5 ways to organise your bedroom

Article by Peter Walsh

People always ask me: Which is the most important room in the house to get organised? Without question, it’s the bedroom. Your bedroom is your sanctuary and the haven for your relationship. 

It’s also the place where you recharge and it’s the place that should get you set for your new day.

If your bedroom is a disorganised cluttered mess, it’s not helping you achieve any of those goals. In fact, it’s most likely adding stress and keeping you from feeling the calm that you deserve.

So, here are my top five tips to help you get your bedroom organised.

Declutter, declutter, declutter

Before you can get the room organised, you’ve got to get rid of the things that are making it look messy. Your nightstand should have only one – or possibly two – books on it. The pile of magazines there needs to go. Dirty laundry (or even clean laundry) needs to be picked up and put in its proper place – hamper, drawers or closet.

Too many decorative items left out on a chest of drawers or shelves will make the place look very messy, very quickly. Jewellery and makeup also often end up quickly getting out of control. Limit all of these things and immediately you’ll feel like the space is well on the way to becoming more organised.

There’s no place for clutter in the bedroom. Picture: realestate.com.au/buy

Make the room work for you

Set your room up so that it’s easier to keep it neat. A bed positioned right by a wall is much harder to make in the morning, so if possible move it to a position so that only the headboard is against the wall. Also, set up an area in your bedroom where you could sit to get dressed or read a book. There isn’t too much more that belongs in the room.

I’m not a big fan of computers in bedrooms as those spaces tend to get overwhelmed quickly with paper, and computers don’t add to the relaxing, romantic vibe you’re going for.

The less you have in the bedroom, the easier it is to keep neat. Picture: Eugene Hyland

Back to bed

When you’re choosing how you make your bed, don’t go too overboard with the decorative pillows. These look great in magazines and in shops but they tend to end up on the floor in most messy bedrooms I’ve been in. And, that reminds me – if you’ve got pillows on your bed, find a decorative bin or box or bench that your pillows can live on when you’re using your bed. Throwing them to the ground isn’t where they belong.

Four pillows on the bed is more than enough. Picture: Architects/Ari Hatzis

How about under the bed?

The space under the bed is one of the most-overlooked storage spaces. It’s the perfect place for empty suitcases or out-of-season clothing. However, two quick rules if you’re going to use that space for storage. First, make sure you use proper storage containers for whatever you plan to store there (no bugs!); and, second, get a bedskirt for your bed to hide what’s underneath.

Some beds are even designed to double up as storage. Picture: Karton

Choose multi-function furniture

Finally, choose the other furniture in your bedroom for both its style and its function. Nightstands should offer you plenty of storage and should also be private enough for whatever you don’t want a random person to see. They should also be located near a power point so you can have a reading lamp close by.

Also consider a bench or, better yet, a trunk at the foot of the bed. These are great for sitting on to help you get dressed but also for storing extra bed linen or anything else you want nearby but not out in plain view.

A bench at the end of the bed is a great multi-purpose item of furniture. Picture: Kmart

Get your bedroom organised and you’ll want to spend as much time in there as possible – and, that’s not a bad thing!