17 Common Reasons Why Your Room Looks Messy

We all have that room in our houses that just looks messy, even after it’s been organized. The thing is, you could have beautiful furniture, expensive carpets, and pictures, but if you don’t clean up your room or decorate it properly, it still looks messy.

Here are 17 of the most common reasons why your room looks messy:

1. Exposed cables look messy and chaotic.
2. Too many things on the wall create clutter.
3. An untidy exterior of the refrigerator is unappealing.
4. You’ve used too many patterns.
5. You have too many throw pillows.
6. Open shelves appear cluttered and messy.
7. You have too much furniture in the room.
8. Unclear surfaces are messy.
9. Too many toys look messy.
10. Unorganized books look messy and collect dust.
11. You have too many small plants.
12. You have too many small lamps.
13. Your collections are taking over your house.
14. You have messy stacks of paper.
15. Your entryways are cluttered.
16. Dirty dishes make the whole kitchen look untidy.
17. There is too much decor for the space.

A well-maintained room is not only relaxing for you but also more enjoyable for your guests. This article explores some of the reasons why your room still looks messy even after cleaning.

1. Exposed cables look messy and chaotic

Most homes are somewhere between the past and the future. What do I mean by that?

While most rooms in a modern house have smart electronics, they are still not completely wireless and still require cables, especially for power. Cable management is often a challenge in rooms like the living room or kitchen, where there can be multiple of these electronic devices. Phone chargers, TV cables, and network cables get tangled and sometimes form an ugly spiderweb. It’s really an eyesore that ruins even the best-decorated rooms.

There are a few innovative ways to hide these cables:

• Run the cables behind the wall.
• Use a cable reel.
• Tuck them away in a drawer.
• Use a cable organizer to keep the cable mess in check.
• Snake network cables through baseboard accessories.
• Tuck them behind the couch.
• Secure the cables to the back of your furniture with hooks.

However, be cautious when working with power cables and watch out for frayed wires that can pose a hazard.

2. Too many things on the wall create clutter

Can you have too much of a good thing? When it comes to decor, many professionals agree with the saying “less is more.”

While paintings and picture frames adorn your wall and breathe life into your room, having too much going on the wall can make it look like an art exhibition. And when there’s so much happening on the wall, it’s also hard to focus on any one element. This defeats the purpose of wall decoration.

If possible, have one painting, picture frame, or mirror that will be the focal point of the room. But if one is not enough for you, make sure to distribute the others throughout the room so that each has enough uninterrupted space.

3. An untidy exterior of the refrigerator is unappealing

While most people clean their kitchens, they often forget about one of the messiest surfaces, the exterior of the refrigerator. That’s because we attach so many things to the refrigerator door with magnets and never remove them.

While some things like children’s certificates and drawings may have sentimental value, others like grocery lists should not linger for too long. Excessive photos and papers also make the refrigerator look cluttered.

The best way to tackle this is to have a good paper filing system and a designated place for them. Use the system for all your to-do lists, grocery lists, and other papers you attach to the refrigerator. Also, rotate things that have sentimental value, instead of accumulating more. For example, if you’ve already hung up your child’s certificate, you don’t need to attach the drawing there. Instead, you can find another place for it, maybe in another room, or if you insist on adding the drawing, take down the certificate when you do so.

4. You’ve used too many patterns

The 90s were a strange time. Back then, patterns were on everything from carpets to upholstery to wallpaper. Just Google ’90s interior design’ and see for yourself. It’s hilarious!

Trying to pull off the same design today is a bad idea.

Having too many patterns in a room creates visual clutter and looks disjointed and chaotic. To tone down the pattern frenzy in your room, you can break up the patterns with a healthy mix of metals, wood, and solids. Swapping your pillows for solid covers will also dramatically improve the room’s aesthetics.

5. You have too many throw pillows

You’ve probably looked at most furniture displays or bedroom decorations and admired the beautiful bed with a matching bed skirt, duvet, and pillow covers. These beds also often have many decorative pillows.

As appealing as that may look, these pillows are not practical. Removing all those pillows and adding them back when making your bed is a tedious chore, especially when you have to rush to work. As a result, most people stop arranging the pillows after the first few days, and they often clutter the bed.

If you really enjoy your decorative pillows and can’t do without them, make sure to display them neatly. Otherwise, you should consider storing a few in a drawer until you need them.

The same goes for couch pillows. If you have too many of them, you will constantly have to tidy up, and it’s difficult to keep them neat and organized.

6. Open shelves give the impression of clutter and chaos

Open shelves have many benefits. They have a warm and inviting look; they are easy to organize and cost less than closed cabinets. However, without proper organization, open shelves can make a room look cluttered. It’s not suitable for people with limited space.

If you stick to the rule of three items per group, your open shelves will look somewhat neater. Otherwise, it’s better to invest in closed cabinets.

7. You have too much furniture in the room

Some rooms are filled wall to wall with furniture. When we buy new furniture, we sometimes forget to find other uses for the existing pieces. Sometimes, you may not have space in other rooms and decide to keep them in the same room.

