By Lorie Marrero
How to avoid a stress-inducing bedroom and create a peaceful retreat.
As a professional organizer, I have seen many stress-inducing master bedrooms that have too many functions going on in the space. Some of these bedrooms are serving as a combination of a nursery, a home office, an exercise room, a playroom, and a laundry room “”annex.”” You want your bedroom to be a retreat space that makes you feel relaxed and rested, so let’s consider for a moment everything that is possibly going on (well, not everything!).
Sleeping: Your mom was right, you should make your bed every day! Your room immediately feels more inviting and relaxing. Would you sleep better if some of the other functions were not competing for this space causing distractions and stress?
Reading: Does your nightstand support your reading habits? A nightstand with drawers or shelves below often serves you better than a simple bedside table. Should you add a bookcase to your room for the overflow? Try a bedside caddy tucked between the mattress and box springs to hold a few of your reading accessories.
Dressing/Clothing Storage: Could a different bed help you store more in your space, such as a bookcase-style headboard or a platform bed with drawers underneath? Have you considered moving your dresser into your closet to centralize your clothing? Have you utilized the storage space under your bed with an underbed storage container for off-season items?
Media: Do you have adequate storage for remotes, CDs/DVDs, gaming consoles and games? Does this really need to be happening here? Many experts say that watching television is not the best way to promote restful sleep.
Child care: With a newborn, it can be practical to have a cradle in the master bedroom for a period of time, but having a playroom’s worth of toddler toys to step over in the middle of the night is not a recipe for a romantic retreat. Are the toys there because you are watching TV or folding laundry in the bedroom? If you moved those functions elsewhere, the toys would follow. If you must, have a basket by the door to quickly corral the toys before retiring for the evening.
Hobbies: Something simple like needlework or puzzles can be restful, but a jewelry-making or painting studio probably should be relocated.
Working: Referring to the tips for restful sleep mentioned above, working in your bedroom should be avoided. If you must work here, consider a folding screen or room divider to give some separation between work life and personal time.
Exercising: Is that treadmill an extension of your closet, with clothing draped all over it? Or are you actually using it? If you’re not, ‘fessing up to that fact could mean you have a whole new space opened up in your room and some cash in your pocket, too. In my experience, I have rarely seen anyone who actually uses their exercise equipment regularly.
After determining which functions of your room are currently appropriate and making sure each is properly accommodated with storage, one of the best organizing approaches is to centralize all surface clutter onto that gorgeous made-up bed. The bed is a good sorting surface, and you’ll be very motivated to finish your organizing project so you can turn down those covers and have a satisfying night’s sleep!
http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-home/cleaning-organizing/article.aspx?cp-documentid=29737144>1=32067
Need help getting organized? Here are 3 ways we can help:
- Get our FREE report, “”30 Ways to Find Time to Get Organized“”
- Get 14 days of unlimited FREE advice from our team of Certified Professional Organizers.
- Get your house in shape. with the Clutter Diet. book
Leave a Reply