Has your bedroom somehow morphed from your relaxing sanctuary of sleep into a cluttered mess that you’d rather not spend time in? It’s a well-documented fact that a messy room can increase anxiety levels. Your eye has trouble finding something to focus on and you’re plagued by the nagging guilt that you really should clean some of this up.Â
But cleaning up isn’t the only issue, is it? Many of the items in your bedroom have nowhere else to go, or have become so ensconced in their particular places that you wouldn’t know where else to put them. Fear not, discouraged sir or ma’am. We’ve got a few tips that will declutter your bedroom to make it livable again!
Storage Idea 1: Send Lost Items Home
First things first, we’ve got to address an uncomfortable truth: not everything in your bedroom belongs there. The easiest way to begin the decluttering process is to start in one corner and work your way through the bedroom section by section. Take 3 bags or baskets with you: 1 for trash, 1 for storing, and 1 to “go home.”
Be liberal with the trash bin. If you haven’t used something in a year, simplify your life and get rid of it. It’s not doing you any good sitting in your room and stressing you out.
Items that you know go elsewhere (jackets, books you’ve finished, and stuff that’s migrated into your bedroom) go into the “go home” bin. Once you’ve completed your initial declutter pass through, start by taking these items back to their original homes. Re-stock book shelves, the pantry, and bathroom cabinets with all the stuff that took an extended layover in your bedroom. You may be surprised by how much this step clears out!
Storage Idea 2: Maximize Your Furniture
Make good use of bedroom dressers and drawers by organizing your belongings efficiently. Roll socks and shirts to save space and organize them by style. Separate nightstand materials by type of use. And remember that not all modern nightstands are created equal in 2022: you may need to upgrade a couple of pieces of bedroom furniture to something with better storage capabilities.
Storage Idea 3: The Basket
This is for all of the items that you use often but don’t have a better home to go to. You can find all sorts of large, stylish baskets online in a variety of styles to compliment your bedroom. From plush to wooden to wicker, you’re bound to find a material and color that suits your bedroom theme.
These baskets are perfect for storing incidental items like boots or towels that get some use but don’t have a specific home. A bin at the foot of the bed is particularly good for storing linens and doubles as a place for you to sit when putting on your socks and shoes!
Storage Idea 4: The Bin
It’s hard to beat plastic storage bins when it comes to keeping items safe and secure for long periods, but what place could they have in the bedroom? The answer: under the bed!
Because these plastic bins come in such a wide variety of shapes and sizes, you’re likely to find just what you need to slide under the bed. Assign each bin a purpose to stay organized and label the sides, since that’s what you’ll see when you look under the bed. These bins can be perfect for memorabilia, like old letters or souvenirs, that you’re not quite ready to let go of. They are also ideal for storing off-season clothing. Why leave half of your dresser full of clutter you won’t use for half of the year? Keeping off-season clothing out-of-sight under the bed can essentially double your closet space.
Lastly, assign a bin or two for jackets. You don’t use most of them for half the year or more, they take up tons of space in a closet, and are positively and eyesore when they hang on a coat rack year round!
Conclusion
Entering your bedroom should fill you with peace, not anxiety. Tackling the task of decluttering your bedroom can be daunting, but by tossing some items, sending others home, making the most of your furniture, and utilizing bins and baskets, you’ll soon be basking in a tranquil, relaxing, organized bedroom!