Filed under: Your Home, Living Room, Storage & Cleaning, Design, etc, News & Trends, Storage & Organization
Ever thought your could over-clean? it's true: Going overboard with your decluttering can lead to a sterile, impersonal look. Here's how to avoid it.
Does your room look THIS clean? We're sorry. Photo: Monalyn Gracia, Corbis
We turned to interior designer and stylist Patrick Hamilton of Ask Patrick -- a guy who not only knows great style but is well versed in the difference between tidy and barren.
"Knowing when to say when applies to Michelob Ultra, tequila shots... and even decluttering. Don't strip all the life out of your rooms in the pursuit of a more minimal lifestyle," Hamilton tells us, adding that anyone who wants to spend time in a stark white box should stick with a museum membership -- not a hyper-bare home.
The key is to have a strategy for the items that you leave out. Don't just start decluttering and give up halfway with items left out (which could be even worse). Go through your items and figure out what decorative items should stay out all the time. "A room stripped of all 'finishing layer' stuff doesn't say much about you... and makes it look like you just got robbed," Hamilton explains.
But which items warrant a place out in the open? Probably more than you think. "Tighter groupings of more items work better than one lonely item on each and every horizontal or vertical surface," he says. It might feel counterintuitive, trying to declutter while still leaving groupings out in different spots, but Hamilton is right: The groupings will complement the clean space, giving guests both focal points and a place to rest their eyes.
Want more Decor Don'ts?
Decor Don't: Too Much Lighting
Decor Don't: The Toilet Seat Cover
Decor Don't: Matchmaker, Matchmaker