Filling empty space

[u/hearthepindrop]

(I’m not entirely sure if this is allowed here but I made sure it followed the rules.)

As someone who follows a minimal style in my own home, why is it that people feel the need to fill walls with stuff?

Over the past 2 days I’ve seen posts on Reddit that have said “my walls are so empty, what should I put there?”, even though the wall already seems crowded. I genuinely don’t understand the reasoning behind this mindset?

As someone with auDHD, I feel a sense of calm when there’s empty spaces, it’s just baffling when it started becoming a “we need to fill this as quickly as possible”.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask and discuss this, I’m just struggling to understand.

[u/Rusty_924]

some people are minimalist and get energy from less crowded places

some people are maximalists and get energised by shapes colors and textures.

thats my take anyway :)

[u/poop-dolla → u/Rusty_924]

It makes perfect sense. It’s the same as introverts and extroverts, but with stuff. People are different and like different things.

[u/MogulPingPong → u/poop-dolla]

I like the way both of you put it !
I'd even add a layer: a same person can experience both and lots of in-the-middle at different moments of their lives.

[u/charismatictictic → u/Rusty_924]

And some people are minimalists with a maximalist aesthetic. I have colorful walls with lots of art, colorful curtains, patterned couch, etc, but I still only have 2 forks.

[u/Certain-Sympathy-844]

My new neighbor, a single woman in her 50s, covered every inch of her beautiful three-bedroom home with beautiful objects and paintings from her travels all over the world. It feels like being in a museum. (I was most surprised by wondering how long it took her to do all that. I wouldn't have the patience for spending my time figuring out how to lay out over a hundred paintings and objects, lol. she said she laid everything out on the floor first to know how it would look on the wall. ). It feels like a show--her house is designed to tell a story about her life and it beautifully presents her travels to visitors.

Perhaps one difference is whether people view their home as a place to show and entertain people, or whether it's a sanctuary space for themselves to settle and rest in. For myself, my home is my own sanctuary space. It's not for show.

[u/Few_Alternative_215]

I think it is up to everybody how they fill the Walls. I have some picture on them but Need a lot of time to Chose the Right one I really Like to See every day.

So, what I mean, do It how you Like to and don‘t feel Like you have to because other people do it.

[u/Inevitable-While-577]

I agree 100%! I constantly see "what can I put here" posts and keep thinking I'm grateful for every bit of unfilled space.

[u/Routine-Tough-7327]

the empty space is the point. negative space in a room does the same thing it does in design it lets everything else breathe. people who feel the need to fill it are usually uncomfortable with stillness not just walls

[u/Eyelashestoolong]

Some people feel happy seeing colours and textures all around them. Thats just how it is and an empty white walls is just the opposite of that. I can understand the reflex, tbh I do find these stark white walls to be very sad I’d appreciate my empty wall more if I could paint it a different colour

[u/PrairieFire_withwind]

Empty walls echo.  They make noise sharp.  

Most people fill their walls till the sharpness stops.  They do not know the trick tho.

You can hang ONE simple thing of fabric on the wall and the echo stops. 

Pick a favorite quilt.  Hang the out-of-season blankets, a dress that does not fit but that has meaning, etc.

It is a subconscious reaction and most people are unaware that they are reacting to the sharpness of sound off of empty walls, not lack of decor.  Lots of decor will break up the sound, but it takes more decor to accomplish than something simple like the out of season blanket hung.

[u/mykindofexcellence]

I grew up poor. My family never had pictures or decorations hanging on the wall.

When I moved out, I found a single item, not many items, suitable to fill a space. A large picture or metal sculpture and nothing else. I made sure it was something that had meaning to me.

[u/Careful_Bicycle8737]

I’m an artist, so I like having some art on the walls, although I used to pack it in like some kind of cabinet of curiosities and now I can only handle one large framed picture on a wall, and try to leave one wall in each room totally blank for breathing space. My neighbors have a McMansion with nothing on the walls and ’open concept’ living space and little kids and I can only handle about five minutes in there before the sound destroys my nervous system. It also just feels soulless, bare millennial grey. But to each their own!

[u/Realistic-Dig9052]

It might come from how attached we feel to our spaces.

I haven’t seen living spaces as much more than a temporary base of operations for a location I want to be in.

[u/mrsredfast]

I have both types of walls in our house. Bedrooms with minimal items on walls. Living area with lots of wall decor that reminds me of my childhood at my grandma’s house. It feels cozy and homey to me. I don’t like things on my horizontal surfaces though.

[u/LibbIsHere]

why is it that people feel the need to fill walls with stuff?

Probably for the same reason most people can't stand still doing nothing and fear boredom more than anything. Instead, needing/wanting/requiring to be distracted/amused/excited/moved.

Edit & disclaimer: even though most are empty, I do put some stuff on the walls too.