to choose your THINGS with intention.
Does it mean something to you? Is it reminiscent of a positive memory, place, or person? Give it the ol’ Marie Kondo and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it doesn’t why are you holding on to it, and more importantly why would you want to have it on display?
Does it serve a function? Can this piece be used in an alternate way and still look good? It doesn’t necessarily have to be a family heirloom; you can have things simply because you like them (that’s joy) but is it useful? The wood bowl that used to be a candle, now it can catch your keys. That cute vessel you saw at TJ or the farmer’s market – maybe you can add some height by sticking a twig or bundle of fresh flowers in it. Again, think about the reason you like each item you select for display, much like the case of the wall color, it’s probably something that looked good to you – so don’t add so many more things around it that the piece gets lost in the clutter.
If you are at a loss for things that meet these criteria but you REALLY feel like you need more, consider books + plants as the ultimate “fillers”. Books can provide color, texture, and elevation by stacking and layering. Plants can offer the same attributes, plus you can have fun with the pots, they filter the air in your house, and they just make people happy.
Let’s review “the rules”:
1) Color Palette: no more than 4
2) Spatial Planning: start with size & function, largest to smallest
3) Add the details: less is more, patterns are our friends, negative space is design
4) Choose your pieces with Intention
I hope you found this to be helpful as you consider your design projects. We’ve all had a bit more time at home over the last few years, and if you’re anything like me you’ve probably realized you just might have more Stuff than you actually need. Instead of organizing your clutter, clear it out. It’s not good for your design, and it’s not good for your soul.
If there are any topics you are interested in, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Until next time friends!
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