While most of America seems to embrace hoarding and clutter, John and I are the opposite — we’re minimalists. But there’s a fine line between clean, uncluttered spaces and rooms that feel cold or stark. It can be hard to judge that balance on your own. To get a clearer perspective, I photographed every room in our house and compared those images to rooms in decorating magazines and my favorite catalogs like Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and Ballard Designs.
It didn’t take long to see that while our rooms were tidy and simple, they were lacking character and thoughtful design. That realization pushed me into action. I started rearranging furniture and experimenting with different layouts. When the dust settled, I could tell what worked and what still needed to be added to my wishlist. The biggest improvement happened in the den, a space that’s always been challenging because of its long, narrow shape. Adding another chair, an end table, and rotating a few accessories made a noticeable difference. Here’s the rather uninspired before:
And the warmer, more inviting after:
The room now reads less bare and boring, and it gained an extra seat and a convenient place to set a drink — a small but valuable upgrade. The best part is that the side table came from our basement’s garage sale pile. It’s nice to have a little “store” in the basement to raid when you need an extra piece.