Anita Roll Murals Rikki Snyders room is great. Very artsy.

bubblyjock Yes! Johnny Grey wrote an illuminating and thoughtful article about "mess" recently, citing some excellent books as well:

http://www.johnnygrey.com/greymatters/2012/12/08/mess-please-i’m-talking-kitchens/

Also, your images # 4 and # 7with the 16-window shelf system - that looks like Expedit, Ikea's versatile shelving unit that can turn a multitude of clutterbug sins tidy at worst, and into art at best!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=expedit

ahemmer I love organized clutter, ut does anyone have ideas for not having to dust ever other day? :(

Toni Sabatino I love this! I made a clutter space for a home by designing some shelves to put some of a client's books and photos and momentos in a nook in a large hallway It really added some charm to an otherwise awkward space and made the client very happy. Although it is totally determined by the clients lifestyle and personality as to whether is a good thing or a bad thing, it is nice to see other people designing with clutter in mind

Hi-Lite Manufacturing Co. "Books are almost never clutter in my worldview; they are essentials of life."

Why are you so amazing?

missfifi The clutter corners are pretty awesome especially with all the books.
I will freely admit that I hate, HATE, opening shelving in kitchens. Yes it looks lovely in pictures, but unless you live to clean or have staff no thank you.

Sierra Jones Some of these rooms are very interesting...The kitchen in photo #2 ....all I can say is PLEASE let me at it to clean. That is way too much clutter for a kitchen counter. I can't even look at the kitchen very long. But then again that could just be my OCD talking...lol

JMittman Designs I can't do it. I am not a minimalist by any means, but these rooms make my eyes blur and my head dizzy.

Lanie Brown I agree, JMittman. I like color and comfy, but clutter makes me anxious.

Sigrid The kitchen pictures and the blue study had what I call clutter --- too much junk covering counter or desk, limiting the amount of usable space.

The last three picture didn't look like clutter at all. They looked like designers had chosen everything, not the home owners. The problem with these types of room is that the minute you put down your iPad, glasses, mug of tea, you've spoiled the vignette.

olldbobbi I believe the white IKEA room is as close as I could come to making this work. Just too much stuff for me!

Inamullah Qadri beautiful arrangements.

JAN MOYER I just freaked out!!!!..... I am now breathing deeply. breathing................. nope. nope. nope.

JmsPdx Oh, my. It actually made my eye twitch to look at all this junk sitting there, begging me to dust it. Clutter like this stresses me. I'd much rather have fewer things out at one time, and rotate my collections.

kateskouros whenever i take notice of the cluttered areas of my home, i instantly make a mental note about how i MUST clean that up. artful or not, they are chaotic and unappealing to me. not to mention a favorite hiding spot for dust mites.
and in a kitchen where food is prepared? no thank you.

normpo I didn't know clutter was a look! I do love it! My friends don't call me Miss Excess for nothing, my house is filled to the brim. I remember one day I bought a nice little picture and it took me a half an hour to shoe horn it in but I did it! There's nothing like excess! I look around at my house and I don't think it's cluttered, I know there's a lot of stuff but there's always room for one more piece! Anything interesting I see I have to have. I love the vintage finds the best. Everything is clean and dust free too! Everybody says, "I would never want to dust in here!" There's never any dust in my house either. Maybe a little.

franki7 Works for me! franki

Don Roberts I'm sure the people who own these rooms are very proud of their clutter, and I'm happy for them. Some of the rooms I thought were beautiful and some I thought were way over the top. I, having a serious allergy to dust and dust mites, only see dust collectors and how much I will have to work to them keep clean and dust free.
Also, I like to see each object I have and admire each object for its individual beauty. When I see a side table or coffee table filled with different things I can't see the beauty of each object. In essence, for me nothing stands out.

judygilpin Organized "clutter" is one thing, but too much stuff is just that.....too much. Don't know how the owner of photo #2 (kitchen) can even use it with so much stuff on the counters. It looks more like a shop that was set up in an old house to merchandise kithchen items. One must know when too much stuff opens up your way to being a hoarder.

patricia beharry I feel so sorry for the people suffering from OCD. My sister had this condition. While she was cleaning her kitchen cabinet knobs with a toothbrush, we were at the beach.

cdg4ahappyhojme Agree with most comments. Sometimes too much is not a good thing. Have to agree the photo of kitchen #2 is over the top, where do you "prep" or roll out cookie dough?? However, that being said I do love texture, fabric and color, and admit to bring home a "little something" from all our travels...so I do try and keep the mementos small, and always a challenge to display in a pleasing manner.

patricia beharry The english language can be used kindly. Instead of JUNK, we can say OBJECTS. Instead of someones possessions being called UGLY, maybe say it does not appeal to your taste.etc.

hollygates Sorry, there is no beautiful clutter.

