Monday Motivation: Bedroom Storage Solutions

You only had a holiday from Monday Motivation last week because I was having a kidney transplant! 

Now, let's get back to work!

When we last got together, we were evaluating the bedroom to see what worked and didn't.  Hopefully you've decluttered, moved out unnecessary furniture, and made any necessary repairs to the room.

Now, we need to make sure you're using the storage you have efficiently.  I find that a lot of my clients purchase extra storage containers, including furniture, when they don't really need it.  The problem is that they really have TOO MUCH STUFF.  I know, it's hard to hear.  But, I need to hear it, too.

If you have not gone through your closets and drawers already, now is the time to do it.  I've already posted about how to do this, so just check out. . .

 How to clean out your bedroom closet and dressers

 A lot of master bedrooms hold a typical furniture set that was purchased all at the same time at a large furniture showroom.  I know that's what we did years ago.

If you have one of these sets, and find that it's not functioning for you, you have my permission to break up the set.  Really, you do.  I have a master bedroom dresser, minus the mirror, as a sideboard in my dining area.  The drawer space is more practical than a china cabinet for holding large amounts dishes, linens, and accessories.

Below is a picture of my "dresser" used as a dessert buffet at Thanksgiving. 

You can also use a dresser in the family room as a console table, storing games, music, and such out of sight.  If you have a very large foyer, you can use one as a storage unit for gloves, hats, backpacks - anything, really.

But I can hear you saying, "what do I put my clothes in now that I've moved my dresser to the dining room?"

I knew you'd be wondering.  If you have limited square footage in your bedroom, it's always best to go vertical.  Tall wardrobes can hold a lot of clothing and not take up much floor space.  I also like to look at drawer size as well.  Some beautiful dressers are not functional at all because they have a lot of tiny drawers that only hold 4 pairs of socks or 2 undershirts.  Large drawers that slide out easily make putting away laundry and getting dressed 10 times easier. 

If you want to use a wardrobe that doesn't have drawers in the top section, you can use storage bins or baskets as "drawers" for your clothing and accessories.

If you are very limited on floor space, there are containers you can purchase to slide under your bed for added storage.  If your bed sits a little too low to store something under it, you can lift it up with very inexpensive risers.  I find them all the time at the thrift store and use them when I stage homes to give the bed more "presence" in the room.  You simply put a riser under each leg of the bed and let the bed skirt cover the riser.  Sometimes I have to use a longer bed skirt (or a double one) to cover it completely.

Another place to add extra storage in a bedroom is to make sure your bedside tables have storage capacity.  Drawers, shelves, and drawers are all nice features and keep bedside clutter to a minimum.  I use a little caddy next to my side of the bed because I don't have room for a piece of furniture next to my bed.  I made mine out of fabric, but here is a nice one I found.

I'd love to hear about what other storage solutions you might have come up with to organize your bedroom.  Please share about them in the comment section so we can all learn from each other.