For years the fashion in home interior decoration has been for minimalism. No clutter and neutral colours with only the occasional splash of bright colour introduced in soft furnishings.
This trend was partly influenced by the advice of
It this time of year, the pressure to buy things is at its most intense, not only because of the annual event that is Black Friday, but also because of Christmas.
In fact, in the consumer economy that characterises most of the developed world, most businesses and the economy, depend on
When asked what item they cherished most, studies show that women are most likely to say family photos while men will say
How many of us actually ever look at those souvenirs we have kept of special moments?
They are often items of little monetary value – a champagne cork, an old theatre or concert programme, faded letters, a much-battered child’s toy – but more sentimental memories.
Psychologists argue that our relationship with possessions is based on the fact that we own them, which means that we
Hoarding has become a favourite topic of research among psychologists, but it has also been a focus for politicians from time to time. Famously in the 1930s when FDR issued an
Shoe Collection
In 2015 anthropologists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) carried out a study into possessions in the average home. It found that even in the smallest home in their study, a house of 980 sq ft, there were, in the two bedrooms and living room alone
Hoarding belongings is generally seen as a negative and a problem, while being a collector is not.
The result, however, may be
Despite trends such as minimalism and decluttering and the “throwaway society” idea of the relentless pursuit of the newest and best, human beings are nothing if not contrary and many of us find it difficult to get rid of possessions.
The 19th Century British textile designer William Morris advised:
