Benefits of organizing
Organizing the home is important because it allows people to control their environment and feel happy about their space. There is something deeply spiritual about having order in one’s home. Most professional organizers witness this when assisting clients in going from chaotic to peaceful living. While it is helpful to use a professional organizer, truthfully, it is within many people’s ability to DIY. Organizing one’s home is not particularly hard – but it does require some determination, motivation, a little sweat equity, plus a few great ideas. Read on for some great organizing ideas for the bedroom.
Why tackle the bedroom first?
When it comes to organizing the home, the bedroom is often a great starting point. There are several reasons why. Generally, when a bedroom is in order, people feel at ease, and this may equal improved sleep – which is important from the get-go. Cleaning up this all-important sleep space reduces dust, bacteria, and other undesirable things that can harm physical health. Here’s another main reason to tackle the bedroom first. Since the bedroom is typically not a room that everyone uses, it is more likely to remain organized once it’s done.
Anything to know before starting?
Set organizing goals:
Create an organized vision of your room. Ask, what desired results do I commit to achieving? The answer may be different for everyone. Regardless, a primary goal should be to reduce clutter and keep only what fits into your space. That way things are easily accessible and retrievable. And, as a result, you can gain a Zen result, reclaiming your space and achieving peace and calm in this all-important area of the home.
Declutter first
Decluttering is the act of removing excess items from an untidy or limited space. It is a necessary part of the organizing process. Often, especially in older homes, storage is lacking. To arrange items where space is tight, it’s important to limit what you have by releasing things that no longer serve their purpose. If possible, edit the wardrobe by trying on clothes and donating what you no longer like, want, or wear. It’s generally a good idea to release items you’ve outgrown in terms of size or style.
The main spaces
Most bedrooms contain a bed, a closet, a dresser with drawer space, and perhaps a nightstand. So, let’s concentrate on organizing those spaces.
- THE BED – Beds should be clear of any type of clutter. While it’s okay to have a few throw pillows and perhaps a blanket in addition to the bed and bedding material, bear in mind that the bed itself is a sleeping and not a storage area. However, if space allows, it is wise to use the area under the bed to organize. Things should never be pushed under the bed. Rather, they should be contained in bins. Those with lids and wheels are best. Not only do they keep dust out, but they also roll in and out easily and provide great access to what you may need. Under the bed storage is a great place to store excess items and out of season clothes. Or it may be used for closet overflow.
- THE CLOSET – Closets are perhaps the most important storage areas of the bedroom. To create an effective closet system, hangers, hooks, and shelving provide excellent solutions. Hangers are great for most clothing items like blouses, skirts, jackets, dress pants, and suits and dresses. Belts, ties, and scarves may also be hung on hangers or hooks designed for those items. Folks may gravitate toward sensible organizing products such as space triangles designed for hangers. These inexpensive doohickeys allow clothing to cascade to free up space. For easy retrieval, hang like items together. Containers are suitable for grouping small items. A top tip is to use clear ones that you can see inside. Clear lidded containers designed with holes for airflow are ideal for stacking shoes to save space. Another top tip: keep what you wear often toward the front of the closet so it’s easy to find.
- THE DRESSER DRAWERS – Dressers are useful for items that you don’t want to hang. They can be used for socks, bras, panties, T-shirts, pajamas, sweatpants, sweaters, jeans and more. Grouping like items together makes it easy to find items. The problem with using dressers is packing them full. This makes it hard to open and close and get at what’s at the bottom. By reducing what you plan to keep to what you want, need, and love, and by donating excess, the problem of overstuffed dressers can be easily solved. As another option, use a secondary dresser, say in a guest room, for excess items if necessary.
- THE NIGHTSTAND(S) – Just like the kitchen junk drawer, these can be a catch-all space where things are thrown. To bring a little order to your nightstand, empty the contents and keep only what is needed. For example, a pair of glasses, a book, a small pack of tissues, a flashlight, a hair tie, and a watch are common items found in nightstands. Anything that you don’t need to use at night or store overnight should be relocated elsewhere to a more fitting space. For example, a bag of rubber bands and a stapler should not be in a nightstand. They should go with office supplies. Things in the home should be stored closest to where they are used and make the most sense. The top of the dresser should contain only essentials such as a lamp and similarly be free of clutter to maintain orderliness.
Keep the faith!
Organizing the bedroom makes it easier to sleep and function in your space. It also makes your space simpler to clean and maintain. By decluttering what you don’t want, need, use, and by relocating items to more sensible spaces, you can enhance your space and make it function for you. Feeling overwhelmed but still want to DIY? Concentrate on key areas to include your bed, closet, dresser, and nightstand, using these great organizing ideas for the bedroom. If necessary, work in baby steps until you get used to the organizing process. In little to no time, you’ll be able to create the bedroom space of your dreams.
