The Three-Item Tip You Need To Keep Your Shelves Clutter-Free For Good

The longer that you live in a home, the greater the potential for clutter. So many items that we use on a day to day basis, or even just décor items that we love, can start building up on surfaces like tables, shelves, and counters. Luckily, if you're struggling with this dilemma, YouTuber Minimal Ease has a brilliant solution to minimize the clutter. This principle applies most importantly to decorative shelves, which often become visually overwhelming with too much going on. If you would prefer a more minimalist home, only place three items maximum on each shelf or surface. By limiting yourself to three items per shelf, you can keep things neat, clutter-free, and pleasing to the eye. 

For essentials that you use daily, the best approach is to begin by considering if the items that litter your shelves or countertops are important enough to be part of your limited three items. Say goodbye to cluttered bookshelves or bathroom vanity counters by rethinking how and where you store things. You may find that it doesn't take much more time to store some of these items in a drawer or cabinet nearby when not in use. Another solution may be finding larger storage elements that allow you to put a lot of smaller things inside to tame the clutter and serve as one of your three elements, like a stacking set of baskets or boxes. These could be used to stash items like makeup and skin care products in the bathroom. Also consider putting away these five things in the kitchen that are contributing to clutter.

Purely decorative items can follow the same principle. Keeping your shelves clearer not only eliminates visual cutter but also emphasizes the items you do leave on display, as they have more negative space around them. Great strategies to make this happen include swapping out favorite items or collections seasonally or periodically throughout the year to allow larger collections their time in the spotlight. You could also find ways to store things inside containers that don't contribute to the visual clutter and blend in with the shelves or surface. A group of three small items could also count as one item in your total of three. For longer and wider shelves, you can add more items, but make sure to create groupings of three with lots of empty space around them.

These suggestions align well with the often discussed rule of three, which creates balance in any space. You should especially follow this rule when decorating an end table, as it simplifies the process. Odd numbers, especially three, create far more balance and visual harmony than an even number of items. A great way to pick your selected three elements is to think about creating varying levels of décor that draw the eye upward, which can make your space seem taller and larger. Create design triangles that are pleasing to the eye with taller and shorter items in each grouping. Decorate your bookshelf with an eye toward creating this design triangle shape by how you place the objects as they ascend the shelves or by repetitions of color, texture, or material that carry the visual line upward.