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Decluttering Your Home Mindfully: Embracing Vintage Decor for a Tidy Space

By Rachel

published 05/15/2025

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Create a tidy space with vintage decor! Decluttering your home mindfully is easy. Intentionally incorporate pre-loved finds for a unique and uncluttered aesthetic.

Do you ever look around your home and feel overwhelmed by clutter? Is your mind in constant chaos, unable to find peace in your own space? You’re not alone. In today’s fast-paced world, we accumulate belongings at an alarming rate, leaving us with overstuffed homes and cluttered minds. But, I have good news! There IS a way to declutter your home mindfully by embracing a more vintage aesthetic. As counterintuitive as it sounds, come along as we explore the connection between vintage decor, thrifted finds, and a tidy space!

Decluttering Your Home with Character and Soul: Creating Space with Secondhand Finds

“Clutter is anything that doesn’t belong in a space-whether because it belongs elsewhere in your home, or it doesn’t belong in your home any longer.”- Organise My House

Table of Contents

In this post, we’re going to explore the concept of mindful decluttering and how incorporating vintage decor can not only create a tidy and organized home but also bring character and help your home to tell a story.

Think you need to get rid of it all?? No way! Under my definition, decluttering doesn’t mean eliminating all your belongings but, rather, curating a home where both empty space AND cherished, pre-loved items can co-exist in a harmonious way.

We’ll discuss the mindset benefits of this method, room by room strategies, knowing what to keep or let go of, practical tips for integrating finds, and how this all can help you find a sense of calm and balance in your living space. Say goodbye to clutter and hello to a more mindful and stylish home!

Shop Favorite Vintage Decor Finds

Intentional Decluttering Through a Vintage and Thrifted Lens: How They Go Hand in Hand

I know we all love Marie Kondo but let’s move beyond her now! Yes, there are a plethora of popular decluttering methods that we’ve all heard about and many of them are valid and helpful.

However, this is The Antiqued Journey! I want to introduce the idea of a more curated and character-driven approach to a clutter-free home through the use of vintage decor and thrifted items.

Here are three points as to how decluttering your home goes hand in hand with vintage:

Mindful Consumption: The conscious act of choosing pre-loved items over new, mass-produced goods aligns with the premise of living sustainability. When decluttering, think about how you can get rid of the things you don’t need while, at the same time, utilizing thrift stores or vintage shops for the things you do need.
Creating Space with Character: Vintage and thrifted finds can add personality and story to a decluttered space, preventing it from feeling sterile. Liken it to an edit or a paring down but in the most curated and beautiful way.
Instead of cluttering a home with useless things or styling an already crowded space with decor that everyone else has, this method is a much more sustainable approach to space.
Valuing Pre-Loved Items: Sourcing thrifted finds helps us all to appreciate the history and unique qualities of secondhand treasures. When we can go beyond the premise of constantly buying new or always wanting to have more things to fill our already full spaces, it all becomes so apparent on how special pre-loved finds are! They already contain character, patina, and a soul that can fill your home with warmth.

Decluttering Room by Room: Creating Space with Secondhand and Vintage Decor

Here, we’ll get into some specific examples and tips for decluttering each room in your home. I’ll share ideas for paring down and replacing items mindfully with secondhand pieces.

As always, this is meant to be a guide. Take what speaks to you and leave the rest!

Decluttering Your Living Room (Vintage Edition)

In this space, which is likely the most well-used family space in your home, the focus is on decluttering excess furniture and decorative items.

Since the living room, or family room as some people call it, is a gathering space, you want this room to look and feel open with plenty of floor space and areas for conversation.

To achieve a welcoming and decluttered living room, pare down extra furniture that is either in the way or not being used. It’s also important here to think about scale. If your living room is on the smaller side, make sure that the size of your furniture pieces matches the scale of the space.

Another area in a living room that could benefit from a good decluttering session is the use of decorative items. Ask yourself questions like:

“Does the decor enhance my space or detract from it?”
“Is it too much? Are there a few items that I can donate to achieve a less cluttered feel?”
“What items could be removed to provide a little more white space?”

Finally, if there is anything that needs replacing, I suggest replacing any generic items with carefully chosen vintage pieces that serve a purpose and add style. Think a vintage trunk as a coffee table for storage or a thrifted side table for half the price of a brand new one!

Thrifted Kitchen Declutter

Speaking from experience, the kitchen is the worst space for accumulating clutter…amiright?! Like…how does there get to be so much stuff!?

