Cluttercore Decor: 13 Cozy Maximalist Ideas for People Who Love Their Stuff

Cluttercore decor is the happy opposite of the minimalist look, and it is having a real moment. On October 24, Yahoo ran a story calling cluttercore the maximalist trend you should really consider, and it fits right in with the wave of nostalgia sweeping home design this fall. The idea is simple: instead of hiding the things you love, you show them off on purpose. Plates, teacups, tins, books, baskets and ornaments become the decor. The trick is to group them by color or theme so the room feels full of life, not messy. If you have ever felt guilty about your collections, this is your permission to enjoy them. Here are 13 cozy ideas to try..

Cluttercore Decor Starts With Collections You Love

A cluttercore room is not random. It is a room full of things that tell your story, arranged with care. This bright corner mixes a wall of vintage plates, a gallery of thrifted frames, a shelf of tins and plants, a velvet chair and a pile of patchwork pillows. Every piece has a place, and the colors tie it all together. Start by picking the collection you love most and giving it a spot where everyone can see it. Ready to show off your favorite things..

You will need: Your favorite collections, a measuring tape, painter’s tape, a notebook.

How to make it: 1. Gather each collection in one place so you can see how much you have. 2. Pick one wall or shelf for your favorite. 3. Plan the layout on the floor or with painter’s tape on the wall before you hang anything.

A Teacup and Plate Wall

Mismatched plates are one of the easiest ways to start with cluttercore decor. Hang them with plate hangers in a loose cloud shape over a sideboard or a table, and add two small shelves for teacups. Blue and white, pink florals and green patterns look wonderful together. Thrift stores and flea markets are full of pretty single plates for a dollar or two. It is the kind of wall guests stop to look at. Which plate pattern do you love most?

You will need: Vintage plates and teacups, plate hangers, two small wall shelves, nails or picture hooks, paper for templates.

How to make it: 1. Trace each plate on paper, cut out the shapes and tape them to the wall to plan the layout. 2. Attach plate hangers and hang each plate over its paper. 3. Add the small shelves and set teacups on them.

Cluttercore Decor on a Gallery Wall of Thrifted Frames

A floor to ceiling gallery wall is the heart of many cluttercore homes. Mix gold, black, wood and painted frames from thrift stores, and fill them with botanical prints, small paintings, pressed flowers and little mirrors. Keep the spaces between frames about the same, and the wall will look planned, not crowded. Paint a few frames the same color to tie it together. What would you put in your frames?

You will need: Thrifted frames, prints or pressed flowers, picture hooks, a level, paint for a few frames, painter’s tape.

How to make it: 1. Lay all the frames on the floor and arrange them, biggest in the middle. 2. Copy the layout onto the wall with paper templates and painter’s tape. 3. Hang from the center out, keeping the gaps even.

A Rainbow Bookshelf With Treasures in Front

Sort your books by spine color and line them up in a rainbow, then place small treasures in front of them on every shelf: shells, little ceramic animals, small framed photos, an old clock. The color order keeps it calm, and the treasures make it personal. It is a fun weekend cluttercore decor project for the whole family. Kids love finding where their books went. Which color will start your rainbow?

You will need: Your books, small treasures and keepsakes, bookends.

How to make it: 1. Take all the books off the shelf and sort them into color piles. 2. Put them back in rainbow order, top to bottom or left to right. 3. Place one or two small treasures in front of each section.

Vintage Tins on a Floating Shelf

Old cookie and tea tins have beautiful patterns, and they are often cheap at thrift stores and estate sales. Line them up on a long floating shelf in the kitchen, mixing round and square shapes and stacking a few. Tuck in a potted herb or two for green. Bonus: they are still useful for storing tea bags, snacks or craft bits. Cluttercore decor like this is pretty and practical. Do you have an old tin from your grandmother?

You will need: Vintage tins, a long floating shelf, wall anchors and screws, a drill and level (adult help), small potted herbs.

How to make it: 1. Mount the shelf at eye level. 2. Arrange the tins with the biggest at the ends and stack a few for height. 3. Add potted herbs between them for color.

Decoupaged Trinket Boxes for Little Collections

Small things like buttons, keys, marbles and shells can look messy on their own. Give them homes in little wooden boxes covered with decoupage: floral napkins, botanical prints or scrapbook paper glued on with decoupage medium. Leave a few boxes open so the treasures peek out. It is a perfect rainy afternoon craft. For more fun with paper and glue, see our Christmas wall decor ideas. What little things would you keep in yours?

You will need: Small unfinished wooden boxes, paper napkins or decorative paper, decoupage medium, a foam brush, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut or tear the paper to fit each side of the box. 2. Brush decoupage medium on the box, smooth the paper on top and brush another coat over it. 3. Let it dry, then add a final coat to seal.

