Clustercore Is Chic Collections, Not Chaos

In a buzzword-heavy design landscape where suffixes can turn anything into a decor microtrend, it’s understandable if clustercore (not to be confused with cluttercore, which is also a thing) doesn’t stand out. It’s just maximalism with an emphasis on multiples, right? More is more, and quirk reigns supreme?

Well, yes and no. Clustercore is both an aesthetic and a system, and the personal logic of display itself is what makes it so appealing. “Your space should be a true representation of who you are, and clustercore is the perfect way to celebrate individuality and self-expression in a visual way,” explains Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson. “I like to think of our favorite items as a reflection of our unique identities, so I encourage shoppers to embrace them with pride and let them shine. To avoid the feeling of clutter, consider grouping items by vignettes to create a cohesive look, while still reflecting your personal style and bringing you joy.”

What sort of cohesive looks are we talking about here? We’re so glad you asked.

There’s a fine line between displaying lots of things in a way that feels stylish and satisfying and doing so in a way that just feels busy, and it’s all about visual coherence. “When displaying clusters of collections, it’s important to find a balance between showcasing your items and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing look,” Dayna explains. “Create focal points with a few standout pieces — like artwork or plants — and play with different scales and textures that complement each other to draw attention without overwhelming the space.”

If Brooklyn designer Leyden Lewis can put his Batman figurine on display (and treat it like sculpture, no less), your kitschiest tchotchkes can come out to play. “In an increasingly automated world, shoppers are looking for ways to celebrate their individuality and turning to concepts like clustercore that allow them to embrace their unique taste, interests and personalities,” Dayna says. “The aesthetic allows them to curate their spaces in a way that reflects their authentic selves, while infusing both nostalgia and sentimentality.”

The next time an accessory catches your eye and you can’t settle on your favorite hue, consider choosing all of them and creating a display like this one, where dozens of jewel-bright glass votives function as composite art above a breakfast-nook banquette. This creates maximum visual impact with minimal effort.

So many gorgeous volumes, only the one coffee table — what’s a bibliophile to do? Liberate titles from shelves and distribute them in mini-clusters on the dining table, atop dressers and credenzas, on bar carts and on kitchen counters — the ceiling is the limit.

Working with multiple versions of the same basic item also presents a fantastic opportunity to get creative with geometry, as designer Brian Patrick Flynn did with these vintage pennants. Lean into the funkiness of silhouettes like these. When you abandon right angles and standard positioning, the world’s your opportunity for installation art.

“I understand all too well how collections can feel overpowering in a space,” says Frontgate brand manager (and dedicated maximalist) Kate Beebe. “I’m reminded of my grandmother and her Hummel collection that dominated the entire living room. Displayed in uniform lines across her bookshelves ... their creepy eyes were (followed) me with every move. It was all too much.

“And that is why it’s important to artfully curate your collections,” she continues. “I’m a firm believer that not all collected items must be in the same vicinity. Sprinkle the assortment in various areas throughout the home. For instance, I’ve collected blue-and-white Ming vases for years. I find it much too powerful when a collection like this is centralized in one room. Instead, I use my collection as the common thread throughout my home, interspersing pieces in every room but mixing with other elements so it’s not too prominent. Pairing with items in other hues (preferably bright — hello, RED!) helps tone down the repetition of the dual-colored collection — and is a no-brainer when you’re a maximalist.”

“If you do want to showcase a collection together in a bigger way, know that you don’t have to showcase the entire collection at one time to still make an impact,” Kate says. “My Derby glass collection [above] is vast and amazing to break out in its entirety for my annual party held on the first Saturday of May. And while I want to keep them out to showcase their beauty year-round, I don’t need the dozens and dozens of them out at one time. A handful of them sit together on my bar cart, drawing the eye to the cluster perceived as ‘many’ but never being ‘too much.’ Also — they’re vibrantly patterned and colorful. A maximalist dream! Start your collection today.”

This vignette at Kate’s home demonstrates the delightfully personal logic of display we mentioned earlier. “When a collection is as simple as rocks — or in my case, handwritten notes from people I love — bowls or clear acrylic boxes are amazing ways to display them,” she says. Instead of, say, covering an entire wall with those personal messages, she opted to gather and display them in a semi-visible arrangement. Arranged in this bowl, she sees them and knows their contents — and visitors experience a layered design that clearly has personal significance to her.