The name of the game in the kitchen is decluttering unnecessary gadgets and duplicates of things. No one needs three peelers, four sets of measuring cups, or endless storage containers with missing lids.

My advice for decluttering a kitchen space is to go through drawers and cupboards seasonally. At the beginning of each season, so four times a year, I will clean out all of my kitchen drawers, cupboards, and pantry.

It’s amazing the amount of un-needed stuff that appears in just a few months! After you get rid of items that you either no longer use or that just don’t fit your lifestyle, you can then make a list of what needs to be replaced.

For a pleasing aesthetic that helps your kitchen to tell a story, may I suggest incorporating functional yet charming kitchenware? Items such as vintage canisters for pantry staples, pottery bowls for baking, or unique serving dishes can be found thrifted for just a few dollars!

thrifted home organization and sustainable decorating

Vintage Bedroom Organization

Raise your hand if you’ve been guilty of hoarding clothing! WHY do we do this to ourselves?! If the thing doesn’t fit or just plain doesn’t look good, donate it! I’ve found myself being like “Oh but I might wear this someday. Or, I’ll need this shirt for this occasion or that event.” Girl…no! Get rid of it and make peace with having more space in your closet!

In the bedroom, focus on de-cluttering clothing, accessories, and any items that have seen better days such as wobbly side tables, broken lamps, or socks with holes.

For a character-rich aesthetic, try:

thrifting a vintage dresser for a stylish storage solution
use vintage trunks or a stack of vintage suitcases for side tables!
hanging a vintage peg rack in your closet for frugal organization for belts, purses, or hats
purchase bedding, blankets, or quilts secondhand
thrift lamps for a mix-matched yet budget-friendly look!

Decluttering Your Bathroom with Thrifted Style

The bathroom is another room in any house that accumulates an excess of things! I think we all have that ‘one basket’ underneath the sink that slowly piles up with soap, lotion, chapstick, and various medicines until it’s filled to overflowing.

When looking to have a more organized and clutter-free bathroom space, I suggest only having items in your bathroom that you actually use on a daily basis. Everything else can go.

In your bathroom, focus on decluttering:

excess toiletries
un-used linens such as towels or bedding
old makeup
expired medication

Utilize vintage jars or baskets for organizing cotton balls, storing hair binders, or holding soap. You could also thrift small vintage wall shelves or cabinets for budget-friendly storage solutions!

Decluttering Your Home Mindfully: Embracing Vintage Decor for a Tidy Space

To put it simply, decluttering your home mindfully is about embracing a more thoughtful and sustainable approach to creating a clutter-free home that is filled with character and tells your unique story.

It’s about deciding what to let go of, then re-organizing your spaces in a less cluttered manner, and then replacing what needs to be replaced with vintage or thrifted items that you actually need and will be used.

Remember, you just decluttered and got rid of un-needed items, so here is where the mindful decorating comes in. Don’t just go thrifting to go and buy things that are only going to clutter up your house again! Have a list of practical items that will enhance your space and help it to look organized.

Secondhand decor found thrifted will help serve both stylish and practical functions… let’s chat about that below!

Finding Purpose for Vintage and Thrifted Finds in a Clutter-Free Home

1. 1. My first tip is to select items that are not just decorative but also serve a practical purpose. You could call it ‘functional vintage’ 🙂 You see, when every single thing in your home has a place, a function, or a specific purpose, life feels a lot calmer and more relaxed.
  2. Second, think about how thrifted decor or other items in your home can be repurposed! Many times, when decluttering room by room, you might realize that a certain thing could be better used in a different room or placed elsewhere in your home for greater efficiency. Get creative with how to use secondhand items, or things you already have, in different ways within a decluttered space!
  3. Finally, if you are a collector like me, the idea of decluttering might sound very scary or counterintuitive to how you live. BUT! It’s all about balance. You can totally display vintage and thrifted collections without the clutter!
    The focus here is on intentional arrangements and constant editing. In my opinion, a home is never finished. I’m always tweaking, paring down, and re-arranging to make sure that my vintage collections are adding beauty to my home, not creating stress through clutter.

Decluttering Your Home: Knowing What To Keep

I know this might be the part where things get tricky. Knowing what to keep and deciding what to let go of might spark sadness, fear, or just plain overwhelm. You might be asking…”Rachel, how do I know what to keep? Are there any ground rules? Where do I start?”

All great and valid questions. Let me see if I can point you in the right direction.

