How to Make Your House Look Less Cluttered

Have you ever wondered whether your home is really cluttered or if it just looks cluttered? Do you long to make your house look less cluttered but you feel like you’ve decluttered most of what you can?

If you’re feeling this way, you are not alone! I have honestly been there. Living in a small home it does not take much before it starts to look and feel cluttered.

That feeling can be incredibly frustrating when you know you’ve worked hard to get rid of clutter and yet your home still feels cluttered.

How to Make Your House Look Less Cluttered

Well, the good news is you may not have a clutter problem. Rather, it may be as simple as fixing a few things that may be making your home look cluttered.

Let’s look at the things that make your home look cluttered, but are not clutter. Of course, we will also look at the solutions for making your house look less cluttered!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. See more details here.

1. Unmade beds

If you walk into your bedroom and it looks cluttered the easiest thing you can do to make it look less cluttered is to make your bed. This one simple task will make a dramatic difference.

Your bed is the largest item in your bedroom, making your bed instantly makes the entire room feel tidier.

It feels so good to walk into your bedroom and see your bed all neat and tidy. And honestly, doesn’t it feel better crawling into a made bed at the end of a long day?

2. Too many items on your dresser and nightstand surfaces

Placing random items on your flat surfaces is one of the biggest culprits of making your home look cluttered. Your dressers and nightstands are no exception.

Clearing off these surfaces will make your bedroom look less cluttered. After all, you want your bedroom to be the most relaxing space in your home. To accomplish this you need to be selective about what you keep on your dressers and nightstands.

Limit the decor items on the dresser and keep only what is needed on the nightstand. This simple fix will make the entire room feel so much more peaceful.

3. Clothing left out

I’ll admit I am very guilty of this. I come home, take off my sweater or sweatshirt and toss it on the back of a chair. It’s so easy to do after a long day and before long there’s a nice little pile of clothes on that chair.

The same applies to clean clothes, but instead of a chair, they’re piled in the laundry basket waiting to be folded and put away. You have to know that clothing left out, whether clean or dirty, can make the entire room look messy.

The truth is this is just a bad habit. You have to be purposeful in breaking it.

As part of my regular cleaning routine, I do a 15-minute tidy-up in the evening, which helps a ton. Clothing items left out on chairs usually get hung up or tossed in the hamper during this time.

For dirty clothes, I try to wash one load a day, this stops the laundry from piling up and becoming too big of a chore.

Getting a handle on the laundry and putting clothing away, right away, will make your house look less cluttered.

4. Leaving out too many items on the bathroom sink

Bathrooms tend to be the smallest rooms in your house. The only way to make a small space in your house look less cluttered is to limit what is left out for the visual eye to see.

What this means is that if you are in the habit of leaving your make-up and toiletries out on the countertops your bathroom may be looking a bit cluttered.

It’s time to put those items away. If storage space is at a premium, as it is in my house, a storage caddy is a great option. You can find something cute that will match your decor and neatly store all those everyday items. My favorite option, if you have the space, is to simply store the caddy under the sink.

The key to making your bathroom or any room in your house look less cluttered is to limit what is left out and create a habit of putting things away when you’re done using them.

5. The Refrigerator

I don’t think most of us realize how much your refrigerator can make your house look cluttered.

It’s so easy to use the front of the refrigerator door to hang reminders, coupons, pictures, kids’ artwork, etc. While it is really convenient if you want your house to look less cluttered keep the items on the fridge doors to the barest minimum.

In addition to the front of the refrigerator doors, think about what you’re storing on the top of the fridge. Storing your Costco-size bulky boxes on the top of the refrigerator makes the kitchen look messy and cluttered.

Keep the outside of the fridge clear and minimal. You just may be surprised by how simply clearing off the front of the refrigerator will improve the entire feel of your kitchen.

6. Crowded countertops

If I had to pick just one thing you could do to make your house look less cluttered it would be to keep your flat surfaces clear!!!