marsia I think people with immaculate houses are magicians. In between remodeling, raising a family, working, getting out in nature, gardening, plus hobbies and reading, I can not keep up. I am planning on lots and lots of storage. My tastes and inclination tend toward the pictures here (I love them a lot), but my husband likes tidy and a lot more minimal. It is probably a good thing - less out to clean, but I bookmarked many of the above spaces for my art space. Everyone should have a space where they can let loose and bask in their surroundings! Thanks for the lovely ideas!

patricia beharry there is no beautiful minimalist rooms.

cdg4ahappyhojme To each his/her own!! That's why decorating is so much fun and enjoyable. What's important is to be happy in your own space!!

patscats2 When I see all those books all I can think of is dust, expecailly when they are standing upright. I love books don't get me wrong, but they are dust collector's and very large quantities in a room make a house smell musty. I like my books in the closet, free from dust. The older I get the more I hate dust or dusting. Could be my allergies that helped me gain this new respect for not having things that collect dust. I love window treatments but don't have them in some rooms because of the dust collecting ability so I live with just shades.

As for the kitchen with all the counter clutter. Where does one cook in there? I don't care how organized and pretty clutter is, it still makes me nervous and uncomfortable.

Casart Coverings I loved seeing Kristin Nicholas' home (first example) being used again with Rikki Snyder's photograph. It was one of Houzz's most bookmarked ideabooks of 2012 + given other Houzz 2013 awards. Kudos to pulling off organized clutter so creatively.

normpo I just had to copy a bunch of these negative comments people sent in. Some of them are really funny! I love the way they throw the word junk around. Hold on when you read this stuff, LOL:
these rooms make my eyes blur and my head dizzy. clutter makes me anxious. too much junk covering counter or desk, limiting the amount of usable space. I just freaked out!!!!..... I am now breathing deeply. breathing................. nope. nope. nope. And when even organized clutter takes away from the basic normal usage of something .. like a kitchen countertop, I think that's disfunctional. I feel so sorry for the people suffering from OCD. Sorry, there is no beautiful clutter. It makes me claustrophobic. Oh, my. It actually made my eye twitch to look at all this junk sitting there, begging me to dust it. Clutter like this stresses me. I don't care how organized and pretty clutter is, it still makes me nervous and uncomfortable. artful or not, they are chaotic and unappealing to me. not to mention a favorite hiding spot for dust mites. I'm sure the people who own these rooms are very proud of their clutter, and I'm happy for them. Well, it seems a lot of people actually like clutter. But I have to tell you... not me. All of these examples are my idea of a nightmare

jojosail2 All of these examples are my idea of a nightmare, especially because I hate dust and dusting.

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC Agree with the anti-clutterers...makes me very anxious...I hate dirt, dust and mess...but I appreciate that some people don't feel the same way I do. We neatniks are very difficult to live with though, just ask my husband and kids!

I've spent the last few months cleaning out/clearing out/throwing out stuff from closets, drawers, basement and attic.

That being said, most comments are from the anti-clutter faction.

shawnaleeah No. NO. Sorry, but no.

Samantha Schoech I just have to say that NONE of these rooms are dirty, dusty or messy. They are full, they are exuberant and colorful and, yes, busy. But there is no reason to translate this into "dirty." Nobody likes dirty. Dirty is not a decorating "style." Full, lush, busy, textured and interesting are.
I think the problem is the word "clutter." I am defining it as having a lot of meaningful, purposeful and beautiful things, not as simply being a pack-rat or a slob.
I understand many people prefer an emptier or sleeker aesthetic, but I had no idea this one would make people feel physically sick.

Trudi Neiverth I LOVE these spaces as they are all artistic reflections of the person that lives there. I tried to minimalize this year (which I did) but I found after getting rid of maybe 1/2 of my little things, I still had so much more. The problem is, that I'm torn between modern, minimalism, shabby-chic, etc. but I LOVE color as an accent.

I have a lot of "things" that are perhaps non-functional, but as in these pictures, they are here because they are lovely in themselves, or add something to the room or blend in with the accent color. I thought today at a garage sale that there are SO many artistic and/or beautiful things that are out there. Of course you can't buy them all but you can pick & choose carefully and clutter away in an organized way. The "clutter" that I have left after a year of downsizing are very carefully placed. For instance, some of my purses have more artistic value than functional - so they are hung from a hook.

I now can enjoy the color and organized clutter that surrounds me and I feel so happy in my own little creation. I get a lot of complements too!!

Trudijane

ljhall Sibella Court's books 'Etcetera', 'Nomad' and her new one 'Bowerbird' are great references if you want to star collecting and are not sure what's good. She also loves clutter and her spaces look amazing.

