Where does all the STUFF go?

I remember doing my first audio interview with a classmate in a multimedia journalism class. She was a magazine student, I was an online journalism student. She asked about my favorite colors, favorite foods, etc. and I asked her about her "dream" job.

"Dwell," she said matter-of-factly. I was 20 years old and from the suburbs, so I asked her to explain what she was talking about.

Dwell is a modern home magazine phenomenon that I've yet to acclimate my tastes to, despite having lived at least 6 years in San Francisco. The photo above is from a Slideshow of San Francisco Living: Home Tours. I went through all 15 photos with my eyes glazing over, trying to understand why these homes were considered superlative or exemplary of good interior design.

I guess the answer lies in my lack of any architecture, design, or even art knowledge. I can recognize clean lines, appreciate smart furniture arrangement -- the "no duh" kind of stuff. But I don't "get" Dwell. I don't think anything they feature is ugly, but I don't grasp the basic (haha punny) concepts of minimalism and simplicity.

I just have a lot of stuff.

Between my boyfriend and I, we have enough material possessions to fill our entire townhouse, plus the enclosed patio. Our furniture is big and comfortable, our electronic gadgets take up their designated spaces, and our clothes fill four full closets. Throw a dog and two chinchillas into the mix, and we're literally stifled in here.

I assume that the homes in Dwell contain families, with kids and pets and toys and mess. But where does it all go? Is there some kind of basement where all their possessions just sprawl across the floor? Is there a secret storage unit behind that big ass cedar wall? If anyone knows the answer to this, please feel free to enlighten me.