A crowded kitchen counter, an overflowing drawer and items quietly left for someone else to handle may be more than minor household annoyances. A new international survey suggests clutter is increasingly becoming a source of tension as families contend with smaller living spaces and busier routines.

The findings are contained in IKEA’s Store & Organise Report 2026: Finding Meaning in the Mess, based on responses from 31,488 people across 31 markets.

The kitchen countertop emerged as the most troublesome area in the home. It was identified by 24 per cent of respondents as the hardest space to keep clear and by 37 per cent as the area most likely to trigger an argument.

The survey found that 38 per cent of households have someone who deliberately leaves items out, apparently expecting another person to deal with them. In some homes, the problem extends to the oven, with 10 per cent of respondents admitting they use it for storage. That figure rises to 21 per cent in South Korea.

Despite the frustrations, the report suggests people are moving away from the idea that a home must be perfectly organised. Some 59 per cent said they prefer a lived in home to a minimalist one.

Sentiment also plays a major role in what people keep. The survey found that 82 per cent retain possessions for sentimental reasons, even when they rarely use them or keep them out of sight. A further 26 per cent hide mementos from previous relationships, with men more likely than women to do so.

The familiar “drawer of doom” exists in 68 per cent of households, with cables reportedly among its most common contents. Among Boomer men, 54 per cent continue to keep cables for devices they no longer own.

Mess can also affect social lives. One in 10 respondents said they had cancelled plans because their homes were too untidy, while 34 per cent said they rearrange or hide clutter before visitors arrive.

Licca Li, Home Furnishing and Retail Design Manager at Ingka Group, said people increasingly wanted homes that reflected their identities rather than meeting an ideal of perfection.

The survey also found that 15 per cent globally regard mess as a form of creativity. That view rises to 31 per cent in China but falls to 4 per cent in Japan.

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