Why do Mormons have no stuff in their houses?

[Anonymous]

We went through a period of time in our brand new 8000sf house where we didn't want to decorate and keep it minimal and clean. We eventually decided to decorate but in general some people prefer the clean look of no clutter or things on the walls where the house itself is the decoration. We have lots of "decor" built into the house like vaulted ceilings, builtin table settings, accent walls etc.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they aren't interested in consumer culture. Good for them! When I visited Bangladesh I was surprised lots of my husband's family did not have anything on the walls and they are upper middle class. They have maids and drivers, and send kids to expensive private schools, etc. In some cultures, they focus more on relationships instead of accumulating stuff. They also don't throw away stuff but repair it and they don't use lots of plastic bags, birthday goodie bags etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they aren't interested in consumer culture. Good for them! When I visited Bangladesh I was surprised lots of my husband's family did not have anything on the walls and they are upper middle class. They have maids and drivers, and send kids to expensive private schools, etc. In some cultures, they focus more on relationships instead of accumulating stuff. They also don't throw away stuff but repair it and they don't use lots of plastic bags, birthday goodie bags etc.

But how will you know if they have any personality unless their travel tsotchkes are on display? Do you actually have to talk to them and get to know them if you can’t scan their counters and walls for the junk they collect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it just that there are lots of Mormon influencers and influencers have bare homes with a few TJ Maxx tchotchkes?

A trends marketing consultant at my work once called "Real Simple" magazine "p0rn for women".

I believe the uncluttered visual aesthetic is a "rich" aesthetic just as other posters have said. It's a largely unattainable state for most of us mortals.

Another aspect of this is the "sad beige children" upmarket children's product aesthetic.

In olden times, the Victorian cluttery aesthetic looked rich because it was hard to get and afford those objects. No longer true...ornate secretary desk, china for 14, ostrich egg, 20 lb geode, books by the foot...all available with a few clicks.

It’s because we have bigger houses. There’s a place for everything. The kitchen counter isn’t cluttered with appliances, spices, and utensils because they all have a space to be stored away. People with small houses who like a lot of stuff have to keep it all out on display.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it just that there are lots of Mormon influencers and influencers have bare homes with a few TJ Maxx tchotchkes?

A trends marketing consultant at my work once called "Real Simple" magazine "p0rn for women".

I believe the uncluttered visual aesthetic is a "rich" aesthetic just as other posters have said. It's a largely unattainable state for most of us mortals.

Another aspect of this is the "sad beige children" upmarket children's product aesthetic.

In olden times, the Victorian cluttery aesthetic looked rich because it was hard to get and afford those objects. No longer true...ornate secretary desk, china for 14, ostrich egg, 20 lb geode, books by the foot...all available with a few clicks.

That last paragraph is a good point. Kind of like how tans became an upper class thing when they signified being able to go on holiday rather than working in the fields all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting observation! I too had some affluent LDS friends growing up and their houses were indeed incredibly clean (like, sparkling clean, in spite of having a ton of kids) and remarkably clutter-free.

My friend told me they had a cleaning schedule and they had to clean before someone came to inspect their house from the church--maybe on a biweekly basis? They had a ton of cleaning chores down to things like cleaning blinds every week and wiping down the entire kitchen and cleaning the stove fan grease trap each and every time you cook.

I agree a lot of it for social media is probably studio set homes that they don't actually live in. But for regular folks I think it would be impossible to keep to those incredibly high house cleanliness standards without living in basically an empty space.

No one from the church was coming to inspect their house, absolutely not. Maybe they just liked a clean house. I grew up Mormon and have been in many homes, some neat and tidy, some messy, just like non-Mormons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting observation! I too had some affluent LDS friends growing up and their houses were indeed incredibly clean (like, sparkling clean, in spite of having a ton of kids) and remarkably clutter-free.

My friend told me they had a cleaning schedule and they had to clean before someone came to inspect their house from the church--maybe on a biweekly basis? They had a ton of cleaning chores down to things like cleaning blinds every week and wiping down the entire kitchen and cleaning the stove fan grease trap each and every time you cook.

I agree a lot of it for social media is probably studio set homes that they don't actually live in. But for regular folks I think it would be impossible to keep to those incredibly high house cleanliness standards without living in basically an empty space.

No one from the church was coming to inspect their house, absolutely not. Maybe they just liked a clean house. I grew up Mormon and have been in many homes, some neat and tidy, some messy, just like non-Mormons.

Since you grew up mormon, answer this:

Are mormons Christian-nationalists?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it just that there are lots of Mormon influencers and influencers have bare homes with a few TJ Maxx tchotchkes?

A trends marketing consultant at my work once called "Real Simple" magazine "p0rn for women".

I believe the uncluttered visual aesthetic is a "rich" aesthetic just as other posters have said. It's a largely unattainable state for most of us mortals.

Another aspect of this is the "sad beige children" upmarket children's product aesthetic.

In olden times, the Victorian cluttery aesthetic looked rich because it was hard to get and afford those objects. No longer true...ornate secretary desk, china for 14, ostrich egg, 20 lb geode, books by the foot...all available with a few clicks.

It’s because we have bigger houses. There’s a place for everything. The kitchen counter isn’t cluttered with appliances, spices, and utensils because they all have a space to be stored away. People with small houses who like a lot of stuff have to keep it all out on display.

That doesn't explain no art on the walls. I guess if you know you have no taste, it's for the best...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting observation! I too had some affluent LDS friends growing up and their houses were indeed incredibly clean (like, sparkling clean, in spite of having a ton of kids) and remarkably clutter-free.

