Organization Tips
How To Organize Your Room: 7 Tips and Tricks
Published
July 02, 2024
Reviewed by
Suze Dowling
A well-organized room can have a noticeable impact on your daily life. Knowing where everything is can help you more easily navigate your space and find what you need.
Whether you're dealing with a small bedroom, a cluttered closet, or a disorganized laundry room, implementing effective organization can transform your living space into a relaxing and orderly space. This article will explore simple tips to help you declutter, maximize your storage space, and create harmony within your room.
1. Get Rid of Clutter
Clutter can negatively affect your room's functionality and create a sense of chaos. To kickstart your organization party, begin by decluttering your space.
Here are some key steps to effectively declutter your room:
- Sort and Simplify: Start by categorizing your belongings into keep, donate, or discard piles. Simplify your space by parting ways with items you no longer need.
- Organize in Stages: Tackle one area at a time to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed. Whether it's your closet, bookshelf, or under the bed, focus on organizing specific sections systematically.
- Let Go of Unused Items: Be honest about what you truly need and use regularly. If you haven't used something in the past year, consider letting it go to free up valuable space.
- Create a Clutter-Free Zone: Designate a specific area in your room where clutter is not allowed. This can be your bedside table, desk, or entry table (for example).
2. Maximize Storage Space
Effective storage solutions are key to maintaining an organized room, especially in small or compact living rooms. Consider using storage containers to optimize storage space and keep your room clutter-free.
Storage containers and boxes allow you to store things neatly and efficiently, and you can also use bin labels for easy identification. Plus, stacking your storage bins can help you save even more space.
One of the most underutilized spaces in a room is underneath your bed — making the most of this space is one of the best ways to help your room stay organized. You can do this with under-bed storage bins or drawers. These are perfect for storing out-of-season clothing, extra bedding, or other items that you don’t use every day.
Wall space is arguably even more overlooked than under-bed storage. Installing shelves, hooks, or hanging organizers can help you maximize this prime vertical space.
3. Make the Most of Small Bedrooms
If your room is small, bedroom organization can be challenging. Here are some tips for effectively organizing a small bedroom:
Innovative Hacks
Explore creative hacks and organization ideas like using multifunctional furniture. For example, adding a storage bench or ottoman at the foot of the bed provides a place to sit while you put on or take off your shoes, and it doubly functions as a place to stow extra blankets.
Hanging organizers inside the closet or on the back of a door are other ways to add extra storage. And, as mentioned above, take a look at your walls. Is there an eye-catching place where you can add vertical space for storage?
Painting that wall in a stand-out color and adding floating shelves to hold attractive containers is a great DIY organization project. Plus, it will leave you with a statement wall that can be beautiful, functional, and minimalist.
Dividers and Drawer Dividers
They might seem simple, but their impact is massive. Adding dividers to shelves in your closet makes a world of difference for organization and storage. It’s the difference between a toppling heap of T-shirts and orderly stacks of neatly folded sweaters.
Dividers in drawers have the same effect. Use them to separate and organize small items like accessories, socks, or undergarments — this helps maximize storage with limited space.
Storage Solutions for Compact Rooms
Consider space-saving furniture like bed frames with built-in storage or compact, wall-mounted desks that can fold and lie flat against the wall when not in use. Another idea is to use a small floating shelf instead of a nightstand to save floor space.
4. Maximize Closet Organization
A well-organized closet can make all the difference in your daily routine. Here are some tips to make the most of your closet space, even when you don’t have a walk-in closet:
- Maximize a Small Closet: Start by decluttering your closet and only keep items that you wear regularly. Use hangers, shelf dividers, and hanging organizers to optimize the available space.
- Use Shoe Racks and Cubbies: Use shoe racks or cubbies to keep footwear organized and easily accessible. Consider adding hooks for bags and accessories.
- Sort out Off-Season Clothing: Rotate seasonal clothing items and store off-season clothes in storage boxes or under-bed storage containers. This helps free up space in your closet for items you need to access regularly.
5. Create Functional Nightstands and Bedside Tables
Your nightstands and bedside tables can serve as valuable storage spaces in your room. Many of us use these surfaces to hold essentials, like the books we read, the alarm clocks we wake up to, or our nightly skincare products.
Consider choosing nightstands with drawers or shelves for additional storage. Keep your bedside essentials organized with stylish trays or small baskets to corral items like keys, glasses, or charging cables. You can even personalize the decor on your nightstand to reflect your style while keeping it clutter-free.
You can also opt for bedside tables with built-in storage options, such as drawers or compartments. This allows you to store items like books, journals, or extra blankets within easy reach without cluttering the tabletop surface.
6. Prioritize Laundry Room Organization
While our article focuses on organizing the bedroom, maintaining an organized laundry room is just as important. Efficient laundry room organization can streamline your daily chores and even have a secondary effect on your bedroom’s organization, making the space more functional.
To keep your laundry room clutter-free, start by clearing out unnecessary items and only keeping essentials in the space. You can use storage bins or baskets to hold laundry supplies and keep them organized.
Next, try to maintain a system for collecting dirty clothes, whether it's a hamper or designated baskets. This can help you keep track of when it’s time to do laundry and will also keep the space a bit more tidy.
Storing extra blankets in vacuum-sealed bags or on shelves can also help prevent a cluttered feel. Invest in stackable storage bins or baskets for sorting and storing various laundry essentials like detergents, fabric softeners, and cleaning supplies.
7. Learn Professional Organization Tips
Harness the wisdom of professional organizers to elevate your room organization game and create a space that’s both functional and visually appealing. Whether through a consultation with a seasoned organizer or diving into books written by experts, these valuable organization tips can help streamline your efforts.
Experts can help you prioritize efficiency and aesthetics, providing you with practical strategies for decluttering, categorizing, and establishing designated storage areas. Some organization professionals even have their own organization systems.
The Takeaway
Achieving a harmonious and organized living space involves thoughtful choices and clever solutions. You can embrace decluttering, maximizing storage, and incorporating personalized touches to create a sanctuary that still resonates with your style.
At Open Spaces, we know that staying organized doesn’t mean sacrificing style. Our organizational products balance functionality and aesthetic appeal so your space can truly feel like home.
Sources:
5 Reasons Why Clutter Disrupts Mental Health | Psychology Today
20 Laundry Room Organization Ideas to Declutter Your Space | The Spruce
The Ultimate Guide: How to Build Your First Capsule Wardrobe | Modern Minimalism