Sentimental Vintage Items

When decluttering your house, it’s important to acknowledge the emotional value of certain pieces, vintage or not, and how to honor them within a decluttered space. But, can you do so without letting them become clutter? For a clean aesthetic, try grouping or corralling your special pieces in one place such as inside a curio cabinet, hutch, or on a shelf.

Functional Thrifted Finds

If you have items that are genuinely useful, well-used, and serve a specific function, it’s important to note what those things are and hang on to them.

Unique and Character-Rich Pieces

I don’t want a house that everyone else has. So, I always prioritize vintage and thrifted items that add unique personality and charm to each room in my home. You can do the same by taking a few mindful minutes and assessing those quality pieces that bring warmth and character.

Avoiding Clutter with Vintage

You know my deep affection for vintage decor. Collecting pieces is a hobby that I love and hobbies are an important part of life.

So, to make sure that my vintage pieces don’t feel like clutter, I display them like a story. Try curating, and styling, your collections so that each item is part of a larger story or theme within a hutch, curio cabinet, or wall shelf.

Decluttering Tips: The Gentle Art of Letting Go

When to Declutter Vintage

We all have, or have had, that one thing that sits on a shelf or in a corner and collects dust, right?? The thing gets forgotten about over time and just sits there, taking up space. An example like that is when I know, and recognize, when an item no longer serves a purpose and has become clutter.

My advice here is, about 4 times a year, take inventory of the decor or other things in your home. If you haven’t touched the thing, looked at the thing, or literally forgot you even had the thing, it’s clutter at that point and can be thoughtfully donated.

Re-homing Thrifted Items

When going through your home and decluttering, instead of throwing the un-needed things into the trash, I suggest a more responsible way of getting rid of things. This can include donating secondhand items back to thrift stores or selling them on platforms such as FB Marketplace, e-Bay, or Mercari. In this way, you are giving these items a new life while keeping them out of landfills!

Sustainable Disposal of Vintage

Before throwing away anything that is beyond repair, take a minute to see if there are any bits or bobs on the item that can be taken off and re-used for a different purpose. Think: hardware that is still in good condition such as knobs, handles, or hinges or spindles on chairs that could be used for other decor purposes.

Declutter Your Space, Curate Your Story: A Vintage and Thrifted Approach

Through the method of decluttering first and decorating second, I have found four key points that truly help my home to always feel like it’s loved, clean, clutter-free, and meaningful.

These are ideals that anyone can do and at anytime!

1. Creating Minimalist Vintage Spaces

Living minimally and having a minimalist home is a lifestyle that I’ve adopted over the past few years.

Obviously, decluttering is always a good idea for stress-free living but did you know that vintage decor and accessories are inherently minimalist? Due to the natural character and patina that vintage items have, you don’t need to do anything else to them other than style them on a shelf. So, yet again, another reason as to how vintage and decluttering go hand in hand!

2. Embracing Unique Decluttered Style

Vintage and thrifted finds contribute unique and personality-filled style into a home that is generally clutter-free. When wanting to live in a clean home that is full of your own special aesthetic, there is no better way than embracing vintage decluttering methods!

3. Adding Warmth and Texture with Secondhand

When your space is finally free of clutter, you might notice that it feels too open, barren, or empty. No fear! To help bring in warmth and texture to a decluttered space, try utilizing thrifted or vintage textiles or wooden elements such as baskets or crates.

4. Personalizing with Vintage Finds

Finally, and what I think tends to be the most important element, is how wonderfully vintage and thrifted items can be used to tell your personal story within a tidied up home.

When the excess clutter is cleared away and all that’s left is the important, useful items, your brain has space to think. And, what it notices, at least mine does, is just how much each piece of vintage tells a story…my story.

So, to sum it all up, what I’ve learned from decluttering my home and then placing only items that have a use, function, or special value, is: that it creates a unique and uncluttered aesthetic that is meaningful, mindful, and purposeful.

Truly, there’s nothing like living in a home that is free of messes, clutter, and too much stuff. There’s enough stress in the world as it is and your home needn’t add more anxiety.

Closing Tidbits on Decluttering Your Home Mindfully: Embracing Vintage Decor for a Tidy Space

Pare away the stuff, one thing at a time, and it’s like your house is saying ‘thank you’. Your home has space to breathe, to blossom, and to come alive with soul and spirit.

Through decluttering your home mindfully and embracing vintage decor for a tidy space, I truly hope you are able to see how it all goes together like puzzle pieces. With mindful clearing out of excess, there is a beautiful home underneath that can take care of you and reflect your story without the clutter.

Be encouraged to live mindfully, clearing out all that no longer serves along the way.