'When in doubt, less is more' – the No More Than 4 rule instantly cuts through visual clutter for a less stressful, streamlined home

Does your home feel overwhelmed by clutter, even though you have tried to keep things organized? Visual noise could be the culprit.

Enter the 'No More Than Four' rule. By limiting the number of items displayed on your surfaces to just four, you can create a more streamlined and visually peaceful environment.

Here, professional home organizers reveal how this simple decluttering tip can transform your space, making it feel more organized and less stressful – one surface at a time.

The no more than four rule

Created by home organizer and lifestyle blogger Holly Blakey of Breathing Room Home on Instagram, the No more Than Four rule does what exactly what it says on the tin. You should not have any more than four items on any open surface.

The best bit? It works everywhere, from clearing visual clutter in a living room to decluttering a nightstand to sleep better.

We can easily be stressed by the visual clutter of open storage. This trick works because it reduces how many things our eyes have to process.

Courtney Cummings, professional home organizer and owner of The Stylish Organizer explains, ‘Visual clutter is a real thing. If there is an abundance of items in your environment, your brain is constantly processing information in the background. That continual assessment expends mental energy, whether you realize it or not.

'To create a calm and restful space, limit your items on display. A great rule of thumb is to limit the number to four items in a given space, whether that be a nightstand, coffee table, shelf, or console table. Choose pieces that work for the scale of the space. When in doubt, less is more. Your brain will thank you.'

It's actually one of the reason you might feel stressed out by the visual clutter of open storage.

Cori McDougald, professional home organizer and owner of Meat & Potatoes Organizing adds, ‘I like to think of your home as your sanctuary, the place for you to rest and recover. Whether consciously or subconsciously, our brains are affected by the clutter in our environment.

'When trying to create a peaceful and restful space, a great goal is to reduce visual clutter. By only keeping four items on the nightstand, dresser, or coffee table, you would certainly be closer to your goal of less visual clutter. I like the idea [of this rule] – it's a win in my book!'

How to use the 'No More Than Four' rule

No matter if you are clearing visual clutter in a bedroom or reducing visual clutter in an entryway, the principal remains the same. You need to declutter all the non-essential items from open storage, be it shelving or side tables,, leaving only four essentials behind.

For example, you might want to keep a lamp, book, glasses, and a vase of flowers on your nightstand as your four items, with the items to not store on your nightstand being tucked away into a cabinet or basket.

When organizing kitchen counters, on the other hand, you may need more items on display for functionality. However, you can use trays or baskets to corral them together and help your brain register them as just one thing instead of lots of little items.

For instance, you might choose to keep decorative oil bottles and salt and pepper shakers together on a tray alongside a set of cookbooks and two counter appliances.

Jamie Hord, founder of Horderly adds, ‘Visual clutter like tchotchkes [trinkets or other strictly decorative items] can be an instant eyesore of clutter. Keep a few nice decor pieces out at once and rotate them seasonally rather than having everything out at once. Keeping countertops as clear as possible can make a home feel neat and tidy.

'Make sure you have an easily reachable home for items that you are using regularly and have a system set up for items like mail and to-dos so that these aren't always landing out on the table.’

Meet the experts

Holly Blakey

Holly founded Breathing Room to help homeowners take even the tiniest steps towards a more restful home. She helps teach clients and followers about the transformative power of organizing for individuals and families, helping them to find balance.

Courtney Cummings

Courtney is the founder, owner, and lead organizer at The Stylish Organizer. She started out as an event planner, program manager, and communications director 16 years ago before making the transition to professional organizing after discovering the joy and serenity that she could bring to others through organizing their homes.

Jamie Hord

Jamie is a certified professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, specializing in decluttering and organizing. Alongside Horderly’s success, Jamie has become one of the world’s most recognizable professional organizers, having been in the likes of Homes & Gardens, Architectural Digest, NY Times, Good Housekeeping, The Today Show, Forbes, and more.

Cori McDougald

Cori started Meat & Potatoes Organizing because she wanted to help people get down to the basics in life – the Meat & Potatoes – if you will.

Another great way to reduce visual clutter is to spot and clear 'accumulation pieces', a.k.a clutter magnets that attract mess and make tidying more difficult. This way, you are more likely to put items away behind closed doors for a less overwhelming home.