Time to declutter

I identify with this room because it's a small space, like the one in which I live,

and I admire this room because of it's realistic simplicity. It looks lived in, yet not cluttered. Sometimes I am drawn to rooms that seem to have nothing in them, and I can't help but wonder where all the stuff is. I like things to look clean, but not empty, you know?

OK, it's becoming clear that I have a new clutter phobia. Besides mentally assessing the stuff on display in almost every photo I look at, I have also been attacking my house -- one corner at a time -- by taking a good, hard look at everything I have out. Why is it there? What value does it bring to the room? If I can't answer those questions, then - whoosh! It's gone. Don't worry, not for good. Just please don't open the curtained armoire in the living room ;-)

p.s. I love the potted plant on the table! It's charming and fresh and whispers of Spring.

Vignettes or clutter? A real estate question

OK, readers, I need your opinions on this. My friend Colleen rents a cute little house in Boulder, Colorado.

A couple of days before Christmas (when she was out of town), her landlord informed her that he was putting the house on the market. Totally out of the blue, but she has a month-to-month lease, so it's all legal. Anyway, Colleen returned from her holiday travels and had about 24 hours to straighten up before the real estate agent arrived to take pictures. I think she did a great job.

Wouldn't you want to live in a house like this?

I know I'd be happy.

Check out the shelves in the kitchen. Colleen installed those this fall when she was holed up with H1N1. It set her recovery back a couple of days, but I think it was worth it, don't you?

Speaking of H1N1, you know what gives me fever? Attic bedrooms. I've mentioned it before on this blog, here. Aren't these two cute rooms?

OK, so here's where I'd like to hear opinions. Colleen's landlord (who owns the house) received an e-mail from an agent who showed the house (not the listing agent). This is what it said:

Thank you for letting me preview, I have buyers in this area in this price range.
OK, sorry to brutally honest here but the home did not show well at all.
Very cluttered and dirty/messy. Seems overpriced.
Thank you, X

First of all, I have been in her house. It's lovely, especially when you consider the fact that it's a rental. And the agent who is selling the house has been inside multiple times and has said it looks "beautiful." But "very cluttered and dirty/messy"?! Ouch. It is a small house to begin with. It will never feel big and open because it's not. But I definitely don't think it looks dirty or messy.

Colleen spent New Year's Eve day "decluttering." She moved tons of stuff to a storage locker, which is probably time well spent since she will be moving soon anyway. But tell us, please. Does the house look messy to you?

More broadly, Colleen (like me) puts time and energy into her house. It's very "her" - the artwork on the walls, the comfortable furniture, the attention to details. Do you think that the agent's criticism of the house was because the decor wasn't his style? Does a vignette that we think is lovely really look like messy clutter to someone else? Even if something is nicely decorated, it will never be in every person's taste. Is this purely a house-selling point, or does it go beyond that? No, you don't need to please everyone when it comes to decorating your house. Some people might love your style, others might not care for it at all. But "cluttered" and "messy"? Are we being too sensitive? Should we just let it go? Or should we take a closer look at our homes and maybe do some early spring cleaning?