April 9, 2021, 9:02 am | Read time: 5 minutes
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, chaos often reigns in the bedroom. A quick tidy-up in the evening is rarely an effective solution. Our editor, Odett Schumann, shares how she managed to bring order to her bedroom–once and for all!
If everything in life went perfectly, disorder would never erupt in the bedroom. Because then this room, as its name suggests, would be solely for sleeping. My reality, and probably yours too, proves the opposite every day. Keeping the bedroom tidy is one of the biggest challenges. Next to the bed are heaps of clothes–mind you, from every season! And of course, the so-called dirty laundry must be stored somewhere until the next laundry day. Where, if not in the bedroom? For purely pragmatic reasons, bed linens, sheets, and pillows are also housed here, along with the occasional fashion accessory.
So much for the inventory. Now to the (years-long) dilemma: Many bedrooms, including mine, are not exactly impressive in size. And if there is enough space, it’s usually taken up by oversized wardrobes. In the end, you can barely turn around. The hustle and bustle of everyday life often gives the beloved resting space the final blow, making it sink into a real-life hidden object scene. So the question arises: Can all the belongings in the bedroom only coexist in chaos? Spoiler alert, the answer is: no! But how did I manage to keep my bedroom permanently tidy?
Overview
Preparations for a Permanently Tidy Bedroom
Deciding to keep the bedroom tidy from now on is the first important step toward improvement. However, the chaos won’t disappear overnight. It requires a few preparations.
Declutter and Create Space
It may sound clichéd by now, but to keep the bedroom permanently tidy, you must declutter all closets and dressers once. I promise: It’s worth it in many ways. In most cases, you’ll find so many forgotten items that it’s quite surprising why you didn’t start sorting them out much earlier. It’s said that we use only about 20 percent of the clothes in our closet regularly; everything else probably waits months, years, or even in vain for its turn. And because parting often hurts, it can also be a temporary separation. Going through drawers and compartments step by step, storing them in the basement for a while, or setting decision deadlines are all effective interim solutions when decluttering.
Also interesting: 7 Tips for More Space in a Small Bedroom
Get Rid of Unnecessary Items
Once you’ve successfully decluttered, I can only advise letting your gaze wander through the rest of the room. Surely your eye will catch on an item every few inches. Something hangs on the wall here, something dangles from the ceiling there, and on the floor, there’s another tripping hazard. This stressed me out daily–as I only realized afterward!
Today, only selected favorite pieces are on the walls, shelves, and floor, so the first glance in the morning is only on the beautiful things. This not only looks much tidier, but it also leads to more relaxation. Because if you are presented with the so-called visual war right with the first blink, a visual overload is preprogrammed. Not only the sight but also the knowledge of your own chaos in the bedroom can subconsciously make us nervous–even in sleep.
Use this stress-free method to declutter your home
7 Tips to Keep Your Bedroom from Looking Cheap
7 Tips to Make a Small Bedroom Feel Larger
Routines for a Permanently Tidy Bedroom
With a few simple steps that become part of the morning routine, you can quickly keep your bedroom tidy.
Remove Electronic Devices
In times of debates about the potential danger of electrosmog, I’ve made it a habit to remove laptops, cables, and the like from the room as the last act before going to bed. Okay, admittedly, it might also have been a precautionary measure. Because where there’s nothing, nothing can be spilled, knocked over, or stepped on half-asleep the next morning. Ideally, the first steps land on a soft bedside rug and not on things that don’t belong there. So: Away with all the electronic devices!
Store Laundry Piles Neatly
A similar dilemma is also known with clothing items. In the past, they always ended up in some free spot in the room after a long day and turned into a pile as the workweek progressed. The accumulated textile frustration urgently needed a solution: In my case, it was a chest. This combines style and storage for me. And as a special bonus, it also serves as an ideal place to put things. Just because the clothes are now within (higher) reach, I’m much more willing to put them away quickly.
At least as recommendable as my chest is a bench at the foot of the bed or the popular clothes chair. On all these pieces of furniture, the chaos is concentrated and usually lasts only for a short time. Especially if you move the furniture into the immediate field of view. Then you are discreetly but firmly reminded at all times that there is still something to put away here.
Hang Textiles on the Wall
That a door can also serve as a storage place is already known from the bathroom. In the bedroom, a hook rail attached to the top edge of the door ensures that towels, jackets, and the like are optimally stored. The good thing about it: This solution requires no holes in the wall and no additional furniture. For this, the bathrobe is directly at hand when leaving the bedroom on the way to the bathroom and then neatly hung up again.
A Bedspread on the Bed
A final routine that has become very valuable to me over time for a tidy bedroom is reaching for the bedspread. When things have to go particularly quickly in the morning, I’m grateful for a generous throw that is, of course, already ready. Where? Clearly, on my beloved chest. In case of emergency, a bedspread provides important visual damage control. Thanks to it, the mess of duvet, sheets, and pillows is hidden in no time. Keyword: appearance. But hey, a little trickery is also allowed when it comes to tidiness.