Annie Midori Atherton’s article in The Atlantic titled “Minimalism is Neat, But Clutter Makes a Home” explores her emotional connection to sentimental clutter in her home. Despite efforts to declutter her small apartment shared with her family, she finds herself unable to part with personally meaningful yet impractical objects.

Key Points: 

1. The author keeps certain objects like an old glass paperweight and a box of old birthday cards, which she refers to as “sentimental clutter.” These are items that hold personal significance but have no practical use.
2. These items occupy valuable space in her small apartment, but she finds it difficult to part with them because they hold an emotional value.
3. Even though the author acknowledges that these objects create a cluttered, mismatched look in her home, she realizes that they fulfill a deeper emotional need.
4. The clutter, she states, represents every stage of her life, the lives of deceased relatives, and the life of her toddler daughter, serving as a connection to people and times that might otherwise feel lost.
5. This piece poses a contrast to the minimalist trend, exploring the emotional and sentimental value of clutter in one’s living space.

Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/07/sentimental-clutter-minimalism-memories/674663/