Dear Jean and Richard, In a recent column you were talking about staging a home and suggested “subtracting.” I don’t plan to sell my home, but I admit when I look around it falls into the cluttered category. How do you determine how much is too much decoration?
—part-time Hendersonville resident

Jean: Hello, Part. It’s a good question, and of course there’s no definitive answer. But your house will offer clues. If you’re preparing dinner, do your countertop accessories or appliances get in the way? If you’re reading a magazine, do you have trouble finding a place to put it down? If everywhere you look surfaces are covered, maybe it’s time to pare down a little.

Richard: Or a lot. I think that often surface clutter, or maybe I should say “abundant accessories,” is simply invisible to collectors/hoarders. They see the doll collection lining their walls as found treasures worthy of display, or the colored bottles arranged over the hanging cabinets as pretty light refractors.

Jean: Wait a minute—you’re stepping on toes. I think my collection of colored bottles adds a lot of interest to the kitchen.

Richard: And do you dust them to keep the light refracting? Or is dust something else that just becomes invisible?

Jean: You’re cruel. But it’s a good point. While others may appreciate your fabulous collection of baskets, they may also be thinking to themselves, “No wonder it smells funny in here.”

Richard: There are, of course, appropriate ways to display collections without leaving everything out to collect dust. Keep the best, donate the rest! But if we’re talking about surface clutter, what a nightmare to clean around. For some people, the concept of “less is more” is difficult to embrace. But embrace the fact that some people might see it as a carnival gone wrong.

Jean: Most women understand balance when accessorizing their wardrobes, and balance also comes into play with home accessories. For example, most women will choose one or two necklaces at a time to wear, and they will make an effort to coordinate earrings. There are exceptions, of course, but it would be tacky to wear everything you own at the same time. Personally, I’m not that strong….

Richard: For that matter, you could also compare an over-indulgence of chotskies to an over-indulgence of eating. If you ate everything in your pantry at once, pretty soon you would need to go on a diet, or at least quickly purge. And with that thought, we’re back to “reduce.”

Jean: Reduce, subtract… I will add that, as in all diets, it’s not only how much you eat, but what you eat can that can make a difference. The same is true for interior décor. So, Grandma, reduce your thirty photos of little Zack to just a few, and place them in nice frames. Mom, parade your glass menagerie into a nice display case, perhaps itself an interesting antique. And if you’re stuff is just stuff, give it to a thrift shop or charity so someone can truly benefit from it. Your house will most likely look better without the extra pounds.

Richard: And maybe when you’re at the thrift store, pick up an exercise bike!