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How To: Declutter the Bedroom

We were surprised to see the overwhelming majority of folks who say that clutter is their biggest problem in the bedroom. It seems that even the room that's supposed to be your sanctuary can't escape the mess of everyday life. To de-clutter the bedroom: (1) get rid of anything you don't use, and (2) find storage solutions to deal with what you have left. Step-by-step plan below...

 
 

Declutter the Bedroom:

  • Take everything out of the bedroom that doesn't belong there. Remove any dishes, paperwork, loose change, etc. If possible, keep high-energy objects like TVs and computers out of the bedroom.
  • Get rid of any clothes, jewelry, or shoes that you don't need. Be ruthless! Each thing you get rid of is one less thing to store and care for.
  • Clean all surfaces, wash sheets, and clean the floors.
10-23-07declutterbedroom2.jpg

Organize and Store the Rest:

  • Store magazines and reading materials next to the bed with a piece like the Offi Mag Table, $149. Regularly toss old magazines.
  • Keep a couple of stackable laundry baskets in the bedroom, like the Tub Trugs from the AT Store, $12 - $14. Pick a laundry night and stick with it.
  • Get rid of cheap wire hangers that easily tangle and replace them with wood or fabric hangers in your closet, like the Bumerang Hanger from IKEA, $1.99.
  • If you don't already have a system for storing your shoes, get one. The Fran shoe rack from IKEA ($9.99) is cheap and chic.
  • Keep your drawers in good shape with drawer organizers, such as the Eva System from the Container Store.
  • Store extra blankets in under-the-bed drawers. The Roly Basket from Maine cottage is a beautiful piece, but at $250 it's a lot for a storage container. Make your own version with this post.

(Re-Edited from 2007.10.24 - CB)

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Comments (18)

Anybody know where I can find these sheets without the heavy price tag?

The closest I've found are these mattress batting sheets from JC Penny, but they still lack something:

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25436&CatID=29162&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=1278e04&ProdSeq=2&Cat=prints%2bflannels&Dep=Bed %2b Bath&PCat=SHEETS&PCatID=28904&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=28&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&S

posted by meenasyaz on October 24th 2007 at 9:11am
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Go to Manifesto on Wells and Chicago and order a Flou bed with storage base option (flou.it). Best investment I've ever made. You can even change the color of your bed from season to season. There is SO MUCH dust-free storage you can gain from a Flou bed, it's like purchasing a whole new closet for your house!

posted by clanalois on October 24th 2007 at 9:32am
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meenasyas---i don't know if they still carry it, but i bought a similar set from kmart of all places. part of the martha stewart collection, it came in a narrower stripe, but exact same color. immediately thought of it when i saw the dwell ones. not the softest sheets, but they come out less wrinkled out of the wash, and feel crisper.

posted by lala on October 24th 2007 at 1:52pm
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Meenasyaz, the Sleep Basics Striped Sheet Set from Bed Bath & Beyond has a very similar look. $9.99 - $29.99. Only problem is that they don't show it on a bed, so I can't tell if the stripes go vertically or horizontally.

posted by sarah c on October 24th 2007 at 6:59pm
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flylady.net has really helped me declutter. It's cheesy, but it works.

posted by Kit on September 3rd 2008 at 10:03am
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I LOVE those colors and textures together. Grey rules!

posted by visualingual on September 3rd 2008 at 10:05am
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One of the best things I did was to install a few hooks in my closet. I use them for clothes that I have only worn for a couple of hours. You know, the things that you don't want to put back with all the freshly washed clothes, but that really don't need to go in the laundry yet. I used to throw them over a chair making the room look a bit messy, but now they hang on a hook in the closet until I wear them again.

posted by greenish on September 3rd 2008 at 10:07am
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dishes? in the bedroom?

posted by Kathryn on September 3rd 2008 at 10:15am
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I love the nightstand- Does anyone know who makes it?

posted by wendi_c on September 3rd 2008 at 11:00am
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The problem starts with a definition. Everybody seems to have a different idea of what "belongs" in their bedroom.

posted by AZkathy on September 3rd 2008 at 12:06pm
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instead of spending so much $$$ on the underbed storage box, pick up a dresser from goodwill (or use an old one you already have on hand) and remove the drawers...paint the drawers any color you choose & put a set of caster wheels on each drawer.

posted by polkadot on September 3rd 2008 at 12:35pm
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All i have in my bedroom is the bed and......the bed! I painted a dark chocolate block on the wall to serve as a headboard and placed a huge colorful painting in the middle of it that has been likened to Marimekko, but I painted it before I even knew who Marimekko was! My walls are a beautiful Shale blue from RL and I have wispy white curtains on the only window. I also have wood floors with no rug, but Nate Berkus' Indochine bedding is enough of a statement on it's own! I have a full wall of closets, and room for larger things under the bed (the skirt hides it all) so storage isn't much of a problem. It's a great, spare, relaxing space that gets it's 'oomph' from the colors on the wall, in the bedding, and in the painting. No one even notices I don't have any furniture in there!

posted by amiencc on September 3rd 2008 at 1:19pm
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Let's see your bedroom, amiencc.

posted by SourApple on September 3rd 2008 at 1:53pm
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any suggestions on a studio?

posted by saintmims on September 3rd 2008 at 2:14pm
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Amiencc, I want to hire you as my personal organizer!

posted by madampince on September 3rd 2008 at 4:09pm
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One of the ways I decluttered our bedroom was to get rid of all the throw pillows on the bed! All we did was toss them on the floor at night and then back on again in the morning. Instead we have two standard pillows with our sheet set pillow cases on then two standard pillows in front with a more decorative casing. Only one pillow each to toss at night.

posted by LuvMyPad on September 3rd 2008 at 5:18pm
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Great idea polkadot. Pick up a sheet too, so you can add dust covers.

posted by quiltmaster on September 7th 2008 at 1:28pm
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What paint color is that on the wall back there?

(also dishes in the bedroom? eeeeeeew!)

posted by inertia on September 7th 2008 at 4:25pm
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