The Clarity Reset. Wellness Interior Design in Action.
How to reduce visual noise without going minimalist (and why your brain will thank you).
Let’s talk about the thing nobody admits out loud: sometimes your home is fine… but you still feel a little on-edge in it. Not because you’re “messy.” Not because you need to become a minimalist. But because your space is asking your brain to process too much, too often. Design is self care. And clarity is one of the fastest ways to feel that, because clarity isn’t about having less. It’s about having less visual negotiation.
What is “visual noise”?
Visual noise is when your eyes don’t know where to rest. Too many competing objects, patterns, piles, or micro-messes create constant low-level scanning and your attention keeps getting tugged around.
The science translation: our visual system has limits. In cluttered scenes, it becomes harder to identify what we’re looking at, especially in peripheral vision (a phenomenon called “crowding”). That means your brain has to work harder just to take in the room [1][2].
And that extra work doesn’t feel like “thinking.” It feels like:
irritability
indecision
mental fatigue
a subtle sense that you’re never fully “off”
Why clutter can feel stressful (even if you’re used to it)
Researchers have linked home environments that feel more cluttered or unfinished with less healthy daily stress patterns. In one well-known study, women who described their homes as more “cluttered” or “unfinished” showed different daily cortisol patterns, a physiological marker associated with stress regulation. (Important note: this was correlational, not proof of causation, but the association is meaningful) [3]
We also have experimental work showing that household chaos can cause increases in stress and negative emotions, at least in controlled settings, suggesting that disorderly environments can push the nervous system in the wrong direction [4]. And then there’s the “why can’t I make decisions at home?” piece. Environmental disorder has been shown to undermine self-regulation partly because it threatens your sense of control and drains mental resources. Translation: when your environment feels chaotic, it can become harder to stay disciplined, focused, and decisive [5]. Even brief exposure to order vs. disorder has been shown to shift choices and behavior in measurable ways [6].So no, you’re not dramatic. You’re human.
How we can do this together (fast, without the spiral)
If you want clarity but you don’t want to spend 3 months second-guessing bins and baskets, this is exactly what my House Call is for.
Want your home to be a part of your wellness routine? Click here to get the conversation started!
Because Design is self care and your home should support you, not nag you.
(Authored By Craig Gritzen, Founder & Principal Designer of Curated Style Collective, Wellness Interior Design Studio, Salt Lake City & Park City Utah. We blend project management precision, scientific insight, and a belief that design can transform the way we live.)
References
[1] Rosenholtz, R., Li, Y., & Nakano, L. (2007). Measuring visual clutter. Journal of Vision, 7(2), 1–22.
[2] Whitney, D., & Levi, D. M. (2011). Visual crowding: A fundamental limit on conscious perception and object recognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(4), 160–168.
[3] Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. L. (2010). No place like home: Home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 71–81.
[4] Bodrij, F. F., et al. (2021). The causal effect of household chaos on stress, negative emotions, and caregiving: An experimental study. Frontiers in Psychology.
[5] Chae, B. (G.), & Zhu, R. (J.). (2014). Environmental disorder leads to self-regulatory failure. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(6), 1203–1218.
[6] Vohs, K. D., Redden, J. P., & Rahinel, R. (2013). Physical order produces healthy choices, generosity, and conventionality, whereas disorder produces creativity. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1860–1867.
