Dear Lee,

At last! Modernism is going out and the clutter of the Victorian era is coming back, at least that’s what the Financial Times of England recently told its readers. Some new scientific studies have found that a messy room can lead to creative thinkers. Clutter can be distracting and let new ideas percolate.

The simple, white, modern room gained its foothold in the 1950s. Now it’s time for a change—to adjust our rooms to our 2014 lives. Children today have more toys and smaller rooms. Adults work longer hours and have a variety of jobs that often require dedicated workspace at home. And young couples have decided the kitchen is the hub of the house and cooking (kitchen), eating (dining room) and socializing (living room) should be one huge space.

There never seems to be a time when our houses are as neat and clean as decorating magazines suggest. But for us, the coming trend to clutter is an admission that the world is filled with collectors who want piles and shelves of books, cabinets filled with objects, and walls covered in “design”—paintings, photographs or even (gasp) wallpaper. Those of us with older houses with shelves and lots of tables that hold art pottery vases, lamps and paperweights can enjoy the view. No longer is the space needed for ashtrays and cigarette holders.

I’m going to an antique show this weekend and will probably find something I want to bring home. Of course, my shelves and walls are filled, but a little rearranging can solve that problem. Enjoy collecting and think about this quote from Albert Einstein: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then is an empty desk a sign?”