The Organizational Scale

The Minimalist

The minimalist is characterized by having few to no pictures on the wall, decorations are rare, throw pillows are banned. This style often has a hard time when children are involved, because there’s no such thing as a minimalist child - at least that I’ve ever encountered! Minimalists also often have trouble if their partner is not a minimalist as well. 

The minimalist is the personality type that generally has the hardest time dealing with visible clutter. If it can’t be immediately dealt with, just shove it in a drawer, a closet, under the bed, anywhere that it can’t be seen. Their house often looks clean, but is a mess below the surface. 

The Middle Child

The middle child is the personality trait that encompasses a little of this and a little of that. There might be family photos on the wall, but little to nothing on the shelves. The mail is in a stack on the counter, but is dealt with regularly and doesn’t pile up. If they have young children, the toys probably have a designated area, but aren’t always there. 

The middle child usually doesn’t mind seeing temporary clutter for a day or two, but starts to twitch if they have to deal with it for too long. They take comfort in seeing their most-loved things on display (pictures of the children or grandchildren, a memento from that special trip, photo albums of the past, etc.), but they curate them carefully and don’t overload the room.

The Maximalist

The maximalist loves their stuff. All their stuff. There is probably a gallery wall somewhere of photographs and/or hand-made art work. Flat surfaces are generally considered display shelves, regardless of their original purpose. These are the people who keep pieces from Great-Aunt Christine’s fine china set on display, right next to pictures of their own 2nd-cousin’s children. (I won’t say their names, but they’re adorable.)

Emotional attachments run deep in the maximalist, and this is reflected in their environment. They are also the ones who have the most trouble keeping things tidy, because it can be hard to differentiate the unintentional clutter from the intentional.