Storage Strategies

As one of the few private places in a home, a bedroom is often expected to store more than just clothing. It may be the only room that’s quiet enough for office work or peaceful enough for yoga. And many bedrooms are favorite retreats for reading and end up doubling as libraries. Your bedroom can be whatever it needs to be, but keep in mind that organizer pros recommend not losing sight of the bedroom’s essential function as a place for rest. Crowding your sleeping area with activity-related stuff can be symbolic of how that activity takes priority over sleep and relaxation. In other words, a bedroom should look like a bedroom, not like a library with a bed.

A bedroom also should not become a last stop for items that haven’t yet found a good home somewhere else. Perhaps you’re storing important documents in your bedroom closet so they won’t get mixed in with household paperwork. Or maybe you stash luggage under the bed, reasoning that the bedroom is where you do your packing. But really, shouldn’t those papers be kept in a safe or a locked file drawer? And how often do you have to pack for a trip? If it’s only a few times a year, maybe the luggage should go into the basement, attic, or garage to free up the underbed space for storing shoes and other everyday items.

The point is, the bedroom has enough legitimate storage needs without the extra burden of things that don’t serve the room’s daily routine. A good, honest decluttering of your bedroom will not only help you rid the room of excess baggage, it will help you think about your ideal uses of the space. Trimming the fat from your wardrobe is also the first step of a bedroom closet makeover. Here are some thoughts on popular storage options (some familiar, some new) for bedroom stuff: