HOW TO FIT STUDYING, LIVING AND SLEEPING INTO ONE ROOM
It’s hard to believe that in less than a month, students will be returning to school. No matter where you are studying — in your parents’ home, a shared house or residence — there is one thing for sure: your bedroom will be a multi-purpose room for sleeping, living and studying.
Staying organized in tight quarters can be difficult, but it’s worth the effort because an orderly space is proven to help with productivity and improve sleep. Keeping what you need close at hand and organized is easier if you corral items in zones where they’ll be used: sleep; study; wall storage, for instance. So before you hit the books, study your space and how you’ll use it so your room gets top marks all year.
THE STUDY ZONE
You might think a desk is for studying, but it’s probably also for relaxing (gaming) and visiting virtually with family, profs and classmates. With so much going on in a relatively small area, it’s important to stay clutter-free and organized. Clutter creates visual stress, which is distracting for many of us, so returning items to their correct place is a good study habit as well as good housekeeping. But what to put where?
A small side table with shelves is helpful to keep ongoing projects all together; that way they don’t blend in with day-to-day homework. Using file boxes (one for each course) is a great way to keep reference books, files and notes together. Keep them stacked beside your desk in your “work zone” for easy access. Clean your desktop (soap and water clean) weekly. This is a great practice as it forces you to take everything off the desk and identify what is needed and what clutter has discretely built up over the week.
THE VERTICAL ZONE
Small rooms offer little floor space for storage, so in that case it’s time to look up — as in to the walls — to eke out extra storage space. An obvious solution is a vertical bookshelf. I suggest a shelving unit with doors on the bottom to offer some hidden storage; use the top shelves for organizing loose items in attractive storage boxes. Consider anchoring a tall bookshelf to the wall to ensure it stays upright.
Doors take up valuable vertical wall space, but you can turn them into storage space with over-thedoor organizers for small items and hooks to keep coats and knapsacks off the floor. Floating shelves are great when hung high (about six or seven feet above the floor) and above eye level to leave lower wall space for art, bulletin boards, etc. Install them around the room’s perimeter for the ultimate amount of storage. Store items that suit the zone; file boxes above the desk and extra bedding or towels above the bed to keep things orderly and close to where they’ll be used.
THE SLEEP ZONE
In most cases, the bed is the piece of furniture that takes up the most floor space. It’s not only essential for a good night’s sleep, but will also act as ground zero for lounging, reading and listening to music. Although the bed is there to offer comfort, it’s smart to look below and above for storage and some organizational solutions.
If space allows, use under-bed storage boxes for storage; two or three can act as dresser storage, which relieves the need for a dresser taking up floor space in a small bedroom. Choosing a headboard that offers slim shelving and storage is a great way to keep things close by when using your bed to work on projects or listen to music. Some bed bases have drawer options, another way to relieve the need for a bulky dresser.
QUICK TIPS FOR DECORATING A SMALL, CLUTTERED SPACE
1. Keep all the elements in your space to three colours. A neutral, one stronger colour and one softer, complementary colour always works best. This way your colour scheme won’t add visual “clutter” to the rest of your belongings.
2. Forgo draperies (use fitted blinds) and area rugs unless necessary — they only add additional elements that create a visual busyness in the room.
3. Each zone should have a decorative focal point. For instance, a favourite piece of art hanging above the desk and your bed linens are easy things to incorporate that make that zone look great; don’t forget to ensure that all your focal points co-ordinate.
Do you have a decor dilemma or want to give feedback? You can contact Karl on Instagram at
Karl Lohnes.
Karl has worked as a home decor expert and product designer for 25 years.