There’s a quote on Facebook that fits perfectly here: “Just because you have the space doesn’t mean you need to fill it” Seriously — apply this to your countertops.

It’s understandable to want to keep some things out on your countertops. I know I do. My Keurig coffee maker that I use daily will most likely always be out and handy. I also keep a crock with cooking utensils and dish supplies (that I transferred to pretty amber glass bottles). These are items I use every single day.

Having said that, if you don’t absolutely have to have something out on the counter, don’t! 

It’s okay to leave a few items out. Just remember, to keep your home looking clutter free, you want to have lots of clear counter space. It’s much more visually appealing and it creates a calmer and more relaxing feel to your home.

Take a little bit of time to clear out a cabinet or pantry shelf to house those small appliances. Your kitchen will not only look better, but it will also function better too.

7. Overflowing dirty dishes

Washing the dishes is one of my least favorite chores. It’s just a constant never-ending task. As much as I hate doing dishes, having dirty dishes overflowing or on the countertops is worse.

Dealing with the dishes is kind of like making your bed for the kitchen. The quickest way to make your room look neater is to make your bed. To make the Kitchen look neater, wash and put away the dishes. It really is that simple.

8. Open Kitchen Shelves

I know this is a big trend, but as with all trends, I do think it will fade soon. One of the reasons is that open shelving can really make your kitchen look cluttered.

Don’t get me wrong here, I do believe the open shelving trend can be beautifully styled. The problem is if you use them for storage or have too many items on them, they will make your kitchen look cluttered.
If you have open shelving, be careful what you are storing on those shelves.

9. Cleaners and other labels

Having mismatched cleaning supplies is something we don’t often think about as making our homes look cluttered. But they do!

These products often come in an array of colors, labels, and sizes. The result is they make the kitchen look messy and disorganized when they are left on the countertops.

My favorite fix for this is to transfer the cleanings and soaps into pretty matching glass bottles. These are the ones I have and I love them. LINK I have both the spray bottle and the pump style for my dish soap. I just got them from Amazon. They are really affordable and make everything look neat and tidy.

I keep them on a wooden cutting board next to the sink and have these cleaning brushes, which I also love.

It was a simple fix that made a big impact on making my kitchen look less cluttered.

10. Too many items on the dining room table and other flat surfaces

Think of your dining room table much like you do your bathroom and kitchen countertops. Piling too many items on your table is easy to do. In fact, my dining room table is the number one surface I have to pay attention to in my home. Clutter just naturally tends to migrate there.

Whether it’s someone placing mail out on the table, empty cups, backpacks, or sweaters tossed on the back of the dining chairs, it quickly makes the house look cluttered.

The key is creating new habits and systems. For me, it was really learning how to control the paper clutter. Once I got a handle on that it was much easier to get everyone to put things away instead of dropping them on the table. It’s really true, clutter does attract clutter.

I promise if you keep your dining room table and other flat surfaces clear and you’ll be on your way to making your house look less cluttered.

11. Too many decor accessories

This was another tough one for me. I love finding fun and unique decor accessories that fit in my space. I can spend hours wandering around Home Goods or World Market.

But the truth is if you have too many decor pieces your home will quickly look cluttered. This is why I have a strict adherence requirement to the one in one out rule when it comes to decor accessories.

I don’t want my home to look empty or cold feeling so I have a fair amount of decor accessories, but that is my limit. If I bring something new home, I know it means I have to get rid of something else.

This has gone a long way toward making my home looks less cluttered while still allowing it to feel warm and cozy.

12. Too much wall decor

Whether it’s family photos, favorite art pieces, or encouraging quotes. Too many items on your walls will make a room feel cluttered.

Opting for a single large statement piece is the easiest way to make your house look less cluttered. However, if you love having family pictures or just the look of a well-done gallery wall, there are ways to do that without contributing to visual clutter.

First, use matching frames. You can vary the sizing, but the frames should generally have a similar tone and feel to them. This will help from overstimulating the senses.

