Reducing Visibility Clutter - Part One

If I start to feel a sense of unrest in a space I use regularly, I’ll look around for the pinch point — the area of friction, clutter, or visual tension that might be contributing to that feeling.
Sometimes, there are stray objects in the area that need to be moved back to their "home" (like: cup goes to kitchen, book goes on shelf, empty wrapper goes to recycling). 
Sometimes there are things that are creating clutter that don't need to be there and are taking up space (mental or physical). These things can find new "homes" in your house (or maybe someone else's - a.k.a. donate!). 
Sometimes, every item in sight is genuinely needed in that space. So what do you do then?
Containing items can certainly help. But what happens when the containers themselves start adding to the unrest?
Let me explain.
Take a look at the two photos to the right.

In the first image, there is a lot of visual movement. You can see the contents of the drawers. At first glance, that seems helpful: if you can see your things, they should be easier to find later, right?
Maybe.
For the first few months after organizing my desk supplies into these drawers, being able to see some of the items through the clear fronts did help. The visibility served as a reminder of where things were now stored. But in reality, I still had to open the drawers whenever I was looking for anything beyond my lip balm, ink pad refill, or push pins.
After a while, I realized that although the drawers had successfully contained the physical clutter on my desk, the visible contents had simply created a new kind of clutter:
visibility clutter.

When our eyes have nowhere to rest, our minds can remain busy as well. We may feel overstimulated, distracted, or unsettled without fully understanding why. Different disciplines have different names for this concept. In art school, we called it negative space. In interior design, it is often referred to as breathing room. In graphic design, it's known as white space.

Does this resonate with you?

Consider the ideas above. Could reducing visual clutter:

• Help showcase a special piece of art on the wall or mantle?
• Reduce cognitive load at your desk, making it easier to focus on writing, drawing, or doing taxes?
• Reduce visual over-stimulation in your bedroom—or in any room where the goal is to create a calm, peaceful atmosphere?

I could have gone out and bought drawers that were opaque, or I could have bought a new desk that had built in drawers. Instead, I worked with what I had. This project turned out to have a quick and simple solution without added expense. I placed strips of paper along the inside front edge of each drawer, and presto—no more visual clutter. (the second image)

Now when i look around my desk area I smile because I love that colour and I know that I have reduced a visual irritation and, therefore, mental distraction. Sometimes the smallest changes can have a surprisingly large impact on how a space feels.

In future posts I will share tips on other types of visual clutter and solutions.
In the meantime, see if you can tame some visual unrest in your home.