As children, we really knew how to decorate. Travel back in time to your childhood bedroom and gaze at those four walls: you might find a brooding Brad Pitt teen magazine clipping (or 10), posters of Radiohead album covers, and the sweetest Sanrio accessories with talismanic power. to cause joy. Just me? Probably not. Her younger self’s design choices told visitors exactly what she liked, where she’d been, and what she valued. But somewhere along the way, we all start decorating for other people, or to match the perfect images we see online and in magazines: minimalist white-on-beige palaces with no carefully curated element out of place.
But maybe it doesn’t have to be that way. (And, really, who lives like that?) Enter cluttercore, a social media-fueled design sensibility that frees you to curate your home with the enthusiasm and freedom you had as a teenager by simply showing off what you love, no matter what. how much. those items can match the color palette of the room. The cluttered environment is very personal, so a Raiders fan might fill a wall with framed team photos and memorabilia. on black and silver wallpaper, because fandom is all about layers. That empty living room table needs a mini shrine to Harry Styles with shadow boxes of concert ticket stubs. And instead of just throwing away the wine cork, you can write the date and initials of when and with whom the bottle was shared, and start a collection of beautiful keepsakes displayed on a bowl. The aesthetic is a bit unexpected, very cheesy, and generally a great conversation starter.
Cluttercore, like much else on social media, has confusing origins (some claim it started on Tumblr or Twitter), but TikTok has seen the biggest growth in the trend, with #disorder accumulating more than 92 million searches. Achieving the aesthetic is all about embracing your own authentic sense of what works in your space and what you love. It’s often based on nostalgia, because those Linkin Park posters that got you excited back then can still do exactly that today.
Achieving the cluttered space of your dreams can be simple: just dust and display the things that still bring you joy but are currently stored in the garage. If your taste has changed since your teens, fear not. These seven shops specializing in eclectic collections will help you kickstart your best messy life. After all, who wouldn’t want to live more authentically in 2023?
