the uncluttered design style

i have been enjoying looking through the modern designs submitted from around the world to trendir magazine.  their interiors are beautifully uncluttered.  the colors, the lines of the furnishings, the open spaces make stunning statements.  the clean ordered rooms look inviting – if i sit there awhile, my life will become clean, calm, disciplined, ordered too…..  or because i live like this, you can all see that i am clean, calm, ordered, disciplined…..

Interior Design Inspiration from Paola Lenti - transparent living room

but don’t you also wonder if anyone really lives there?  where is the random joy of life, where are the books, the children’s toys, the evidence of the last drinks and snacks while enjoying the stunning view? at least a laptop….

but i have noticed that people who focus on just a few things, allow just a few things to be predominant in their lives, their time, their living spaces, their work space, are calmer people, focused in their thoughts and goals and are usually very productive.  

are they happy?  that depends on their goals.  if order, calm, discipline, squeaky clean spaces and lack of clutter are the goal, you will never get there and will have a rather joyless life.  but if your goal is to be productive, to continue to focus on areas in your life that are really accomplishing something, building, changing things, changing people for the better, leaving something for the next generation, then the order, calm and discipline fall into place and there is also a wonderful exuberance to life.

“every man dies – not every man really lives.”  

william ross wallace, american poet, 1819-1881

the cluttered design style

what’s behind it?

possibility #1 – a hectic life, jumbled plans and ideas, time and thoughts unorganised, undisciplined (and confused?)

possibility #2 – a love of many things, people, places, interests, travel, collections. full rooms and closets, walls and floors.  all the colors, many details, often tired but happy (?).

possibility #3 — accumulated functional clutter, not really a style, but the result of the practical need to keep the books and papers, tools and equipment that makes things happen, that will or might be needed.  the lack of time to clean, declutter or organize (or the lack of care to?…..) 

possibility #4 – a combination of the above?

(also see the uncluttered sytle, next post……)