What Is ‘Messy Aesthetic’ Or ‘Cluttercore’ Trend Everyone Is Talking About? Know About Instagram’s New Obsession

Instagram users are recently obsessing over a not-so-new interior design trend called messy aesthetics or in other words, cluttercore. As the name suggests, the things people once felt sorry about, overloaded shelves, collections covering every surface, and spaces far from minimalist, are now in style. The cluttercore trend has gone viral, reportedly crossing over 90 million views on social media.

What is Cluttercore?

The name sounds a bit unlucky because “clutter” makes it feel like we are praising piles of dirty clothes on the floor. We are not. Instead, see it as filling your space with objects that truly reflect your life, items you use every day or pieces that hold personal memories.

This style brings together bright colours, unusual furniture, bold contrasts, and, at times, decorated ceilings. Different colours, materials, and styles sit side by side, often within a small area. The aim is to make your home feel personal and lived-in, rather than like a showroom that no one dares to touch.

Cluttercore is not the same as being messy because intention still guides the arrangement. You do not place things carelessly. You build small moments of organised chaos where, and this is important, certain colours repeat to connect the entire space.

Messy clutter vs intentional clutter

Messy clutter is what most people imagine when they hear the word clutter. It builds up when items pile on top of each other and spill into every space. Think about a kitchen counter after a long day of cooking dinner, helping with homework, opening parcels, and sorting the post.

Intentional clutter works very differently. It carefully displays meaningful objects and collections and creates a lived-in look that reflects your personality and passions. Designers and homeowners are embracing this modern form of maximalism this year. A recent Pinterest report named "mix and maximalist" as one of 2025's biggest trends. It revealed that searches for “eclectic maximalism” increased 215 per cent year over year, while “vintage maximalism” rose by 260% during the same period.