The Cavender Diary I was excited to see my OWN living room pictured in this story. I suppose if we removed the pillows and rugs...it would read "less cluttered" ...buy why? I love being surrounded by the things that make me happy and remind me of good times. I'm surprised there wasn't a picture of my bookcase/media console shown....the other side of the room....it would make the heads spin off some of these people.

I'm a collector...minimalism takes way to much effort.

(and my house is not dirty)

me_n3cats2 I love clutter! It reminds me that the natural world is a mess and if God loves clutter it good enough for me. These rooms are beautiful!

Hope Combest Oh my! My OCD kicked in and I felt overwhlemed immediately. I have 'stuff', but these photos are just overwhelming.

Sierra Jones I can't speak for everyone, but I didn't really hear anyone mentioning DIRT. I definetely did not say these rooms are dirty.
Everyone is different. These rooms look like a lot of maintenance (dusting), and some just look plain unlivable. I would not say dirty though.
I think we were all wondering where the clients cook in room #2?
See with a caribbean background, we don't just cook, we COOK. I need lots of free space to put all my ingredients and utensils. FYI my spice jars are mason jars filled to the rim. I could never use those little spice jars. Would be empty in one meal! Lol.

Don Roberts When people have so many treasured items out on display, where does the eye rest? In picture #1 the colors are bold and beautiful, but because there so many patterns, colors and objects, when I saw the picture it was, for me, sensory overload. Picture #2- The kitchen is so crammed full that it seemed impossible to be an actually functioning kitchen. I LOVED the kitchen in Picture #3. Not only were the counters free, but the items they had were beautiful and usable. There is also a picture of a beautiful table made of wood that, in and of itself, is a work of art. On top of the table was a beautiful lamp with a red shade. The problem I saw was that everything on the table just detracted from the beauty of the lamp and made the table base part of the overall cluttered look. It took away from the beauty of the individual items so nothing stood out on its own merits.

Personally I love items that are not only beautiful, but are part of my everyday usage. I have a wonderful collection of hand-thrown pottery that I use consistently. I see beauty in functionality. I'm not a minimalist, but I also don't like clutter. When I travel I look for that one thing that makes a statement and that becomes my memory of the trip. I am highly allergic to dust, as I posted earlier, so books are kept in cabinets and have been scaled back to only those I absolutely love. Thank God for my Kindle Fire.

robinsoquel Oh Samantha! Thank you so much for allowing me to love my cluttered but clean living room. I was starting to doubt myself!

angela_flute52689 I like the cherries, the white sofa, the one above the white sofa, and the last one - because they're not cluttery.

marsia If you don't like clutter, why read this article? Why post unhelpful negative comments? I don't care for a number of styles of decorating, but would never think of insulting the person who took the time to put together a webpage for other people who do like those styles. Who cares if I don't like something, especially if I am rude enough to post a potentially insulting comment that does not add to the discussion? Go find a style you do like and add a comment that adds something positive to the world!

koolbeanzzzz Double "thumbs up" to commenter "Marsia." Wholeheartedly, agree!

JmsPdx I find it funny that at the bottom of this article, Houzz has invited me to read "More in DEcluttering." Evidently, even Houzz doesn't care for clutter. ;)

marsia Dear Sierra Jones,

Not every "I don't like this" type of comment is rude, and I do see your point, but some clearly are. In another article this week where the home featured was one person's house being highlighted, someone called the home owner a "hoarder" (the comment was later deleted) when the style was like the style featured on this page. People are posting things here saying they feel ill looking at these pictures. I don't imagine these types of comments make the homeowner (who graciously posted or agreed to have posted pictures of their house) feel very good about sharing their house with the world. I am in the middle of an extensive remodel that is heavily Houzz-inspired. I may decide not to post photos of the finished product if I keep seeing these type of comments that are clearly just negative off the cuff judgements. (I don't imagine you would be very fond of me if I told you your house made me ill to look at.) I hope this site does not become a place where people's remodeling projects (that can take years of planning and saving up for) routinely get shot down just because people think its fun to take pot shots at other people's creative endeavors.

Thank you for your perspective. I appreciate you challenging my point of view. I do agree that it is everyone's right to dislike something and to express that, but it could be done with sensitivity to the person whose home it is. It was a little obnoxious of me to say to go find something you like and add something positive to the world.

Sigrid I think we read the article for a view on a different style, what was interesting to me was that the addition of spaces that were dysfunctional (how would you cook in Kitchen #1, which appeared to have zero counter space?) made people far more critical of the overall look, than they might have been in the more designery spaces (the last 2) had been shown first.

I think the dirty comments come from our experience of seeing this stuff in other people's houses and our own less than diligent dusting.

I thought it was a great article, but it convinced me that I want to avoid the decorating style, because it is so hard to get right. Most of the pictures here looked like clutter --- too much stuff detracting from the ability to appreciate anything or to use the room.

