Your Messy Apartment Might Be More Chic Than You Think, Thanks to the “Cluttercore” Trend

Cluttercore is emerging as one of the most talked-about interior design trends for 2025. What started on social platforms like TikTok has evolved into a style movement: over 90 million views under the hashtag #Cluttercore, and homes rethinking minimalism in favor of personal expression. At its core, cluttercore isn’t just about filling a room with stuff—it’s about layering meaningful objects, creating vignettes of memory, and celebrating authentic décor rather than the showroom look.

Anyone who’s ever been told to “less is more” might feel relief here. Instead of blank walls and neutral palettes designed for mass appeal, cluttercore says: your space should feel like your life, your story, your stuff. That means vintage snow globes, stacks of books, travel souvenirs, quirky finds, and color—sometimes bold, sometimes muted—arranged with intention, not chaos.

But there’s a careful balance. It’s not about letting your everyday life spill uncontrolled into every corner. The difference between cluttercore and just mess is curation: group items thematically, create displays that show your identity, and use layering and repeat color threads to tie things together. And yes—you should still be able to sit on your sofa, find the remote, and reach your coffee table without digging through a pile of excess.

This trend also reflects deeper shifts in how people view home. More time at home, rising costs and remote lifestyles have made authenticity and comfort more important than perfect design photos. Instead of following Instagram-friendly rules, homeowners are embracing environments that invite them in, tell stories, and evolve. Cluttercore isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. It’s about personality. And in a design world that once prized “safe” and “same,” this might be the rebel moment we’ve been waiting for.

Credit: Elle Decor.