yee claudet's Profile

the question seems more to be about the technical issue of merging two styles and not about how to gently break it to your mom that you don't like her style without being ungrateful... to offer some advice, i would say you can try to keep her stuff but maybe hide or highlight them. clutter lining shelves can be covered by adding doors or putting up curtains so that everything can be displayed or reached when needed but still hidden when something more minimal is desired. you could also try asking her if she wants to go through some of the knick knacks that don't have sentimental meaning to her or maybe more tactfully try choosing a couple of items you both like and displaying them more prominently as artwork or tell her that they are enhanced by creating a focal point around them. creative storage/arrangement may also help if there are things that can be organized out of sight into decorative bins or baskets.....

and if all else fails you can try making your private rooms to your style and maybe nicely and tactfully ask your mom to compromise on some of the more communal clutter-tastic areas if you help her make other rooms in the house specifically in mind for her. like if she likes to sew and the house is shrewn with sewing things, try to group things and dedicate one area to display and house all of her things more efficiently for her. you will succeed in making your mom somewhere special for her, letting her know you love and appreciate her, and getting some of the clutter out of other areas of the house.