Cluttercore Is Where Sentimentality and Organized Chaos Meet

This more-is-more approach to decorating celebrates collections and meaningful possessions—and is easier to do at home than you might think.

With more than 83 million views on TikTok and 30,000 tags on Instagram, #cluttercore is the latest design trend sweeping the internet. Popularized by Gen Z as an extension of cottagecore, cluttercore is all about filling your space with things that make you happy—even if it means your room looks a little, well, cluttered. An organized mess of sentimental objects, artwork, and collections, if you will. While this bold aesthetic may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s taking off among those who love a more-is-more approach to design and want to make their homes feel more cozy and comforting.

bedroom with teal walls botanical gallery wall
David A. Land

What Is Cluttercore Style?

Most design experts agree that cluttercore is a direct response to years of minimalism and the less-is-more design aesthetic, coupled with the pandemic, which changed our relationships with our homes. With people spending more time at home over the past few years, the desire for a space that is cozy and also highly personal has become more prevalent.

“Surrounding ourselves with special objects that have meaning can [bring] a large sense of comfort. After years of uncertainty and tension brought on by a pandemic, it makes sense that people would gravitate towards elements that feel like an emotional security blanket,” says Amber Dunford, design psychologist and style director at Overstock.

Even though the word "clutter" would send Marie Kondo running for the hills, in the context of cluttercore, it just means "more". Cluttercore is all about artfully displaying the things you love and already own, rather than filling a room with random stuff to achieve a design aesthetic. The only condition? You need to have a lot of it.

white built-in bookshelves close-up
Helen Norman

Cluttercore vs. Maximalism

If the design principles of cluttercore sound familiar, that’s because this design trend shares some similarities with another popular aesthetic—maximalism. Maximalism is a term that was first coined in the 1970s and arose as a response to years of minimalism. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a resurgence in the popularity of maximalism as people increasingly shirk the minimalism movement once again. 

So what’s the difference between these two trending styles? Compared to maximalism, cluttercore has more of a vintage, collected feel, says design expert Beth Martin.

“Maximalism is a movement that asks for over the top, and this is often achieved in bold colors, mixing lots of styles, and any sort of grand gesture you can fit into the space,” she says. “Cluttercore, instead, is more about showing off your massive curated collections.”

Cluttercore is an aesthetic that is focused on individuality and creating a space that tells a story, and unlike maximalism, cluttercore does not rely on themes to bring a space together. Rather, evoking a personal sense of joy is the driving factor.

Childhood mementos, thrifted finds, meaningful souvenirs from travels, and collectible figurines or trinkets are all items that work great for a cluttercore look.

staiway gallery nature pictures
Werner Straube

How to Achieve the Cluttercore Aesthetic

Despite its name, cluttercore is not about a space feeling messy or cluttered. Rather, it’s about displaying the objects that you love and creating personal meaning in your home. A few basic design principles will help you achieve the cluttercore aesthetic and keep your space from looking messy.

1. Keep It Sentimental

Sentimentality is at the heart of cluttercore. Avoid filling your space with items just for the sake of achieving the cluttercore style. Instead, display items that are meaningful and bring joy and comfort to your space.

2. Stay Organized

Yes, cluttercore is all about putting your life on display, but everything should still have its place. Finding the line between cluttercore and messy can be tricky, but organizing your mementos and artwork is a great place to start.

“If you can tell that items belong in a particular place and everything has a home, you have achieved cluttercore,” Martin says. “It doesn't matter how many things you can fit onto your shelf if there is a method to the madness, and really, the more, the better!”

3. Keep Scale in Mind

Regardless of your style, scale is a universal design principle. Keep scale in mind when you decorate shelves, layer prints and textures, and more.

“For example, if you have a printed headboard and you want to introduce more prints via textiles, look for print options that are either larger or smaller in scale to your headboard so they don’t compete with one other,” Dunford says.

music room wood shelves piano plants
Annie Schlechter

4. Create Space for the Eyes to Rest

To prevent a busy space from becoming visually overwhelming, it’s important to create areas for the eyes to rest as you decorate, Dunford says. This can be achieved by creating layers and negative space.

“A simple formula might be to lean a taller piece of art, layer a medium one next, and then place a smaller element in front, such as a plant or a cool found object from an antique shop,” she says.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Start Small

Let’s face it—achieving a cluttercore aesthetic can be time-consuming and expensive when you start from scratch, even if you shop secondhand. Don’t be afraid to start small before you jump headfirst into cluttercore. For example, create a few isolated spaces in your home that embrace cluttercore—like a large bookcase or gallery wall—to try it out and see if you like it.

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