Judi Dench's home, described as "packed with family photographs, children's drawings and memories everywhere," has inspired a new decorating trend called reverse decluttering, according to a recent article by Polly Hudson. The trend, which opposes the traditional practice of decluttering, has sparked a strong reaction from neat freaks who value tidiness above all.
Jo Whiley embraces reverse decluttering after visiting Judi Dench
Jo Whiley, a broadcaster, revealed on her RHS Roots podcast that she adopted the trend after interviewing Dame Judi Dench. Whiley, who had recently begun a decluttering spree after her four children grew up, was struck by Dench's home. "Seeing Judi's reminded me that lived-in spaces are often the most beautiful because they reflect a lifetime of love, family and shared experiences," Whiley said. "I suddenly thought: 'Why am I putting all these things away?' As soon as I got home, I immediately put all the family photographs back out."
This shift, described as reverse decluttering, involves surrounding oneself with mementos rather than striving for a perfectly tidy space. The trend is backed by a review article from Current Opinion in Psychology, which determined that some objects help bring significant memories to mind. Another study found that possessions could evoke pride, though the article argues that tidiness should take precedence.
Personal conflict: a neat freak married to a hoarder
Polly Hudson, a freelance writer, shared her personal struggle with the trend, noting that she is a dedicated declutterer who views the practice as addictive and life-improving. "Decluttering is the heroin of housework – in its addictiveness, that is. In every other way, it's the opposite of heroin – it will make your life better and you'll never be sorry you tried it," Hudson wrote. She describes herself as "like a snake, constantly shedding skin and donating it to the charity shop."
However, Hudson's husband is a hoarder, creating constant conflict. "The following sounds like hyperbole, but it's completely true to say the man has never thrown anything away," she wrote. He keeps every laptop he's ever owned, clothes from his schooldays including a T-shirt that hasn't fit him for decades, and a mustard cravat that smells like mustard despite many washes, which belonged to a great-great-aunt's husband's brother. Their relationship is an "endless argument about whether his items have been innocently mislaid (by him) or secretly disposed of (by me)."
Impact and next steps
Hudson fears that if her husband hears about the reverse decluttering trend, it will undermine her efforts to maintain a tidy home. She recently won a debate over a stone only because he could not name the beach it was from before a buzzer went. The article concludes with a warning: "The route out of our house is a one-way street and there's a no-returns policy. If he even tries to mess with the system, I'll unhinge my jaw and swallow him whole."
