Beyond the Mess: Why Cluttered Workspaces Undermine Wellbeing

In an era where workplace design is evolving rapidly—from hybrid work models to wellbeing-focused interiors—there’s one factor that still quietly erodes the employee experience: clutter.

Often overlooked, clutter isn't simply a matter of mess; it is a psychological stressor, a productivity killer, and a subtle but persistent enemy of organisational culture.

At Work Made Well, we specialise in creating environments that support physical, cognitive, and emotional health. And we’ve seen firsthand how addressing clutter through intentional storage and organisation design can unlock better performance, clearer thinking, and a sense of calm.

The Cognitive Toll of Clutter

Clutter in the workplace has real cognitive and emotional consequences. Neuroscience research shows that environments with excessive visual stimuli, like piles of documents, tangled cables, and overfilled desks, deplete mental resources.

McMains and Kastner (2011) describe how the human brain must exert additional effort to filter out irrelevant visual input. This constant filtering reduces cognitive control and increases stress. In practical terms? It's harder to focus, make decisions, and feel in control of your day.

A 2016 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology also found that perceived clutter correlates with lower life satisfaction and reduced job satisfaction, even when workers are otherwise content in their roles.

Clutter and Culture: What It Signals

Workplace clutter is more than a personal preference, it's a cultural barometer. A disorganised or overcrowded space can unintentionally signal to employees that their comfort and focus are not priorities.

This can have damaging ripple effects on Psychological safety, Perceived professionalism, Team cohesion

In contrast, an organised, intentionally designed environment communicates care, trust, and thoughtful leadership. It fosters a sense of pride and presence, two essential ingredients in cultivating a resilient and motivated workforce.

Storage Is Strategy

If clutter is the problem, storage isn't just the fix—it’s the strategic design response.

Too often, storage is an afterthought: a few generic cabinets, a shelf here and there. But for workplaces that truly support human performance, storage needs to be central to the design narrative.

At Work Made Well, we approach storage through three guiding principles:

1. Support Flow and Flexibility

Spaces change. Teams grow. Work styles evolve. Modular and mobile storage systems support adaptability without sacrificing visual order. We build in options that can scale and shift with your workforce, reducing friction and preserving harmony.

2. Balance Personalisation and Order

People need autonomy to personalise their workspace—but that doesn’t mean chaos. Well-designed personal storage (like lockers, cubbies, and hideaways) lets employees bring a sense of identity to their space while maintaining aesthetic cohesion.

3. Design for Purpose, Not Just Placement

Storage should serve the work being done. That means designing to support specific tasks: quiet zones with concealed storage for deep focus, open shelving for collaborative tools in project rooms, soft zones with “creative clutter” that invites play and brainstorming.

Real Design, Real Impact

Evidence-based design isn’t about guesswork or fads, it’s about using data, behavioural science, and lived experience to shape environments that feel good, function beautifully, and foster long-term wellbeing.

We’ve seen the impact of getting this right:

• Teams that spend less time looking for things and more time doing meaningful work.

• Leaders who can walk into a space that reflects their values.

• Employees who feel less overwhelmed and more supported—mentally, physically, and emotionally.
  

Read More

• McMains, S.A. and Kastner, S., 2011. Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex.

• Roster, C.A., Ferrari, J.R. and Jurkat, M.P., 2016. The dark side of home: Assessing possession ‘clutter’ on subjective well-being.

• Becker, F. and Steele, F., 1995. Workplace by Design: Mapping the High-Performance Workscape. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.