The truth about clutter

Clutter has a way of creeping into our homes without us even noticing. But clutter isn't simply about having too much stuff. It's often the result of homes that no longer support the way we live and busy lifestyles that leave little time for organisation. More importantly, clutter can have a significant impact on our wellbeing, increasing stress, making everyday tasks feel harder, and preventing our homes from becoming the calm, restorative spaces they're meant to be.

Why do we create clutter?

More often than not, clutter is a direct result of the way our homes function. If an item comes into the home and there is no naturally logical place to store it, it therefore gets placed somewhere it shouldn't be and either becomes forgotten or creates clutter. Similarly, when we are using something, if it's not easy to put away again, it's likely to become a 'later problem' and add to our counters, floors or furniture.

Of course, it's always helpful to do a clear-out (Marie Kondo style or otherwise), or to be more considerate of what we bring into the home in the first place. However, a lot of items that become clutter are things that we need or that we have an emotional attachment to, which means that doing a clear-out doesn't actually help us deal with the clutter in our homes.

How clutter affects our wellbeing

Even if we're not consciously looking at it, our brain is constantly processing what's around us. Spaces that are cluttered can therefore feel overwhelming, and create a sense of stress and that there are unfinished tasks we need to deal with. This can be particularly harmful to our wellbeing when the clutter is in a space that is meant to offer us a sense of calm and relaxation like a bedroom or lounge.

Clutter can also affect how we function in our home. It creates friction in everyday routines by making simple tasks take longer. Making a simple meal will take a lot more effort than it should when your benches are cluttered, nothing is within reach and you have to get down on your hands and knees to find things in your cupboard. Similarly, leaving the house can feel like a chore when you need to spend extra time looking for your keys, sunglasses and handbag - making you late and flustered. When simple tasks become stressful, it starts to affect how you feel at home.

Lastly, clutter makes cleaning harder. The more items that live on benches, shelves and floors, the longer it takes to clean your home. When cleaning becomes more time-consuming, it's often put off, leading to even more visual clutter and creating a cycle that's difficult to break.

Creating a home that helps reduce clutter

There are three main factors to creating a home that helps you keep your spaces more organised:

The amount of storage

Where possible, you want to maximise the storage in your home. Consider unexpected areas within your home that can house additional storage, like an awkward nook or under your stairs. We love thinking outside the box to create useful storage in places that were otherwise under-utilised. Where possible, we also always try to take the joinery to the ceiling (or as high as possible) so that you create more vertical storage.

The type of storage

Not all storage is created equal. Deep cupboards and corner cupboards can be difficult to access and can result in things getting lost in the back of them. Where possible, we prefer drawers for smaller items that you want to be able to easily see, grab and put away. Larger cupboards for linen, cleaning items and toys should always have adjustable shelving - and as many as possible whilst leaving a 300-400mm gap between them. When it comes to kitchens, integrated mechanisms can make a huge difference to how the space functions. Pull-out corner shelves, pull-out pantries (particularly when you can only fit a <600mm pantry) and pull-out bins can all help to reduce clutter by making everything easy to access and put away.

Where you store things away

There's no point having lots of storage if it's all in the wrong place for where you need it. Think about your particular rituals and habits, then plan your storage around this. For example, in a kitchen we like to group tasks with the storage necessary for it. This might mean ensuring mugs are near your kettle or coffee maker, and pots living near your oven. However, this can be applied to every area of the home. If each room has storage for the things you need within it, placed in a convenient location and it's easy to access, then you will be naturally drawn to put things away instead of creating clutter. The more frequently you use something, the easiest it should be to access and put away.

A well-designed home removes friction. When every item has a considered place and every space has been planned around your lifestyle, keeping your home organised becomes much less of a constant battle. Our aim is to help you create a home where the things you choose to surround yourself with add value to your life, rather than adding to your stress.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post. Have a wonderful week!

Nina xx