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What is cluttercore? The anti-minimalist trend taking over social media
Finally, a trend that embraces abundance, imperfection, and a bit of mess.
Finally, permission to be a bit messy. Cluttercore is a new craze that embraces organised chaos, and encourages us to fill our homes with an abundance of mismatched but meaningful objects.
While clutter has been around since the dawn of things, cluttercore has emerged from the broader cottagecore trend, the ramshackle country pile aesthetic taking over social media for the past year. Cluttercore is more sentimental in expression, advocating for homely interiors that cocoon us in happy moments.
Cluttercore encourages us to find those objects that spark joy – much in the way that Marie Kondo taught us to – but then to put them all on display at once. Collecting the memories, the talking points, the treasured trinkets and just letting them be.
Cluttercore videos on TikTok have accrued more than 17 million views, showing rooms filled with plants, piles of well-read books, clothing draped nonchalantly, and vintage paraphernalia such as record players, vinyl, and collectibles. Objects are lovingly arranged, not discarded with a lack of care.
The result is a happy, lived-in mess that is the antithesis of the pristine white rooms and the near-unachievable levels of organisation you see on Instagram.
While some people are more exuberant in their interpretation of cluttercore, mixing styles, and going heavy on colour and pattern, some prefer a neutral and pared-back room but filled with lots of things. The joy of cluttercore is that its only defining characteristic is the use of lots of meaningful objects. The rest is down to personal taste.
Here are 12 cluttercore ideas to get you started...
Fairy Curtain Light
Urban Outfitters, £35
Cosiness is key to this trend, achieved not only through piles of cushions and soft textiles, but through warm lighting too. Fairy lights provide a cosy soft glow and have enough of a kitsch feel to belong in the cluttercore arsenal.
Gold & Glass Multi Photo Frame
Oliver Bonas, £28
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Cluttercore advocates surrounding ourselves with treasured memories, in the form of photos (Instagram doesn't count,) and sentimental keepsakes such as concert tickets. Use them in mismatched photo frames or to create photo walls.
House Beautiful Geo Throw
Homebase, £29
Print and pattern form a large part of cluttercore, with a focus on clashing colours and styles. Throws or cushions with intricate motifs and an unexpected colour palette can be piled high with abandon.
Malachite Linen Shade
Wolf & Badger, £155
An important part of this trend is taking joy from every object in your home, which means no afterthoughts or disappear-into-the-background basics. Even lamp shades can be selected to spark joy.
The Kiss Maxi Poster
Urban Outfitters, £10
As you can imagine, blank walls are not cluttercore compliant. This trend calls for a busy gallery wall filled with your favourite art, Polaroid photos, a map of the world marked with your dream destinations – all in mismatched frames.
The Little Botanical Plant Shelfie Set
John Lewis, £50
Plants, plants, and more plants. Have a look at the #cluttercore content across TikTok or Instagram, and you'll see that indoor plants are a vital component – lined up on a windowsill, grouped in a corner of the room and trailing from shelves.
Crosley Record Crate
Urban Outfitters, £35
There are strong vintage references in cluttercore, as a lot of treasured objects are unearthed in second hand stores, or passed down through generations. Vinyl is a particularly popular iteration, allowing you to showcase your musical tastes.
Luna Cotton Wall Hanging
Oliver Bonas, £39.50
Once you've filled your gallery wall with art and photos, the logical cluttercore finishing touch is a (preferably handmade) multi-coloured, multi-textured wall hanging. Or two.
BLOH Vibes Candle
Wolf & Badger, £25
Cluttercore chooses talking points over everyday objects. Why have a plain pillar candle when you can have a 3D marble-effect blush-toned rectangular candle with two wicks?
Fleur Lipstick Holder
Anthropologie, £30
A key characteristic of cluttercore is displaying objects that would ordinarily be tidied away in boxes and drawers. This means a lot of jewellery stands piled high with treasures and trinkets, display dishes filled with foreign coins from your travels, or even a lipstick holder...
Matchbox Seat Pads
Graham & Green, £35
Every corner, surface and unused inch in your room is a cluttercore opportunity. Even the humble desk chair is not safe from the draw of multicoloured seat pads.
Camille Gressier Tiger Temple Star Cushion
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