Cluttercore: Gen Z's Confrontation with Minimalism
Chaos, mess and overwhelming are adjectives used to describe Cluttercore - the interior decoration trend of Gen Z is gradually replacing minimalism.
Cluttercore emerged as a phenomenon on social networks during the outbreak of the new Covid-19 epidemic. Many people have to isolate at home, feeling disguised with living spaces that do not match their personal preferences. They videotaped, shared the home renovation process and quickly found a community of like-minded people. To date, the hashtag #culttercore has nearly 60 million views on TikTok and about 25.6 thousand posts on Instagram.
It is difficult to give a specific definition for Cluttercore as well as the main elements that make up their interior style, but some common items are bonsai, wall paintings, pillows and of course, a large number of them overwhelmed. "Culutter" but Cluttercore is "organized chaos." There will be no clothes piled up on the bed, or charger cables messed up in the corner of the room, Cluttercore looks cluttered but everything is in its place.
“Cluttercore is interesting because you NEED to have a unique personality and taste to come up with this style” - Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest.
A room full of furniture can be overwhelming, but that's why Gen Z lovers cluttercore - you instantly find judgemental people with just one look. Similar to getting to know a person, Cluttercore requires effort to gather and discover information. The more you look at the room, the more interesting points you will find about the owner's personality. Cluttercore is also not too rigid, but can we combined with many other decorative styles such as Dark Academia, Cottagecore, depending on your preferences.
Using Veronica's #cluttercore (@gorgonglare) home as an example, we can see her passion for textures in all shapes and colors. The floral wall provides the background for a pink fireplace, set against a black and white checkered floor with a yellow fireproof frame. Carefree, unconcerned with principles. Even the cat tree house is covered with eye-catching leopard skin fabric. Decorations around the house also use cat motifs from paintings, potted plants to drinking cups. Natural light is used thoroughly, turning into a rainbow through refracting prisms, expressing Veronica's color taste and sexual orientation. A small corner is used to display books, comics, and cartoon dolls that she collects.
“My style is like an old aunt who has gone down a hole who used to live in a haunted house. I want my guests to feel comfortable and well cared for, but I hope they also feel anxious and suspicious.” Cody (@curiouscodyy) indirectly commented on his house. Black and white pictures, polaroid films hanging on the wall create a feeling of nostalgia. Leather-bound books and intricately carved wooden mirror frames are placed next to the flickering candlelight. The gold-plated details help to enhance the ancient look and finally, the most impressive is the animal skeleton placed right on the fireplace. Bonsai, appearing in the form of paintings or real potted plants, is an element that harmonizes every decoration in the house.
Finally, we have Evie (@notmadjustdisappointed) and the music-themed Cluttercore room that makes everyone jealous because of the cool look. Rare posters of David Bowie, the band Ramones, Queens are located opposite an impressive vinyl record collection, lit with colorful fluorescent lights, creating the feeling of being in a secret club. Evie also used the covers of music magazines Melody Maker and Vogue, prints of works by Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci to add artistic touch to the room. Looking closer, we see polaroid films neatly pasted on the wall, a corner of your own memories.
“My room is messy but I know for sure where everything is,” is a saying often heard from a follower of this style. The Cluttercore room exudes the warmth of the user, with a deep personal touch, in stark contrast to the white room with only a sofa and a few wall paintings of minimalism. A Cluttercore-style house takes a lot of time and effort to complete, so it is not made for a few photos on social networks, but to serve the needs and interests of the owner. Each home is built from the heart, has depth and many layers of meaning.
The overwhelming number of items leads to criticism of overconsumption, but this criticism seems implausible when everything in the Cluttercore home has been carefully curated, needed and loved: The book is devoured many times, the vinyl is put on the gramophone every weekend, the glass light reflects from the sunbeams to the moonlight... Besides, Gen Z regularly hunt for items for Cluttercore from thrift stores, mainly because the furniture industry is still dominated by Millennials and minimalism. Micah, one of the pioneers and namesake of Cluttercore, confided:
“Cluttercore is not promoting the accumulation of waste or unnecessary items, but rather cherishing the things that already belong to us.”
Cluttercore gives us a feeling of "belonging" to a place of our own, of a community with similar interests but still distinctly personal. At first glance, all Clutter rooms may look the same, but they can't be copierd by anyone; it is a value that can hardly be reproduced in other interior styles.
If you intend to pursue Cluttercore, remember that your room should revolve around your own interests and needs. That is, feel free to express yourself, always give yourself space to grow, and never feel guilty about it.
