Your Organized Life

When you think of your master bedroom, what comes to mind?

Well, I watch a lot (Make that: A LOT!) of house hunting television shows and, more often than not, it seems like house hunters use the word “sanctuary” when describing what they want in a master bedroom or suite.

So what exactly is a “sanctuary”? Well for a house hunter it’s a calm, comfortable, soothing place where they can rest and relax away from the hustle and bustle of the world and the rest of the house.

To be a sanctuary, the master bedroom should be serene. And the more organized the bedroom is, the more serene it is. If you aren’t distracted by stuff everywhere you look and you don’t get stressed wasting your time trying to find things, you’ve got a much better chance of relaxing your body, mind, and attitude.

So where do you start? How are you going to find that peaceful, serene space?

1. Clear and Declutter

Start with the surfaces (e.g., dressers and nightstands) and start clearing. Only leave what absolutely needs to be there (e.g., lamps). As you remove the other things, ask yourself if each item belongs somewhere else or should be given or thrown away? You can even use the three boxes system described in my post on decluttering. If you come across things (e.g., makeup) that you do use all the time and really don’t want to move, why not find a better way to store them like in a decorative box?

When you’ve got the surfaces cleared and cleaned, move to the next level (e.g., chairs, bed) and continue. While you’re doing this, don’t forget under the bed. Lots of people store things under their beds, and it can get pretty scary under there. Try to clear the area under your bed (better Feng Shui), but if you have to use that area for storage, at least use appropriate boxes: They come in every size and a range of materials and colors; you can even get them with wheels for easy access.

2. Organize

I’m not going to go into closet organization in this post because I did that in a series on closet organization in December, but now is a good time to organize your drawers.

I like to organize drawers because they small. It’s easy and satisfying to organize a finite space. Just declutter them, wipe them out (yes, drawers do get dusty), put like things together, and fold and arrange the drawer’s contents so they’re tidy. If it helps, you can use drawer dividers or boxes to keep things in place. And if you’re short of space for things like sweaters, you can use vacuum storage bags.

If you have shelves or other storage areas in the bedroom, apply the same principles and techniques to them.  Declutter, clean, organize.

3. Icing

I’m assuming that your master bedroom got cleaned in the spring cleaning, but if it didn’t, now would be the time to do it. Just start at the top (e.g., moldings, curtains) and dust and clean your way down to the floor.

And when that’s done . . . it’s time for the icing on the cake. The fun part.

Now that your master bedroom is clean and organized, take a look at your décor. Do you like the colors? How do they make you feel? What about the pictures on the walls? Have you always wanted a comfy chair (well, it is a sanctuary)?

Decide what decorative changes you can make or add to turn this room into the relaxing place you want it to be. Now, that you’ve cleared your “canvas,” you’ll be able to get a better picture of your room and making changes will be easy since you won’t have a lot of excess to get out of your way or work around.

You’ve done it!  Just remember to keep up with things (like clutter) on a daily basis, and your room will always be ready for your escape.