The key is to limit the amount the eye takes in when you enter the room. Keep it simple and cohesive to make your house look less cluttered.

13. Exposed cords and wires

Living in the digital age means we have cords and wires everywhere. We can all acknowledge they are not pretty. Not only are they not attractive they are the definition of ugly visual clutter.

The good news is there are plenty of ways to hide these cords and wires. Because exposed cords and wires are such a big problem in making your home look cluttered, many products have been developed to help you hide them.

But, honestly, there are a few simple things you can do right now to corral many of those cords. Start by grouping as many cords together as you can and then wrap them with zip ties, velcro strips, or even duck tape. A simple binder clip is another great option for bundling cords together.

For those cords or wires that can’t be grouped together, use curtains or other furniture to tuck them behind, so your eye does not see them.

Keeping your cords and wires organized and hidden as much as possible will make your house look less cluttered.

14. Stray remotes

Continuing on with electronic devices, many of them come with remote controls to operate those devices. Having an assortment of remote controls laying about will make the room look cluttered quickly.

Thankfully this is an easy fix. Give them a home to live in, that’s it. Whether it’s a drawer in a coffee table, a cute decorative basket on the coffee table, or a simple box in the entertainment center all will work.

Just decide what is best for your family to ensure the greatest success in returning those remotes to their home. You want them to be out of sight, but also easy to access.

15. Overly-sized furniture

This may be spot on for you if you live in a smaller home. When rooms are small, adding large pieces of furniture will make the room look overcrowded.

If you have several large-scale pieces of furniture see if you can remove one or two pieces and see how the room feels. By leaving some white space in your rooms you’ll prevent overcrowding and provide space to breathe.

16. Procrastination

Even if you’ve completely decluttered and organized your home, if you’re procrastinating in your home, your home will look cluttered.

Everything in your home has to have a designated spot to live. Then, you have to put those things back where they go when you’re done using them.

Let me tell you, little things left out add up quickly. A stray cup on the coffee table, mail left on the dining table, the toaster left out on the kitchen counter, etc., you get the idea. Soon the house looks messy and cluttered.

One of the best things we did to fix this issue is to have a 15-minute pick-up each evening. Everyone pitches in and spends just 15 minutes putting things back away and tidying up the whole house.

This stops the mess from getting out of control, does not take long, and instantly the house looks less cluttered.

17. Too many toys out

First and foremost it’s important to understand what happens when your kids have too many toys. If they do, start by decluttering the excess toys.

Now, even with a reasonable amount of toys, your home can still look cluttered if they are left scattered around the house.

There are a lot of solutions to the problem of too many toys here. If your house is looking cluttered because of the toys, I recommend you start there.

For now, make sure you have a place for the toys to be put away at the end of playtime that is easily accessible for your child.

My favorite way to do this is to corral them in some decorative baskets or bins. Those make it easy for your little ones to put their toys away.

18. Multiple focal points

A focal point is a thing your eye naturally lands on when you enter a room. This can be a fireplace, a large piece of wall art, an accent wall, or even a TV.

A focal point anchors the room. It will actually help a room look less cluttered. Unless —- You have more than one focal point.

Seriously having more than one focal point for the eye to rest on makes your space look cluttered and feel chaotic because your eye has no place to rest.

If you’re not sure how to create a focal point you’ll find some good information in this article from MyMove. 

19. Collectibles

I know many people love to collect things. My husband’s family are all big collectors. I will be honest and tell you I am not.

One big reason I’m not is that collectibles can easily make your house look cluttered. Just being honest here.

But don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you that you have to get rid of your collection.

What I am going to tell you is that if you want your house to look less cluttered you need to keep the collection contained in one area. When collections are scattered around the house they add clutter.

To keep your collection contained, you’ll also want to keep it to a reasonable size. If you find your collection is looking like clutter try eliminating just a few pieces at a time until it feels good for the space.

