This month is all about the bedroom. Creating a sanctuary of peace and romance isn’t always an easy task. Your bedroom should be a haven from the chaos of life, a place to relax and unwind. But it’s hard to feel serene when you’re looking at piles of dirty clothes, tripping over shoes, and searching through that overstuffed closet for your favorite sweater. I’m sure all of us have been guilty of letting the bedroom organization go while we focus on other things. We’re the only ones who see it, so what’s the big deal?

If you have a cluttered room, too much stuff in a small space, piles of clothes just about everywhere the eye can see, it’s very frustrating and stressful. Having an organized and tidy bedroom will give you peace of mind and make your environment much more comfortable, and that’s worth working on. Follow these steps to create a clutter free and organized bedroom:

Step #1 Plan It Out
Now we all know that ideally your bedroom would not be used for anything other than relaxing and sleeping. However, I realize that bedrooms are used for a large amount of other activities such as: watching television, exercising, doing office work, or spending time with children. Some of these are conducted in the bedroom out of choice, others out of necessity. Many houses just don’t have the room for these activities anywhere else. So, the first step is to decide what activities will be done in that room. Write down these activities and plan out the room. For example, if you need a place to do your bills make sure you find a spot for a desk.

Once you have finished the planning stage you can start by taking EVERYTHING out of the bedroom that doesn’t belong there. For some of you that step alone will get you half way to a clean and tidy room. If you have a lot of things that belong in other rooms, you might get sidetracked if you take them there now. Have a box or laundry basket to put everything in that does not belong. Empty it as soon as you’ve finished the other steps.

Step #2 Sort & De-clutter
When organizing a bedroom it is important to group like items together. Once you have piles of similar items decide what items you want to keep, donate, sell, throw away, or store. Remove any items that don’t belong in the bedroom and can be stored somewhere else.

Clean off all horizontal surfaces (floor, bed, dresser, chairs, and nightstands). Decide what you will keep on your dresser and how you will organize it.  Baskets are great to hold small items and can also add to the room decor.  Dividers in your top drawer will help to keep loose items from rolling around. Items like sweaters and T-shirts should be on an open shelf or on hangers where you can see them all at the same time. If you’re looking for your favorite sweater and you’ve put four others on top of it in a drawer, you’ll never find it. You might as well give it away. The only things that should go in drawers are things that don’t fold well — socks, underwear, bras. Stuffed closets and drawers make you less likely to put clean clothes away where they belong.

Step #3 Create a Home
After you sort and de-clutter decide where you will keep your items. Work with your habits. If you always walk into your room and drop your coat by the bed, place some hooks there to hold coats, purses, etc.

Do you have space under the bed? Are you using it to its fullest? Under-bed containers can hold the shorts and tank tops you’re not wearing in December and make more room for what you are wearing. Clean out all the dust bunnies and throw away the socks and junk that have accumulated. If you use a bed skirt you can store off season clothing, camping gear, books, toys, etc. when they are not in use.

An important organization tool to have in your bedroom is a hamper. Get those clothes up off the floor. Put dirty clothes in the hamper as soon as you take them off. Personally I have a 3-sort laundry hamper. I toss the clothes in the corresponding hamper right away so I never have to sort clothes before washing them.

Step #4 Systems & Routines
Remember it’s not just about being neat; anyone can straighten or tidy up. It’s about utilizing your master bedroom and space for what it’s meant to do – a place to rest the Mind, Body, and Soul. Your marriage is worth creating sanctuary in the bedroom.

Make your bed every day. I know it is easier said than done, but being organized does in fact take some effort. Imagine how great you will feel when you’re come home to an inviting bed.

My favorite tip for the bedroom is the elsewhere basket! Every time you see something in your bedroom that doesn’t belong, put it in the basket. When the basket looks like it’s close to being full take some time to put these items away throughout the house. You could also set a regular time to empty the basket such as Sunday night before you go to bed. This will keep your bedroom from getting cluttered with items from around the house.

If you love to read but struggle with books and magazines scattered all over the room consider having a reading basket next to your bed or your favorite cozy chair. When the basket is full it’s time to weed it out, this helps contain these items and gives you some boundaries.

Closet Organizing Tips:
Make those decisions- What will you keep?  What do you wear? What makes you feel great? And what’s been sitting for more than a year?

Store – Get out those storage bins and place your out of season clothing in them. Label containers and place them on a top shelf, under the bed, or in a storage area until you need them.

Maximize your space- Hang hooks on the side of your closet or on the back of your closet door to store things like belts and bags. Put a shoe rack inside your closet and place all your shoes neatly in it. Shoes left lying around in a bedroom don’t just look bad – they can be a hazard. Avoid piling shoes in a corner or in the closet. Add a double closet rod to hang shirts and increase storage space.

Restock – Purchase matching hangers and put all the clothes that you are keeping back into your closet. If you have a walk-in closet, approach it like an assembly line. The items you start dressing with could be the first items on the left. Work your way to the right, setting up what comes next. By the end of the closet you should have your accessories.

I hope I gave you some encouragement and motivation to really make your bedroom the peaceful retreat it should be!

If you have an organizing question you would like to submit please send it to info@organizedbyevelin.com and we will try to answer it in one of our future zones!