People who have stuff but it looks stylish

[GordonBrockman]

Rather than a load of clutter on a shelf, what’s the secret to it looking good?

We have some really nice things but our house never looks stylish. It either looks bare or cluttered, don’t seem to be able to get the balance right.

I’ve been to two friend’s houses this week and got serious envy. It’s not that either their house or stuff is any nicer than ours, they just seem to have style that I don’t.

Only thing I can pinpoint is that both their houses were extremely clean and tidy overall but mine’s not exactly a midden

Any tips?

I think if you have things in collections, and similar colour schemes, might help it look more together. Our stuff isn’t, so it just looks like clutter.

ASk one of them to rearrange your stuff?

Grouping items works well, as does threes and fives, but honestly I think its a natural ability.

Try taking some photos of your house. It helps you spot what's not working somehow.

Ours is just clutter too but my mum has the knack for it. They have very little on their shelves, they have quite a few plants and my mum follows the 3s and 5s rule. Shelves crammed full of books I find particularly bad for visual clutter.

I feel exactly the same. But I think at the end of the day, if you love your 'things' and enjoy having them out and seeing them on display then does it really matter if it doesn't look stylish? (Stubbornly keeps a ceramic bunny rabbit on the mantelpiece )

Also, it probably looks more stylish than you think... i bet if you surveyed your friends they'd say your house looks lovely.

My best friend is so super stylish and her home looks amazing, but it's still not how I would have my home. My home is 'me' and that includes slightly cluttered mantelpiece and radiator shelf!

I do try though to rotate things I have out instead of everything out at once, and am constantly rearranging what's on display. Like you though, still don't feel it looks quite right

Yes, I so know what you mean! My friend has sooo much stuff in her house, but it always looks fantastic and stylish, but if I dare to try and swerve off our very plain colour scheme it just looks 'busy'!

If you like the stuff and it looks like it's there on purpose it will look good. A heap of half finished colouring-in books, the gas bill and a dead plant are always going to look depressing... in your own house you know that some of the stuff is just dumped but you maybe give your friend a free pass since you don't know that the whatever-it-is just got out there "temporarily ".

I think in terms of ornaments, it helps also if they are not too small.

I had similar experience with my house. My friend has a lot of stuff but looks stylish until one day I asked her to help me to sought out and helped me with the paint colours as well since then everything looks stylish and tidy and happy with my home. May be you can ask your friend for tips