clutter versus minimalism

Clutter and minimalism don't agree. When I think of clutter, I think of Hoarders- chaos, mess, and items that should be thrown away. But I also like the look of combining interesting things, like the image below from one of my favorite blogs, Design Crush:

image (and related post): http://www.designcrushblog.com/2012/03/20/little-corners/

On the flip side, when I think of minimalism, I think of another favorite blog- Zen Habits. and an empty room, maybe all white, very serene and almost clinical.

I've always been drawn to simplicity and oddly comforted by a mess. When I have a mess, it's usually because I'm in the midst of a project, or have been having too much fun lately. I sometimes fall asleep amid a  pile of books and I love that. But the other side of me gets very stressed out and overwhelmed by messes, and craves that quiet simplicity of minimalistic design. 

Since 2012 began, I've been attempting to declutter by using a program called 40 bags in 40 days (clearly it's taking me longer than that but whatever) that chooses one cluttered spot- a closet, a drawer- and you attack that spot with a garbage bag and images of Hoarders fresh in your head. I've met with great success doing this and now that I only have my car left on my original list, plan to start over again with 40 more bags. 

But my goal is to end up with something like the above- not empty, but deliberate and thoughtful and clearly referential to who we are as a family.