A Window Shelf of Tiny Pots

One big plant is nice, but a dozen tiny ones is pure cluttercore joy. Add narrow shelves across a sunny window and fill them with small pots: succulents, ivy, baby ferns, herbs and tiny cactus in terracotta, painted pots and even old teacups. Let a few vines trail down. It turns a plain window into a little green world and brings cluttercore decor to life. Which plants would you start with?

You will need: Narrow wooden shelves or a window shelf kit, small pots and saucers, easy small plants, potting soil.

How to make it: 1. Mount narrow shelves across the window frame, with adult help. 2. Pot each small plant in its own pot with a saucer. 3. Arrange them with trailing plants on the top shelf.

Cluttercore Decor With Old Maps on a Side Table

An old side table becomes a conversation piece when you cover its top with pieces of vintage maps. Use maps of places you have lived or visited, glue them on with decoupage medium and seal with a clear coat. Set it next to a reading chair with a stack of books and a small globe. Every time you put down your tea, you will remember a trip. Where would your map table take you?

You will need: A small wooden side table, old maps or map prints, decoupage medium, a foam brush, clear water based sealer, fine sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Sand the table top lightly and wipe it clean. 2. Glue the map pieces on with decoupage medium, overlapping the edges. 3. Seal with two or three thin coats of clear sealer.

A Basket Wall Over the Bed

Woven baskets and flat wall plates make a soft, textured display over a bed, and they are light, so they are safer to hang above where you sleep than heavy frames. Mix natural rattan, seagrass and colorful woven plates in different sizes, and arrange them in a loose cloud. Thrift stores are full of baskets for a dollar or two. Which basket would go in the middle?

You will need: Woven baskets and wall plates in different sizes, small nails or adhesive hooks, paper templates.

How to make it: 1. Trace each basket on paper and tape the shapes to the wall to plan the layout. 2. Hang the biggest baskets first. 3. Fill the gaps with smaller baskets and plates.

A Curio Cabinet Painted a Bold Color Inside

An old curio cabinet looks brand new when you paint the inside a bold color like coral, emerald or deep blue. Suddenly every teacup, figurine and glass bottle pops against the background. Group your treasures by color on each shelf so the cabinet looks full but tidy. It is a great way to show off a family collection without dust. What would go in your cabinet?

You will need: An old curio cabinet, painter’s tape, primer, a bold paint color, a small roller and brush, your collection.

How to make it: 1. Remove the shelves and tape off the glass. 2. Prime and paint the inside walls and shelves in your bold color. 3. Let it dry fully, then arrange your treasures by color.

Open Kitchen Shelves Full of Colorful Mugs

If you have a mug collection hiding in a cupboard, let it out. Open wooden shelves with hooks underneath can hold dozens of mugs, and every color and pattern adds to the fun. Hang some, stack some, and group them loosely by color. It makes choosing your morning mug a little treat. Cluttercore decor in the kitchen feels warm and welcoming. Which mug is your favorite?

You will need: Wooden shelves and brackets, cup hooks, wall anchors and screws, a drill and level (adult help), your mugs.

How to make it: 1. Mount the shelves into wall studs with adult help. 2. Screw cup hooks under each shelf. 3. Hang and stack your mugs, grouping them by color.

Patchwork and Mixed Print Pillows

Mixing patterns is one of the most fun parts of the cluttercore look. Sew simple patchwork pillow covers from fabric scraps in florals, gingham, stripes and paisley, and pile them on a velvet sofa with a granny square blanket. Keep one or two colors in every pillow so they look like a family. It is a great way to use up the scrap bin, and patchwork is classic cluttercore decor. What colors would your patchwork be?

You will need: Fabric scraps, a pillow form, a sewing machine or needle and thread, scissors, a ruler, pins.

How to make it: 1. Cut fabric scraps into squares of the same size and sew them into a patchwork panel for the front. 2. Cut a back panel the same size. 3. Sew front and back together on three sides, add the pillow form and stitch it closed.

Cluttercore Decor for Christmas: Every Ornament Out

Christmas is the season when cluttercore decor truly shines. Instead of choosing a theme, bring out every ornament you own: old glass balls, handmade felt ornaments, tiny bells and tinsel. Fill a feather tree and heap the rest along a mantel garland with little ceramic houses and stockings. Use battery LED string lights for a warm, safe glow. Read more about the trend on Yahoo. Which ornament holds your favorite memory?

You will need: Your ornament collection, a feather tree or small tree, a garland, ornament hooks, battery LED string lights.

How to make it: 1. Wrap the tree and garland with LED lights first. 2. Hang the biggest ornaments first, then fill in with small ones. 3. Group a few by color on the garland so it looks full but tidy.