In other cases, the furniture may have been inherited, and you would simply feel guilty getting rid of them. However, keeping all the furniture you receive from loved ones will make your room cluttered and affect your interior design.

If you feel guilty about selling the furniture, you can find someone else to pass it on to or you can take it on consignment.

8. Unclear surfaces are messy

Not every surface in your house needs to be covered. In some rooms, you’ll find stacks on nightstands, dressers, and chests. There, you’ll find all sorts of things:

• Phones
• Chargers
• Keys
• Sunglasses
• Coins
• Wallets
• Other things that make the room look cluttered

You need to have a designated drop zone for your stuff when you come through the door. For example, get a large basket for storing keys, phone chargers, hat, sunglasses, etc.

9. Too many toys look messy

We all love kids and love to see them happy. However, it can often be a nightmare to get them too many toys. First, you have to clear all the clutter and then find creative ways to store them.

To avoid this, lock away half the toys for about a week and only let your kids play with their favorites. Once you’ve taught them to play with fewer toys, you can rotate them. Taking one toy out of storage means putting another away. This way, you never have too many toys out at the same time.

Additionally, whenever you buy them a new toy, consider donating one of the older ones to keep the numbers constant.

10. Unorganized books look messy and collect dust

Many readers incorporate their books into home decor. A neatly stacked pile adds a touch of elegance and purpose to a room. However, a cheap five-shelf bookcase filled with rows of books from side to side makes your room look messy instead.

To keep books neat and visually appealing, you should arrange them by height or spine color. Also, leave some breathing space on the shelf instead of making them look crammed together.

You can use a large geode, bookends, or even a stack of other books laid flat to flank standing books. Finally, add other textured elements like a large basket or a glass vase to break up the wall of paper.

11. You have too many small plants

Small live plants are a great addition to any room. They provide beautiful decor and increase fresh air circulation. However, it is possible to have too many plants in one room.

When every surface in the room is covered with potted plants, you might be overdoing it. Instead, distribute them in different rooms or gather them on a countertop or shelf. Better yet, you can give some away to a friend who doesn’t have plants in their home.

12. You have too many small lamps

Lamps are not only a great source of light but also an essential part of your interior design. However, too many small lamps and decorative pieces can make your room look cluttered.

Whenever there are too many small items on a surface, it looks messy, even if you’re using those things.

To avoid this, get fewer but larger lamps or install some overhead lighting. This will not only make your room look more orderly but also make it easier to clean.

13. Your collections are taking over your house

Collections are a big part of interior design. Stuffed animal collections, glass collections, and figurine collections in one room can look cluttered and unattractive.

In fact, any large collection can lead to clutter. The best way to avoid this is to keep the collections that are closest to your heart displayed. The rest can be stored out of sight and brought out when needed.

14. You have messy stacks of paper

When you enter a living room, you’re greeted by a stack of bills and mail lazily piled on a tabletop. While most people leave the bills there so they won’t forget them, it’s not a pretty sight.

The solution here is to have a good mail and paper filing system. Get a specific place to put your neatly filed bills and mail and make sure that any piece of paper that reaches your house gets filed or discarded. You should also handle the paperwork every day to stay on top of this issue.

15. Your entryways are cluttered

It’s nice to have a welcome mat outside your door. It makes your guests feel welcome! However, a cluttered entryway gives your house an untidy appearance and turns off the same guests. A single welcome mat is enough. You don’t need all those other door signs and quotes.

Additionally, if you live in a cold or wet climate, you probably remove your shoes at the door. If everyone in your house takes off their shoes and leaves them right in front of the door, it becomes messy. It gets worse when you also have to hang your coat when you’re inside the house.

If you have to remove your shoes every time you enter your house, create a shoe storage area for all the shoes. You should also create a place to hang coats and gloves. If you’re not sure how to go about it, you can look up some Pinterest entryway ideas.

16. Dirty dishes make the whole kitchen look untidy

Admittedly, washing dirty dishes is not the most glamorous chore. However, having dirty dishes on your kitchen countertop is an unsightly view, even in the best-decorated kitchens. So, make sure you clean your dishes every day, if not after every meal.

When you’re done cleaning, dry them off and put them away. That’s because even clean dishes on your countertop create clutter.

Also in the kitchen, if you have too many pots and pans, your cabinet will look untidy. So, only keep the pans and pots you need, and store the rest. To keep your kitchen countertops free from clutter, also remove less-used appliances and cutlery.

17. There is too much decor for the space

It’s completely natural to want a beautiful home. As a result, many people spend a lot of time and money on interior design. While there’s nothing wrong with that, some people tend to go overboard.

The best decor themes try to follow a minimalist approach because it’s very difficult to bring a lot of decorations together. Using too much decor often leads to the room losing its intended theme. So, it’s important to stick to a theme and add only a few elements, avoiding as much clutter as possible.