How Much Stuff Is TOO Much?

I want it now. 

I am a true believer in making a "I Want It Now" list. That sounds like a conundrum doesn’t it? Well, it is!

Skip the list, right? Dive in and buy! Often, we think we want it now and the design will simply not be complete without this monumental item. And that item. And we do that again...and again...and again. We want all the things.

From a Designer perspective, when I look at the many homes that I enter, I am amazed at how filled they are at any given moment. It’s so easy to buy, and buy, that we really don’t realize all that we’ve actually brought into our space. It accumulates over time...slowly trickling in... and you hardly. Even. Notice. 

I have been blessed with many repeat clients in my business. We complete projects often in multiple locations-- maybe in their main home, a vacation getaway, office,  or all of the above! But, truth be told, the majority never realize the scope and quantity that’s actually in their space until they experience a relocation! The number of boxes is such a shock to them. 

I find the more stuff that enters a space, it simply clutters the area. And with all good intentions, that room then loses its functionality. And it happens to the best of us! No one is immune to the sneak attack of the clutter! On the days that I experience this in my own hive, I know it’s time to go in and reevaluate! 

So, back to the "I want it now" list. I have worked in rooms with amazingly cool items, and those spaces are a true delight to stage. And the reason why?  Over and over, it’s because there were just the right number of items in the space, and those special items were on a stream-lined want list that was created with intention. The owner searched with purpose for items with a certain- “je ne sais quoi.”  They don’t have “all the things,” but they do have items that they’ve spotted somewhere on their journey that have stuck with them along the way. There was a joy in curating the items, and a true charm in seeing how well those truly exceptional items fit into their design.

So, because of this, rather than an “I want it now” list, I like to call out must haves.  The very nature of “quality over quantity.” 

Sweetly Yours, 
Jeanette

Cover Photo by Jonny Caspari