Is your bedroom less of a sanctuary and more of a storage zone? A cluttered bedroom can disrupt your sleep and increase stress levels. If you’re struggling to figure out how to declutter your bedroom, professional organisers are here to help. Transform your space into a haven of peace and relaxation with these simple yet effective decluttering tips.
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How to declutter a bedroom like a pro
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the details when striving for a spacious and serene bedroom. However, sometimes the simplest things can be the most effective. Making the bed, for example, is a small habit that can make a big difference.
“Coming home after a long day to a beautifully made bed helps not just the room feel airy and less cluttered, but your mind, too. And a decluttered mind means better sleep,” say professional organisers.
With that in mind, here’s a list of effective – yet surprisingly simple – ways to declutter your bedroom.
1. Start with a general clear out
Too many items in your bedroom will quickly make the space feel small, cramped, less usable, and less enjoyable. When decluttering, think like a minimalist.
Start by considering the room’s primary purpose – sleeping better. Anything that doesn’t contribute to that goal should be housed elsewhere.
“Your bedroom should be a place of rest and relaxation, so bringing anything into the space that alters that energy is a hard no from us,” say professional organisers. “Paperwork or anything to do with your profession or education should live outside of the bedroom – bringing it in is a constant reminder that you have a to-do list waiting for you.”
Focus on getting rid of items you don’t need, haven’t used, likely never will, or that you have multiple of. Clear visual clutter from dressers, nightstands, and vanities before sorting through the items individually.
Once you’ve decluttered, decide whether to donate or sell items. Don’t try to tackle everything at once; clearing surfaces alone will make a huge impact. Then, you can move on to more time-consuming tasks, such as organising drawers.
2. Declutter your closet
People often feel reluctant to declutter their clothes, but if they don’t fit in your closet, or you don’t wear them, it’s time to get rid of them. To avoid piles of ‘unhomed’ items lying around, you’ll need to declutter according to the storage you have. Try editing category by category in short bursts of 20-30 minutes.
Take out all of your sweaters and decide which ones you actually wear, then move on to trousers, skirts, etc. Breaking it down and seeing everything in front of you makes it much easier to make decisions. When everything fits in your closet, the room will instantly feel bigger and more manageable.
With more closet space available, you’ll also have the option to move bedroom items behind closed doors for a more streamlined feel. Consider dedicating a shelf to ‘knick-knack’ prone categories, such as your jewellery or make-up.
Beautify the storage space with uniform velvet hangers. Matching hangers, all hung in the same direction, are a quick and relatively inexpensive way to overhaul any closet for a calm and organised vibe.
Anyone who has a chair in their bedroom knows how quickly it can become a dumping ground for clothes. Put your shirts in the right drawer instead of leaving them on that chair in the corner. Assigning spaces for your things and then being mindful about always placing them where they belong will keep the space free and clear.
3. Group belongings mindfully
Bedroom styling extends to surfaces; get these in shape, and you will have a more streamlined feel overall. Put as much thought into how you display items on your bedroom surfaces as you do into the items themselves. Meaningful, artistic arrangements will add aesthetic value, as well as functionality. A good rule of thumb is to group items in odd numbers, ensuring plenty of space around them.
Use a pretty tray to corral items into a neat little shape, but keep it to a maximum of four items. Nightstands, in particular, are clutter-prone areas that truly benefit from a considered, ‘less-is-more’ approach.
Position a lamp for ambient lighting, and then add essentials only: your latest book, a relaxing candle, and a small catch-all dish for jewellery and glasses, for example. Don’t forget to deal with cords – these can be visually jarring, so hook them to the back of your nightstands to keep them out of sight.
4. Incorporate stylish storage for easy access
When decluttering a bedroom, it’s important not to lose sight of practicality. The trick is to keep essentials close to hand without sacrificing a stylish, clutter-free scheme.
Chic storage baskets, boxes, and containers are great for containing small knick-knacks and ‘unsightly’ essentials and look lovely integrated into curated groupings.
Avoid transparent materials if you can, as too much open storage on show can make a room feel overly full, and choose stackable designs to save space. These have the added benefit of concealing everyday items, creating a visually calm space. Most items will be in drawers or closets, but anything below eye-level should have a lid. Baskets are particularly good for easy access.
Dedicate a drawer or a basket to different items – organising make-up in one, organising jewellery in another, for example – so you can reach straight for what you need.
5. Utilise space under the bed
Often overlooked, underbed storage offers a wealth of storage opportunities without taking up extra floor space.
Pull-out drawers, bags, or boxes (measure beforehand for a snug fit) are useful, but be aware that out of sight usually means out of mind, so schedule regular time to declutter and organise the area under the bed to keep them relevant.
This is often a place where items go to die. Make sure you know what lives under your bed, and go through what’s there with a judicious eye. Do you really need it taking up physical and mental space in your home?
If you don’t want boxes on show, an ottoman-style bed is a great option for maximising space, lifting to reveal plenty of storage space inside. This isn’t something you’ll want to do every day, so be sure to fill it with items that you don’t need daily access to, such as storing clothes for the longer term.
If you’re still struggling for space, consider moving non-seasonal items outside of the room altogether – bedding and clothing, for example. This is where vacuum pack storage comes in handy; pack up and label each bag clearly, then relocate them to your loft or garage.
6. Toss or donate those throw pillows
You might have too many throw pillows. Less is more, and decluttering them from your bedroom will ease the visual load.
A few carefully chosen decorative pillows add texture and colour, but at some point, the scales tip, and too many pillows just end up adding to the cluttered and chaotic feel.
7. Keep the floor clear
Keeping floors clean, tidy, and clear of clutter will trick your brain into thinking the space is larger than it is.
The brain subconsciously scans a room for its perimeter, so the further you can see, the calmer you’ll feel.
In general, piles of dirty laundry and shoes tend to be the main culprits – investing in effective bedroom organisers, such as well-placed baskets and hampers, is the easiest way to keep them at bay. Pick a stylish design if it’s out on show, or opt for a lidless version if you’re storing it inside a closet.
The key thing here, though, is to keep clutter firmly off your floors.
8. Assess the scale of your furniture
Bedroom furniture is often very expensive, which can make decluttering any of it all the more difficult. As the main goal of decluttering your bedroom is clearing the clutter away for a calmer, more streamlined space, assess the scale of your furniture and decide if they are working with your room or against it.
Don’t crowd a small space with oversized furniture. Instead, weed out what isn’t working and re-sell or give it away to someone local, to declutter without throwing away. Then, select pieces that are in proportion to the rest of the room.
9. Manage your cords
It’s bad to sleep with tech anywhere in the room, let alone next to your bed. The least you can do is get all your cords under control.
Cord management helps reduce the feeling of unruly cords. Using both closed and open storage can help to hide away the things you don’t want to see. This is especially true if you’re using multiple chargers for multiple devices and find your bedside table can’t handle all the clutter. Taking a minute or so to do a little cable organisation will leave things more zen.
Alternatively, use a charging station to cut down on wires while keeping everything organised and accessible.
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