It’s always fun to add your own personal touches to your home, but keep adding them and eventually your space will be cluttered. Clutter is not aesthetically pleasing and can often times be overwhelming for most people. In fact, almost everyone I’ve talked to—including myself—believes that when they’re surrounded by clutter their mood is affected negatively. Some people have told me cluttered space tends to bring out anxiety, stress, and the feeling of being unable to work. In the past, I myself have cluttered up spaces because all of my possessions added up rather quickly; everything looked out of place. Nowadays, I live in a completely clutter-free zone; I have to admit, the latter is the much more relaxed, eye-catching option.
So that begs the question: how can you add your personality into the décor of a small space without cluttering it up? It sounds almost impossible! However, yes, it can be done. You can decorate a small space without sticking to a total minimalist, soulless theme. Here’s how.
Organizers
Organizers are your best friend when it comes to decluttering a small space while keeping your personal flare alive. Organizers keep everything nice, orderly, and aesthetic. They create the illusion of a decoration while serving as a way to make sure all of your things are in check—that’s the best part, they’re multi-purpose! I personally love makeup stands because it stops me from leaving makeup lying around everywhere, keeps it organized, and also looks so pretty atop my desk and bureau. It represents the girly side of me and stops me from cluttering up my space. You can organize anything you want—makeup, crystals, pens, glasses, jewelry—it doesn’t matter! Whatever’s in that organizer will give a glimpse into who you are. Don’t be afraid to get creative, have fun with it!
Keep only the essentials
Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I know what it’s like to keep adding small objects or trinkets to a space because of how adorable or “so me” I think they are, only to have a jumbled, disorganized mess in the end. Growing up, I kept all of the little trinkets or small pictures I’d received over the years and displayed all of them on the shelves in my room. When I moved out, I realized that I didn’t actually need almost any of those things, I’d never even thought about them when they were right in front of me.
Lay out all of the things you need and try to decorate your small space from there. For example, the things I did not want to part with were all of my Hello Kitty’s, a few WWE action figures, and a couple of books—that was it. I had so many other things I could’ve laid out that I didn’t because it wouldn’t of made any sense with the new vibe I was going for. I took all of the things I knew I absolutely needed or wanted on display and placed them throughout my new home accordingly. All of the other trinkets or pictures I didn’t want to trash I packed away and put them in the basement. (A basement that is organized impeccably, I might add.) After you’ve picked out the essentials, if you have other things you don’t want to part with, organize them and put them away somewhere! You don’t have to get rid of everything, just don’t keep it on display. Fewer visible decorations doesn’t equate to a boring space.
Stick to one decoration
You may have a minimal aesthetic and everything organized flawlessly but find your space is still missing something. If that’s the case, pick out one decoration of your choosing and add it to your space (the smaller the better). This will add a pop of personality and avoid taking up a lot of room!
Now that I’ve taken you through ways to decorate without cluttering up your space, here are some decoration ideas to get you started!
- Pen/pencil holders: for obvious reasons, this stops you from leaving discarded pens atop random surfaces. The best part is you can pick out the design and color of your holder to your liking. It doesn’t have to be bland—you can still make it fun!
- Small plates/trays: trays look nice and also help you keep specific things in one place. For example, if you have crystals you want to stay together, rather than placing them on top of something, place them in a small tray and organize them to your liking! Like the pen holder, you can also pick out the design you want!
- Hack: if you’re unable to afford a tray or don’t want to spend the money, take a really small (clean!) kitchen plate and place your objects on top of it! I did this for my makeup sponges because I kept running out of room for them in my makeup stand. This stops them from dirtying my desk, and also makes them look organized, exactly where they should be.
- Stationery: notepads or notebooks and a single pen are a great way to add decor without clutter. Not only do they serve a purpose, they look pretty, too. Keeping some sort of stationery on a space such as your desk will help avoid leaving any scraps of paper lying around. I personally rely on a small noteboook and notepad.
- Makeup stands: as I mentioned, these are my absolute favorite organizers. I love how organized they keep my makeup, and they look stunning atop my surfaces. Use a makeup stand if you have a lot of makeup you want to keep organized, they’re usually very affordable! Start small and eventually graduate to a bigger one to get started!
The makeup stand on my office desk/vanity. I love how it keeps my makeup organized and within reach, while also adding a nice girly touch to my space.
- Storage containers: these are your BFF. If you find you need more things within reach than you can place in your space, use a storage container and place it underneath something or in a closet. I have a lot of random objects I like to keep around my desk because it’s where I take pictures for the blog, but instead of letting them clutter up my desk, I place them in a storage container underneath my desk. The container is practically invisible, but leaves the things I need at my fingertips.
- Neat piles: neat piles are key for keeping the surface of a small space such clutter free. If you don’t have a tray to put your decorations on top of, keep them organized in a neat pile. This looks great with things such as multiple books. A single, neat pile will make everything aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
For more on how to decorate without breaking the bank, check out this article here!