Kate also adds visual texture to the look of her bedroom with silver vessels at staggered heights and a particularly unexpected arrangement atop her books. “I keep a clear box of antique hair combs, probably 10 in total count, on my dressing table for added interest,” she says. Accessories like these paired with an ornamental container are peak clustercore: They turn easily overlooked items into one-of-a-kind centerpieces. (Clustercore is perfect for tablescaping, speaking of centerpieces.)

If you don’t have antique finds or family heirlooms hanging around waiting for a vitrine, don’t worry. “A collection doesn’t have to be big or even meaningful to be exhibited,” Kate says. She walks the walk along with talking the talk on this: “I keep some of my disco ball collection in an acrylic box in my living room. Hardly meaningful, but oh-so-fun — and they make me happy! That’s the point, right? I’m also such a fan of display tables fashioned into coffee tables or consoles.”

“I know the masses are probably tired of hearing this, but our time at home during a pandemic really gave us a lot of time to observe how we really live in our homes: what brings a smile to our faces, what spaces provoke anxiety, what items are no longer needed,” Kate observes. “In fact, as a corporate employee working in home retail, I was a front-row witness to the vast amount of people in America re-thinking their spaces in 2020 and beyond — thank you, kind people, for thinking of Frontgate. Spending as much time as we did in our homes for that year and more, I think we all gravitated toward needing our spaces to not only be safe havens, but joy generators. Meaning: a space filled with things we love and care about. And that feeling has stuck around, thanks to the new perspective we were granted.”

Though clustercore compositions can certainly go high-concept, getting one started couldn’t be easier. “Group like with like,” advises Lexington, Kentucky-based designer Isabel Ladd. “For instance, a collection of plates of varying sizes feels like art when grouped together.” Once you’ve established that motif, bring in another material or shape. In the gorgeously layered space she created here, “adding a few straw baskets broke up the sea of blue and white,” she explains.

As this exuberant bedroom in designer Bari Jill Ackerman's home demonstrates, clustercore and maximalism play very well together. “Clustercore can piggyback off the maximalist aesthetic that’s trending, so it’s not totally out of left field,” Isabel explains. “People are also really embracing uniqueness and self-expression, so clustercore leans hard into that.”

Feeling shy about foregrounding a favorite collection? “Do it anyways! Displaying a collection is fun, smart and a great conversation starter!” Isabel says. “Forget about feeling nerdy or whatever: You do you and show off what makes you, YOU!”

There’s a lot going on atop the floor-to-ceiling floating shelves in this eclectic California home, but there’s also a good deal of space between those shelves and groupings. Furthermore, the globe collection on the topmost shelf is much larger (in size and number) than the other gatherings of objects, which means the eye travels there first, pun not intended, before moving on to the wall’s other wonders.

Like Isabel and Kate, designer and creator Katie Zamprioli — beloved on social media for her Candy-Colored Home — regards clustercore as a focused and personalized offshoot of maximalism. It’s a natural fit for vintage lovers, as well. (Consider, for example, the fantastic ceramic collection above her desk, pictured here.) “I’m a big fan of clustercore because I love revealing my personality through displaying my thrifted treasures throughout my home,” she says. “I personally believe that clustercore is the perfect way to showcase maximalism without feeling too cluttered and overwhelmed because it’s organized and curated.”

If counter or tabletop space is at a premium, or if you’re worried that too many items will make your room look busy, “Go vertical! Shelving units on a wall are a perfect way to display clusters of your favorite collection without taking up a lot of space,” Katie says. “A gallery wall is also an excellent way to showcase your favorite art and personality. Remember, it’s YOUR house and should be a reflection of you and what you love. Trends are great, but not when they feel impersonal and sterile. Don’t be afraid to get weird with it. People love seeing what YOU love! Own and embrace what brings you joy.”

To feature multiple objects in a way that feels stylish and satisfying rather than overwhelming, “try to stick within the same color-scheme to keep it feeling elevated and less juvenile and circus-y,” Katie says. Try breaking up your items with books to add height and dimension and stick to the rule of odd numbers when grouping,” Katie says. Consider how beautifully her living room demonstrates the effectiveness of those guidelines — and how Katie, like Kate, has disco-mirrored accessories in her space.

“When creating a gallery wall, make sure the art is spaced evenly apart and the pieces vary in size and shape. Don’t try to make it too perfect, the imperfection is what makes it unique and special,” Katie says. On the wall behind her dining table, pale wood and thoughtful placement turn her eclectic art into a collection. “It’s helpful to either map out your gallery wall on the floor first or use masking tape on the wall where you plan to place the art to see how it will look before hanging,” she adds.