Forget bare walls and clean lines. Give me curiosity and obsession. Give me evidence of a life well lived
I
have a friend whose flat when I visit feels like stepping into someone else’s mind. It’s filled to the absolute brim with stuff: cupboards full of mismatched mugs, chintzy ceramic dogs adorning the shelves, piles of books everywhere and, most impressively, a display case lovingly filled with dozens of Kinder egg toys. The funny thing is, I always leave feeling calmer than I would in any stripped-back, magazine-ready living room.
Clutter gets a bad rap, but in a world where we’re told to optimise and streamline everything, its chaos feels stubbornly human. I think clutter, when done right, can be the clearest sign of a life being well lived. It shows that someone has character, taste and experiences they have grown from. I love seeing homes that look like people actually live in them. The worst feeling is entering someone’s house and being met with completely clear walls and countertops, perfectly matching dinnerware sets and shelves full of pristine, untouched books. It’s like stepping into The Stepford Wives.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are levels to this – and I would draw a distinction between healthy clutter and overconsumption or hoarding. Overconsumption is just buying objects for the sake of it, while hoarding is a mental health condition characterised by a difficulty of getting rid of things. But a clutter connoisseur is defined by a genuine love for the items they own and a curatorial approach to collecting more.
