Searching for a space of peaceful slumber
Decluttering bedroom means you’ll sleep better and maybe make a little cash
Who hasn’t stored extra stuff in their bedroom when guests are over?
Or made the bedroom a last priority on cleaning days since no one ever sees it anyway? (OK, maybe that’s just me.)
The thing is, getting a good night’s sleep is easier when you a tranquil atmosphere for hitting the pillow.
After moving into a century-old house late last year — with two roommates and too much furniture — I faced the daunting task of making my bedroom space a peaceful den for slumber, while still using it to house my desk, couch and piles of clothes.
Thankfully, professional organizer Elana Kleinman of EK Organizing offered some solid tips on getting the decluttered bedroom of my dreams.
“You don’t want it to add stress to your day,” she says. “If you look forward to coming back to your bedroom, you know you’ve done it right.”
Figure out your furniture A good place to start is figuring out whether your bedroom furniture is too big or whether you’re cramming too many items into the space, Kleinman says. Otherwise, the room will look crowded, making it a stressful space to spend time in.
She also says a bedroom should be a place for sleep, not work — so if you can, ditch the desk; if you can’t, keep it out of your slumber sightline with a room divider or screen.
In my case, my new bedroom needed to house my loveseat, desk and massive wardrobe. Yikes.
To keep things clean and simple, I spaced out the furniture — the bed against a wall, and the couch on the other side — and made the layout sleep-friendly by tucking the desk into my window nook so the computer would be out of sight from my bed.
Declutter your closets Clothing storage can be a daunting place to start decluttering, but Kleinman says you probably need fewer items than you think.
“The first step is always going through it, making sure it’s stuff you actually wear and want to keep, “she says. “Often, we don’t wear most of what we have in there, and if we do, it’s once in awhile.”
Haven’t worn those shirts or shoes in a year? Donate them to a local thrift shop or charity.
There’s only a small wardrobe in my bedroom, and an even tinier closet. (A big problem when you’re a shopaholic like me.)
To make everything fit, I purged nearly a third of my clothes by selling as many items as possible to resale chain Kind Exchange and leaving the rest in local charity bins.
Think outside the (storage) box Keeping clutter out of the room as a whole can be tricky if you don’t have a massive closet.
Kleinman suggests putting items in unexpected places such as up high on a wardrobe or in containers under your bed.
Certain mattress frames even lift up to store quilts and seasonal items, she says. You might as well give your bed a job, Kleinman says, even when you’re not sleeping on it.
Her tips about storing things out of sight ring true in a small space like mine.
I used shallow Rubbermaid containers to hide clutter — such as medications and beauty products — under the bed. I also keep a few more containers up high on my wardrobe, above eye level.