Read about clutter reducing decision fatigue in a psychology journal.

Did you ever notice how some household mysteries only reveal themselves at odd hours? I once became convinced there was a small animal trapped in my attic after hearing persistent scratching, only to discover it was a branch from a maple tree tapping against the siding whenever the wind blew from the east. The process of elimination, from checking traps to finally spotting that one specific branch, felt like conducting a detective novel in my own home. It was a week of minor obsession that ended not with a fix, but with the simple knowledge of the source. That peculiar satisfaction of solving a puzzle, even a harmless one, really does anchor you in the mundane.

Oh man, that's the universe forcing you to embrace wabi-sabi... I've totally been there trying to make something perfect. Sometimes those accidental "features" end up being the best part of the whole spread, like a forced moment of character in something too rigid.

On a DIY forum last spring, a user detailed converting vintage suitcases into side tables. They looked incredible in photos, but the latches failed constantly, spilling contents everywhere. I mean, idk, maybe it's just me but aesthetics often override function in these projects. That door table sounds like a similar battle between charm and daily grind. I heard about someone using a barn door as a headboard, and it detached from the wall midway through the night. Sometimes the rustic vibe isn't worth the hassle.