#Cluttercore - What Is It, And Why Gen Z Students Love It So Much?
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‘Cluttercore’ is the new anti-minimalist interiors trend taking over for Gen Z. The aesthetic has been taking over social media over the past year with the hashtag #Cluttercore surpassing 60million views on TikTok and 27k posts on Instagram.
If you haven’t heard of it, chances are you will have scrolled past a video or post which has this aesthetic without realising.
But what does it mean, why does gen-z love it and how can you achieve a cluttercore room? We’ll be answering just that in this blog, so carry on reading!
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What Does Cluttercore Mean?
The new interior trend, Cluttercore, is a chaotic-good aesthetic which celebrates individuality and the uniqueness of personal belongings, by filling rooms with a mixture of things that make us, us.
Everyone’s personal taste is different, but the defining characteristic of the trend is that it’s owning and displaying a LOT of things and being loud and proud about it.
Forget about empty walls and plain surfaces, cluttercore celebrates being eclectic and meaningful. The popular trend is a minimalist’s nightmare, so we’re sorry Kim Kardashian but you won’t be a fan of this one.
The interior design trend started getting popular on TikTok during the pandemic in 2020 and has grown massively since then. In August 2021, a video from user @4walls went viral on the app for their video on cluttercore.
The user explains the fundamentals of the aesthetic: “Meet maximalism’s aesthetic cousin ‘cluttercore’” and goes on to say that its “Described as feeling like a warm and cosy antique shop, it’s all about proudly displaying your favourite things in a loud and unapologetic way”.
‘Clutter’ is for sure not a new term, however, the name cluttercore is. It comes from another social media trend, cottagecore, which is an aesthetic that celebrates an idealised rural life and the charm of the English countryside.
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Why Does Gen Z Love #Cluttercore?
Gen-z are choosing contrastingly different interior designs to that of millennial minimalism with the cluttercore aesthetic within their homes. Gen-z are displaying things that they want people to see and showcasing their personality and passions with this trend.
What we mean by millennial minimalism is the cultural shift from the older generations, their interests, passions and aesthetics are vastly different from gen-z and the younger generation are keen to be old out with the old and in with the new.
The shift in interior design choices in this day and age is similar to fashion choices, its everchanging!
Whether it’s collectable items, items with their own stories, items that have sentimental value, or just things that we love from plants to prints to stuffed teddies to books. In easier terms, a cluttercore room is filled to the brim with items and shy’s away from storing belongings out of sight.
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Some critics of the aesthetic have labelled it as hoarding or being overly messy, but hoarding is a mental disorder and isn’t what this aesthetic is.
Cluttercore isn’t about creating a chaotic mess of items overflowing a space, it’s about creating organised chaos. You can create your own space however you please, whether it’s being a plain jane creating a minimalism interior or being full blown quirky with a maximalism space!
We must be honest, we’re a fan of the trend – what do you think about this aesthetic?! It’s not for everyone that’s for sure, however, it is for those who aren’t scared to fill their spaces with bits and bobs that they love, no matter how it appears to outsiders.
It’s all about embracing your own style and being playful about it.
Why Is It So Popular?
This aesthetic is a rebellion to a society almost forcing us to own less due to the increasing costs of living. The trend has grown so much due to the pandemic where people took up new interests and hobbies like painting, plant collecting or arts and craft which perhaps increased clutter.
It was a time where we were constantly around our own things, being stuck in in our own spaces due to the global lockdown and restrictions. Even now, people are working from home more than ever. So, in turn, this aesthetic and clutter culture was birthed, and gen-z are loving it!
Perhaps what attracts gen-z to this aesthetic so much is the desire for self-expression and showcasing exactly who you are and the things that you love. If we can’t be who we are and show off ourselves and our creativity in our own spaces, then when can we?!
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How Do I Get A #Cluttercore Room?
TikTok’s portrayal of cluttercore is often bedroom-based, so If you want to recreate the aesthetic in a uni room, then stick with us! It may be difficult due to the limited space and sharing flats, but not everything is lost – here’s some tips on how to be maximalist with minimal space.
if you want to design your space with a #Cluttercore aesthetic then don’t worry, you can pull it off. Let’s go!
- Don’t Rush – If you’re keen to create a cluttercore aesthetic within your bedroom, don’t rush by buying tons of items at once. The trick is to build it up slowly by getting things over time. Also remember, if you’re at uni you will need to transport your things after your tenancy is over. So, if you’ve got too much, it’s going to be hard when it comes to move out day.
- Display What You Love – Cluttercore isn’t about buying anything and everything you can find and putting it on display in your room. It’s about displaying things that you like and being creative with things that bring you comfort whether its quirky prints for your walls, candles, plants or cuddly teddys. You can even display things that are sentimental to you and remind you of special memories or trips away, and that’s super wholesome.
- Shop Second Hand – Displaying what you love doesn’t mean you have to spend loads of money on buying items for a cluttercore aesthetic, you can buy items second hand whether it’s looking around charity shops or looking on Vinted or Depop. This will mix old and new pieces within your bedroom and will be such a cluttercore vibe!
- Use What You Have – You don’t have to go out and buy things at all, you may have tons of items sitting in storage at home whether its items in the attic or things stored away in your wardrobes. Which you can make use of if you want to adopt this interior design trend within your space.
- Mix Colours – Cluttercore doesn’t focus on matching a colour scheme, it’s all about mix and matching a lot of things and bringing them together within your space.
- Be Careful – Whilst creating a cluttercore space within your uni room, you should be careful not to damage the walls of your accommodation or uni house room. Such as, if you’re going to be hanging things off of walls, opt to use command strips rather than cello tape or blue tac so that it doesn’t leave any marks and you risk losing your deposit.
- Arrange Your Things – Spend time arranging your things and seeing where they look best in your space, like moving around your plants or photo prints to see where they are suited in your room. You don’t want to have an overwhelming space where you can’t move around and it feels messy because you’ve shoved everything out, spend time perfecting your room. After all, this is your personal place where you’ll spend the most time, make it feel comforting and creative.
- Utilise The Space – If you’re worried about not having enough space within your uni room to create a cluttercore heaven, then don’t! You can still make use of a tiny space whether it’s using your desk space wisely or using bookshelves to display your eye-catching items from plants to books to candles to crystals to trinket trays!
- Personal Taste – Whilst TikTok and Instagram can give you inspiration with how to create a cluttercore aesthetic from other’s posts, the trend comes down to personal preferences. It’s about being authentic to yourself and things that interest you or bring you joy that you want to express within your space. If you like the items and you like the art you’ve displayed, you’ll love the end result and it will feel like an extension of yourself.
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If you’re thinking about embracing the cluttercore aesthetic within your student accommodation or home, then do it! It’s your space which should be personalised and tailored to suit you. This new aesthetic certainly has Gen Z captivated and we’re loving it – every room tells a different story!
Personalising spaces and taking on a maximalist approach within interior design is the IT thing right now, but what trends will come next for social media and gen-z?! We’re excited to see what’s to come.
Enjoyed reading the content we covered in this post? You should read our post on Are Influencers Losing Their Influence? Who Does Gen Z Trust.
