Put clutter to bed with these small bedroom storage ideas
If the clutter in your small bedroom is keeping you up at night, you’re not alone. Small spaces are tricky to keep tidy, especially if you’re not a fan of the minimalist approach. These 10 tips will help you finally get everything under control for good.
Stashing items under the bed might temporarily get things out of the way, but it’s also where they go to die. You’re more likely to get functional storage if you switch to a bed frame that sits atop built-in drawers. These will allow you to keep things in one place, plus you’ll easily see what you’ve got stored.
Bonus points for a headboard with shelves to contain your books, glasses, and whatever else you’d like to have close by.
Make your wall space work for you if you’ve got limited floor space. Mount a nice sturdy shelf with an L bracket or create a built-in cubby shelf or bookcase.
Hooks are handy must-haves for a small bedroom. These can hold jewelry, clothing, bags, and anything else you can hang. You can also use them to hang pocket organizers to hold any miscellaneous items.
There’s nothing wrong with a good junk drawer, but they’re not ideal for a small bedroom. Instead of piling things in a drawer to avoid cluttering surface space, dedicate a purpose to each of your drawers. Use organizers to keep everything in order while you’re at it.
One of the best ways to stay organized is to have a place where all of your items can land. Instead of relying on the “pile” system, which inevitably gets cluttered, find containers to hold items by various categories. Think pencil cups, countertop makeup organizers, and stackable bins to keep your drawers under control.
If you’ve got areas in the room that are less accessible, such as a high shelf in a closet or a faraway corner under the bed, use these spots to store seasonal items. Pack away coats and sweaters in the summer, and stash your shorts and sandals in the winter. If you have a different spot to store them in your home, that’s even better.
There’s a reason that cubed storage cubbies are all the rage. They take up the same footprint as a standard shelf but allow tons more storage capacity. Consider labeling cubes or color-coding them to help you remember what’s where.
You don’t need to pare your belongings down to the bare bones, but minimizing clutter is still important for staying organized. Take regular inventory of your belongings and get rid of whatever you haven’t used in a while. Likewise, if you don’t love an item, don’t hold onto it (even if it was a gift).
Rather than waiting until things get out of hand, it also helps to keep a regular decluttering mindset. Your space is limited and valuable, so it’s important to think about what you bring into it as well as what you take out.
Your closet is the main tool you have to contain clutter, so try to take full advantage of its square footage. Hangers that are extra-thin or connect vertically can maximize the number of clothes your closet can hold. Shoes can go on stacking racks, cubbies, or on an over-the-door hanging organizer.
If you’re short on time or just having difficulties finding a system that works, consider hiring a pro to help you out. A local professional organizer can work with you and your small space to find a solution that works—and keeps working.
