wolfie and the sneak

I'm learning that it's really easy to get swept up in all the shabby chic house blogs. They're so common and easy to find, beachy and very relaxing looking, but totally not my style.

Still, I get sucked in.

I think it's because they have more cohesive themes from room to room, showing off a great ability to keep collections neat, rather than cluttered. But yeah, it's just too close to country for my comfort.

These 3 images are good examples of how to combine vintage elements and collections, but they all eschew that shabbiness that's so easy to fall into.

How do you keep your clutter calm, cool, and collected?
credit where credit is due:
elisabeth dunker's sneak peek via design* sponge
good ol martha

and an oldie+goodie from design*sponge