My friend told me they had a cleaning schedule and they had to clean before someone came to inspect their house from the church--maybe on a biweekly basis? They had a ton of cleaning chores down to things like cleaning blinds every week and wiping down the entire kitchen and cleaning the stove fan grease trap each and every time you cook.

I agree a lot of it for social media is probably studio set homes that they don't actually live in. But for regular folks I think it would be impossible to keep to those incredibly high house cleanliness standards without living in basically an empty space.

Could it be that Mormon women take pride in housecleaning, and training their kids in the same?
I have noticed relgious families in the US often spend very little on non necessary items and the SAHM thing probably makes this more necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s a social media thing. It makes you look affluent to have a large new-build home with 0 clutter. Lots of decorative stuff can look kitschy and cheap. Look at any reality show about poor people - there is stuff everywhere.

I don't agree at all. It makes it seem like you have no personality. I was always aghast at how bland and boring the Kardashian houses were-beige on beige on beige. Literally anyone could have lived there.

I agree. When I go into homes like that I am taken aback. My house is also very clean and organized, but I have items from my travels, family heirlooms, paintings, and rugs. Same with the house I grew up in, where we had a full time live in maid. I think it’s so weird when people have nothing in their house besides new stuff but I think it’s a cultural difference.

I feel like I am in a museum that feels grandmothery in some places that have tons of mis-matchyt things on the wall and too much stuff. It makes me claustrophobic. Everyone is different but I couldn't live in a place peacefully with a lot of stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is an interesting observation! I too had some affluent LDS friends growing up and their houses were indeed incredibly clean (like, sparkling clean, in spite of having a ton of kids) and remarkably clutter-free.

My friend told me they had a cleaning schedule and they had to clean before someone came to inspect their house from the church--maybe on a biweekly basis? They had a ton of cleaning chores down to things like cleaning blinds every week and wiping down the entire kitchen and cleaning the stove fan grease trap each and every time you cook.

I agree a lot of it for social media is probably studio set homes that they don't actually live in. But for regular folks I think it would be impossible to keep to those incredibly high house cleanliness standards without living in basically an empty space.

No one from the church was coming to inspect their house, absolutely not. Maybe they just liked a clean house. I grew up Mormon and have been in many homes, some neat and tidy, some messy, just like non-Mormons.

Since you grew up mormon, answer this:

Are mormons Christian-nationalists?

NP but also a former Mormon. Christian, yes, but not Christian-nationalists. Mormons are very tolerant of other religions and greatly respect almost all faiths. The BYU Center for Religious Studies brings in scholars of different faiths' conferences on various studies. One of my favorite professors at BYU was Jewish. My closest girlfriends who are still active in the church are Republican but not voting for Trump. There are fringe people in every religion, including Mormonism, but the general vibe of the Church is very respectful and inquisitive of other faiths and not at all pro-Trump.

On the point of the original post, growing up, most of my Mormon friends' houses were cluttered. Incidentally, we have almost no clutter in our house, but that is because I have ADHD, and everything has to have a place, and DH (never Mormon) is a little OCD and hates clutter. We have art on the walls, but no nicknacks, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it just that there are lots of Mormon influencers and influencers have bare homes with a few TJ Maxx tchotchkes?

A trends marketing consultant at my work once called "Real Simple" magazine "p0rn for women".

I believe the uncluttered visual aesthetic is a "rich" aesthetic just as other posters have said. It's a largely unattainable state for most of us mortals.

Another aspect of this is the "sad beige children" upmarket children's product aesthetic.

In olden times, the Victorian cluttery aesthetic looked rich because it was hard to get and afford those objects. No longer true...ornate secretary desk, china for 14, ostrich egg, 20 lb geode, books by the foot...all available with a few clicks.

It’s because we have bigger houses. There’s a place for everything. The kitchen counter isn’t cluttered with appliances, spices, and utensils because they all have a space to be stored away. People with small houses who like a lot of stuff have to keep it all out on display.

That doesn't explain no art on the walls. I guess if you know you have no taste, it's for the best...

I have no taste. My parents would beat the hell out of me if I signed up for art after school instead of stem. And its also ok to be hated by random strangers on the internet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it just that there are lots of Mormon influencers and influencers have bare homes with a few TJ Maxx tchotchkes?

A trends marketing consultant at my work once called "Real Simple" magazine "p0rn for women".

I believe the uncluttered visual aesthetic is a "rich" aesthetic just as other posters have said. It's a largely unattainable state for most of us mortals.

Another aspect of this is the "sad beige children" upmarket children's product aesthetic.

In olden times, the Victorian cluttery aesthetic looked rich because it was hard to get and afford those objects. No longer true...ornate secretary desk, china for 14, ostrich egg, 20 lb geode, books by the foot...all available with a few clicks.

It’s because we have bigger houses. There’s a place for everything. The kitchen counter isn’t cluttered with appliances, spices, and utensils because they all have a space to be stored away. People with small houses who like a lot of stuff have to keep it all out on display.

That doesn't explain no art on the walls. I guess if you know you have no taste, it's for the best...

I have no taste. My parents would beat the hell out of me if I signed up for art after school instead of stem. And its also ok to be hated by random strangers on the internet.

Who hates you?

[Anonymous]

It's all for show, and it would cost $$$ to really decorate those huge houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a set house. It's just for filming. They have their personal, private, messy house too

Everyone doesn’t live in a pig pen. Some of us have neat and tidy houses all the time and we’re neither Mormons nor filming anything.

Triggered much? You seem unhappy with yourself. Make some positive changes maybe