20. Uncoordinated color scheme

To start, I am not a fan of perfectly matched items in your home. Your home should not look like you’re entering a furniture store.

In fact, I’m a firm believer that your home should reflect your personality. You are not one-dimensional and your home should not be either.

Having said that, it is still important to have a coordinated color palette that works throughout your home. This is the key to making your house look less cluttered, while still allowing your unique personality to shine through.

Having a coordinated color scheme makes your home feel calm and pleasing to the eye.

21. Having no empty floor space

Filling up every inch of floor space in your home is a guaranteed way to make it look cluttered. For a home to breathe there needs to be some clear space.

If all of your floor space is filled up, try removing a few items and see if it helps to make things feel calmer and look less cluttered.

Also, get in the habit of picking things off of the floor that does not belong there. Have a basket to corral items like shoes, and use hooks for purses and backpacks instead of the floor.

22. Overstuffed bookcases

Bookcases have a unique way of making a room feel cozy and inviting. There is something comforting about a shelve full of books.

However, when bookcases are overstuffed, double stacked, or have every inch of space taken they can look like clutter.

To make your house look less cluttered leave space on your bookshelf. You should be able to easily access a book or easily put one back on the shelf without having to stuff it in.

If you run out of room, that’s a signal it may be time to declutter a few of the ones you know you will not read again.

23. Too many plants

Ugh.. this was hard to add here, but I know too many plants make your home look cluttered. How do I know? At one point, I had way too many plants making my home look cluttered.

Look I love plants, I think they bring a lot of warmth and interest to a room. However, house plants are proof that there can be too much of a good thing.

One thing that helps things to look less cluttered is to make sure your pots or planters have that cohesive coordinated look. They should match the basic color palette and style of your home.

Eliminate some of the small plants (they make great gifts) or consider moving some of them outside. It really will make your house look less cluttered.

24. Not enough lighting

Dark rooms will make your home appear cluttered and messy even when it’s not! Think about it, when you enter a dark room and open the curtain or turn on lighting the room just sort of comes alive.

All this means is that if don’t have sufficient lighting your home is going to look cluttered. Natural lighting is the best for brightening up a room. So open up those curtains and blinds.

If you’re not blessed with good natural lighting add some lighting fixtures. It is an easy fix to brighten up your home and make it look less cluttered!

25. Paper piles

Paper piles are one of the single biggest culprits to making your home look cluttered. If you’re struggling with this, read this post on how to finally conquer the paper clutter.

I think paper clutter is something most homes struggle with because it always seems to come into your home. These days it’s easy to sign up for paperless banking and billing, which helps a lot. If you have not signed up for paperless billing, do that now.

The basic fix for paper piles is finding a system to handle mail and other papers the moment they come into your home.

To make your house look less cluttered do not ever set papers down on your dining table, coffee table, or countertops. Deal with those papers the second they come in. Have a designated sorting station that has a tray or folders for all that paper.

Trust me knowing where important papers are will not only make your house look less cluttered it will also make your life much easier.

26. Donation items waiting to be donated

You’ve gone through all the hard work of decluttering your home. Now, if you don’t get that clutter out of your home it’s incredibly frustrating because your house still looks cluttered.

You’ve got to get that stuff out of your house! This is something you cannot procrastinate on.

The only solution here is to take those items to the donation center.

Going forward you can stop this from becoming an issue by keeping a “donation basket”. When it’s full you take all the contents straight to the donation center.

If you’ve got items in your home waiting to be donated, make a plan to drop them off today. You just might be amazed and how that makes your house look less cluttered.

Creating a Less Cluttered Peaceful Home

One big reason we all want a clutter-free home is the sense of calm and peace that it brings.

When your home starts to look cluttered and you don’t know why take a look at these 26 things that may not be cluttered, but are still making your house look cluttered.

Dealing with these clutter culprits is the first step to creating a peaceful home that you love being in.

After all, having a calm home environment naturally brings on such a peaceful feeling, you’ll wonder what took you so long to do it!!