Svietka Rivilis @marsia
i really really agree with u on this. I m a designer and I live in Israel. We have a most popular mag here and if u think ppl on here r mean sometimes--oooh boy, u would cry from reading comments in that mag-which is exactly why i would be too scared to even try to post pics on there.
Ppl forget-it is all about YOUR living space-we r not decorating for mags, nor for readers-we want to live in spaces that make us happy-not critics from far away places that dont even know us.
I m not a minimalist-some pics on here i loved, some less-but what is great is that they r all of real houses and real ppl. We can find our own styles by looking at others-it helps us to finalize and summon up our own tastes and likes-so i say: relax ppl, enjoy looking at various tastes and designs and unless asked for an opinion-keep it to yourself(unless of course it is a compliment-than run to share it:))
here is a pic of my own little collection-and i dont care if u ppl like it or dont-i looove it:)

CellularWindowShades.com I offer another perspective. Being the product of a parent that grew up with very little and grandparents that grew up during the depression, I had/have a lot of stuff. My mom like to shop because she could. At one time I thought it was all important.

Now I've lost a parent, and have another in a nursing home, we had to clean out my childhood home. Some of the stuff I used to think was important has been donated and some replaced by things that have even more sentimental value due to family history.

I think there is potential for a healthy balance. I have a mobile infant and he is helping me pare down as well. I couldn't part with everything, but I think there is an art to displaying what you keep and some gracefulness in living with less.

drakelol My sense of clutter might be classified as "antiquarian anti-minimalism". I find that I like places that have "accumulated artistically" rather than having been "decorated".

Jean Orr to much for me! I did like the "Cherries" kitchen and the white sofa pic

JMittman Designs So it appears to be safe to come back out now. Was afraid things were going to start flying around. :-)

Sierra Jones You just have to very conformed in what you say.
@Jean : Houzz will erase your comment. It is insulting to say 'too much for me'! You have to be very POSITIVE here...

smasko I can tell by looking at these pictures...I am and I guess will always be a clutter-free person...a minimalist...that's how my house is...and I love it. The colors are beautiful though!!

kennedytarheel I tried to put myself into the rooms pictured, trying to experience life as each of these home owners experience their life. What I sense is that all of the owners of the homes pictured are passionate people: they create, enjoy, live, and explore without fear. I also suspect that they all change things around when the mood strikes them, or when their "juices" are flowing, so that life is never dull or routine. I ended up feeling rather jealous of these homeowners, wishing that I too could go for broke just like they do. Just a thought.

tarainholland Clutter??!! These rooms aren't cluttered; they're enhanced with curated collections! I'll take these spaces jam-packed with personality and individuality over a minimalist cookie-cutter room any day of the week. A home should reflect its owner's personality - which usually means unique items collected while traveling or that have family history or sentimental value.

abigail8888 Less Is A Bore

halleycomet I was soooooo happy that CAVANDER DIARY chimed in--and showed his AMAZING cabinets! Now I HATE Texas but I would jaunt off there on my bike in a heartbeat if I could get a House Tour of THAT house!!!! Spent way toooo many hours poring over that site!

And anyone ELSE notice that you rarely heard the world "clutter" used the way it is today up until oh maybe 5 years ago? And suddenly anyone with any thing more than an iPad on their bedside table was a "Hoarder"? Also consider--some of these people are making what used to be known as "A virtue of necessity" in having very little space and having the normal complement of "stuff". My kitchen is absurd and small so of course we have "stuff"--kitchen stuff!--visible. Now I know that in some peoples views this is a SIN but for me--I need to be able to actually get to the things I use EVERYDAY. I would say that the chances are good that the adorable "Cherries" kitchen--looks like Mary Engelbreit did the deco there!--is about the size of a mailbox--and yet look at how cute it is--and someone presumably COOKS in there! Ditto the open shelf kitchen--in a real kitchen that small regular closed cabinets might be a waste of space and claustrophobic besides.

I try and picture myself "living" in a lot of the pics I see of various homes and I have to say that I sometimes wonder--Where do these people KEEP THEIR STUFF? The things they NEED? Why hide it?

As for the "Keep the books in the CLOSET"???? Seriously? Why not just get a Kindle and down load them? Then you could donate them to a homeless shelter or a re-use store.

I can't see bashing anyone for their choices--I don't agree with all of them and the minimal look is def NOT my "thing" but really---making comments about an article that you CHOSE to read like--"Makes me ill"---did your mother not teach you better manners than THAT?

cdg4ahappyhojme Some people like "living" with books, keeping their favorites to read again. I do. Remember when there was always a "library" in homes of the past? I just keep the books I really love and pass on the rest. But to each his/her own. AND I do own a kindle. It helps, but some how just not the same. My book club gals agree. (: