mastering the master bedroom

 

 Originally posted in January 2011

Today, I'm continuing with thoughts on the Master Bedroom.  Being that there are 24 hours in a day, we spend (or should for good health) at least one third of our lives in the bedroom. Whether you have a luxurious suite or a small master bedroom, whether you have a firey romance or are alone, this space should be your sanctuary. It should be a place where you can escape from every “hat” you wear and be yourself, where you can rest easily and walk away feeling renewed.  First, a few of my thoughts on what the master bedroom should and should not be, and again, these are just my thoughts and opinions. Here's my bedroom this morning.  It's not a large room, but, it's sufficient for us.  Doug made the bed all by himself because I got up an hour earlier.  (Note:  I've taken down my swing and have a rocker instead.)

The master bedroom should not be:

 

• The place you fold your laundry or iron your clothes
• the place that you do your daily workout (or, in some cases, hang your clothes on the unused equipment
• The place your children do their homework or play video games.
• The place where you do business or set up an office.

The master bedroom should be:

• The place where you rest
• The place where you escape
• The place where you can go for peace privacy ~ whether it’s for romance or a serious discussion or to simply discuss without interruption
• A place of peace, love and harmony.

 

Here are a few tips for organizing and conquering the master bedroom: 

• The first tip about a master bedroom (or any bedroom, for that matter) is make your bed! You can have the most lovely room in the world, but if the bed isn’t made, it’s not clean! It only takes a minute.  In our marriage… whoever gets out of bed last makes the bed. We usually get up together in the mornings, so Doug does his side and I do mine together. But, on the mornings that one of us is up earlier, the other makes it. The bed is the largest object in the room. As in any room, if the biggest object is a mess, the room doesn’t look clean. So, simply, make it. You’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something before you even get going every morning!
• Assess your bedroom. Is it peaceful? Is it a catch all? Remove any items in the room that should be in another room. Ironing boards and laundry baskets full of clothing belong in or near the laundry area, not the bedroom. Exercise equipment, especially unused, should be in a family room , spare bedroom or the garage. I remember a friend, who had more clothes hanging on her treadmill than she did in her closet, joking that it had become her closet.  If you're not treading on it, get it out!  Even if you are, seek another place for it.  Dishes do not belong in the bedroom. If you take in a snack, don’t just sit the dishes down when you are done, return them to the kitchen immediately.
• DUST! Bedrooms get forgotten often where dusting is concerned. But, again, this is your sanctuary. If you can write your name on the nightstand, it's time to dust it.  If you aren't dusting the bedroom, ask yourself why?  Is there too much stuff on it?  Electronics are dust magnets and create even more dust, so clear off as much as possible and simplify this task.  This is your haven and you deserve a clean place, just as much as your company does in the living room. Teach your kids the same and encourage them to dust their rooms too, while they still think that dusting is fun.
• What’s under your bed? With Rubbermaid and Sterilyte products so affordable, especially in January (they are a hot selling item on sale at most box stores this month), there’s no reason to not put that empty space (or should be empty space) to work by storing seasonal items under the bed in storage bins. Swimwear and gear under the bed in winter. Skiwear in summer. Sandals in winter, boots in summer.
• What’s on your nightstand? If your nightstand has the last four years of O magazine and People stacked next to it, it’s time to do some serious dejunking. If you can’t bear to part with the magazines, then go through them and pull what it is you think you can’t live without and toss the rest. Most magazines are 80% advertising anyway. You can condense that 18 inch stack into about 1 inch to be filed. If you don’t get around to filing it in a month, toss the stack. Besides, did you know that you can find most everything that is in the magazine highlighted online the next month anyway?
• Get rid of any outdated prescriptions. It’s not a good thing to keep old meds around these days anyway. Even the best of friends can fall into prescription drug addictions these days. Don’t leave things around that would be a temptation to anyone. Get rid of old meds as soon as they are no longer needed.
• Don’t let your nightstand be busier than your bathroom vanity. Cosmetics belong in the bathroom. One bottle of lotion will do, you don’t need every flavor Bath and Body Works offers next to the bed.
• If your nightstand does not have drawers, consider investing in some sort of decorative container to store products that are used by the bed specifically. I purchased this little “secretary” at TJ Maxx for $15 because it had a scratch on the side. It’s one of my favorite things in my house. Inside one drawer is a notepad and pencils for when I have a bright idea in the middle of the night and my earphones. I listen to Conference talks every night before bed and sometimes, I don’t want to keep Doug awake. The other drawer has personal items. Doesn’t that look a ton better than a bowl full of “stuff”.
• Also, one other thought on nightstands… I read a few years ago for C-pap users, a great idea is to store that C-pap machine in a drawer of a nightstand. Have a hole drilled in the back of the drawer and the back of the dresser. Store the C-Pap and it’s supplies inside and open the drawer for use at night. GREAT idea! No ugly machine hovering on the nightstand.

Dressers:

• Put away your clothes! This is a simple task that takes about fifteen seconds extra. If your drawers are clean and organized, if your closet is not overstuffed, hanging things up or putting them away is not a difficult task. Again, get rid of clothes that are not being worn, that are torn, that don’t fit. Toss tired bras, mismatched socks, the swimsuit that you hope to fit in again. (If you lose weight, you deserve a new one!)
• Again, don’t overstuff those drawers!
• Perfumes and lotions have a  shelf life.  If you've not used them in the past year, the scents begin to stale.  Don't just keep them for the pretty bottle's sake unless you plan on running them through the dishwater on a regular basis.
• Also, my frequently stated candle rule applies, especially in the bedroom.  Say it with me, if you've read the blog, you know what's next... "Candles are to be burned, not dusted."
• Separate clothing in individual drawers, as much as possible. Socks, undies, stockings, t-shirts, short sleeve knits, long sleeve knits, sweaters, pants, work-out clothes, pajamas. Hang nicer clothes. My friend Natalie hangs all t-shirts and says that it simplifies her life immensely because the drawers are not full of wrinkly shirts, but neatly hanging all the time. She hangs them right out of the dryer. Love it!

Speaking of bedrooms… I read an article two years ago stating that most burglers go straight to the bedroom nightstand and dresser drawers. If you have valuables, these are not the places to store them. Try storing cash behind a photo frame on the wall, or inside a boot in the closet. Just don’t stash it so well that you forget where you put it!

Books … if you are a reader, a stack of current things you are reading or the next book or two on your list will suffice. Your bedroom should not be the home library.

A bedroom, if it has room, needs a chair of some sort… a place to sit down and put on your nylons or for him to put on his shoes. That chair should not look like a laundry pile. If possible, a lamp nearby would make this part of the sanctuary, mentioned above. It’s also a great thing to have in your room if you have teens. When they come in at night from a date, they have a place to sit and tell you about their evening.

A change receptacle is another need in a bedroom. As you get dressed and empty pockets, having a place to drop the loose change is a great idea. There’s not clutter and it’s also a great way to save money for a fun reward… maybe a getaway!

Have a hamper or laundry basket in your bedroom.  It can be stored in the bottom of the closet, but it's essential for staying on top of clutter.  Use it!  Toss dirty clothes into the basket and take it to the laundry room daily, then bring it back to it's home for the next day. 

If you don't have a large bedroom or a lot of storage space in your room, a storage trunk can be helpful, as well as a great decor.  I picked up the wicker trunk (at the foot of my bed) at a local thrift store for ten dollars.  It stores extra blankets and bedding and also provides an extra place to sit.

Get a jewelry box or some way of organizing your jewelry.  (I think I'll do a whole entry about jewelry later in the month.)  Rather than having all of your jewelry just tangled together or tossed on a dresser, find a way to organize it.  Necklace boards, tackle boxes, even a piece of 1x2 board with pegs, nails or hooks.  But, don't clutter your dresser with piles of jewelry.  And get rid of earrings that are missing a mate, necklaces with broken clasps or take them to the jeweler and have them replaced if it's worth keeping.

There's just a few ideas to help in the master bedroom.  Look through magazines and decorating blogs for great bedroom inspiration.  Imagine yourself settling into a spacious (because it's not cluttered, not because of square footage) room and relaxing in a peaceful, calm spot that was created just for that purpose ~ relaxing!  Imagine yourself not having to trip over a laundry basket, not having to move clothes before you can sit down, not lying on the bed and looking up at cobwebs in the ceiling fan or corners of your room.  Doesn't that sound divine?  It is!  Enough said!

 

Order is the shape upon which beauty depends.

 

 Originally posted in January 2011

Today, I'm continuing with thoughts on the Master Bedroom.  Being that there are 24 hours in a day, we spend (or should for good health) at least one third of our lives in the bedroom. Whether you have a luxurious suite or a small master bedroom, whether you have a firey romance or are alone, this space should be your sanctuary. It should be a place where you can escape from every “hat” you wear and be yourself, where you can rest easily and walk away feeling renewed.  First, a few of my thoughts on what the master bedroom should and should not be, and again, these are just my thoughts and opinions. Here's my bedroom this morning.  It's not a large room, but, it's sufficient for us.  Doug made the bed all by himself because I got up an hour earlier.  (Note:  I've taken down my swing and have a rocker instead.)

The master bedroom should not be:

 

• The place you fold your laundry or iron your clothes
• the place that you do your daily workout (or, in some cases, hang your clothes on the unused equipment
• The place your children do their homework or play video games.
• The place where you do business or set up an office.

The master bedroom should be:

• The place where you rest
• The place where you escape
• The place where you can go for peace privacy ~ whether it’s for romance or a serious discussion or to simply discuss without interruption
• A place of peace, love and harmony.

 

Here are a few tips for organizing and conquering the master bedroom: 

• The first tip about a master bedroom (or any bedroom, for that matter) is make your bed! You can have the most lovely room in the world, but if the bed isn’t made, it’s not clean! It only takes a minute.  In our marriage… whoever gets out of bed last makes the bed. We usually get up together in the mornings, so Doug does his side and I do mine together. But, on the mornings that one of us is up earlier, the other makes it. The bed is the largest object in the room. As in any room, if the biggest object is a mess, the room doesn’t look clean. So, simply, make it. You’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something before you even get going every morning!
• Assess your bedroom. Is it peaceful? Is it a catch all? Remove any items in the room that should be in another room. Ironing boards and laundry baskets full of clothing belong in or near the laundry area, not the bedroom. Exercise equipment, especially unused, should be in a family room , spare bedroom or the garage. I remember a friend, who had more clothes hanging on her treadmill than she did in her closet, joking that it had become her closet.  If you're not treading on it, get it out!  Even if you are, seek another place for it.  Dishes do not belong in the bedroom. If you take in a snack, don’t just sit the dishes down when you are done, return them to the kitchen immediately.
• DUST! Bedrooms get forgotten often where dusting is concerned. But, again, this is your sanctuary. If you can write your name on the nightstand, it's time to dust it.  If you aren't dusting the bedroom, ask yourself why?  Is there too much stuff on it?  Electronics are dust magnets and create even more dust, so clear off as much as possible and simplify this task.  This is your haven and you deserve a clean place, just as much as your company does in the living room. Teach your kids the same and encourage them to dust their rooms too, while they still think that dusting is fun.
• What’s under your bed? With Rubbermaid and Sterilyte products so affordable, especially in January (they are a hot selling item on sale at most box stores this month), there’s no reason to not put that empty space (or should be empty space) to work by storing seasonal items under the bed in storage bins. Swimwear and gear under the bed in winter. Skiwear in summer. Sandals in winter, boots in summer.
• What’s on your nightstand? If your nightstand has the last four years of O magazine and People stacked next to it, it’s time to do some serious dejunking. If you can’t bear to part with the magazines, then go through them and pull what it is you think you can’t live without and toss the rest. Most magazines are 80% advertising anyway. You can condense that 18 inch stack into about 1 inch to be filed. If you don’t get around to filing it in a month, toss the stack. Besides, did you know that you can find most everything that is in the magazine highlighted online the next month anyway?
• Get rid of any outdated prescriptions. It’s not a good thing to keep old meds around these days anyway. Even the best of friends can fall into prescription drug addictions these days. Don’t leave things around that would be a temptation to anyone. Get rid of old meds as soon as they are no longer needed.
• Don’t let your nightstand be busier than your bathroom vanity. Cosmetics belong in the bathroom. One bottle of lotion will do, you don’t need every flavor Bath and Body Works offers next to the bed.
• If your nightstand does not have drawers, consider investing in some sort of decorative container to store products that are used by the bed specifically. I purchased this little “secretary” at TJ Maxx for $15 because it had a scratch on the side. It’s one of my favorite things in my house. Inside one drawer is a notepad and pencils for when I have a bright idea in the middle of the night and my earphones. I listen to Conference talks every night before bed and sometimes, I don’t want to keep Doug awake. The other drawer has personal items. Doesn’t that look a ton better than a bowl full of “stuff”.
• Also, one other thought on nightstands… I read a few years ago for C-pap users, a great idea is to store that C-pap machine in a drawer of a nightstand. Have a hole drilled in the back of the drawer and the back of the dresser. Store the C-Pap and it’s supplies inside and open the drawer for use at night. GREAT idea! No ugly machine hovering on the nightstand.

Dressers:

• Put away your clothes! This is a simple task that takes about fifteen seconds extra. If your drawers are clean and organized, if your closet is not overstuffed, hanging things up or putting them away is not a difficult task. Again, get rid of clothes that are not being worn, that are torn, that don’t fit. Toss tired bras, mismatched socks, the swimsuit that you hope to fit in again. (If you lose weight, you deserve a new one!)
• Again, don’t overstuff those drawers!
• Perfumes and lotions have a  shelf life.  If you've not used them in the past year, the scents begin to stale.  Don't just keep them for the pretty bottle's sake unless you plan on running them through the dishwater on a regular basis.
• Also, my frequently stated candle rule applies, especially in the bedroom.  Say it with me, if you've read the blog, you know what's next... "Candles are to be burned, not dusted."
• Separate clothing in individual drawers, as much as possible. Socks, undies, stockings, t-shirts, short sleeve knits, long sleeve knits, sweaters, pants, work-out clothes, pajamas. Hang nicer clothes. My friend Natalie hangs all t-shirts and says that it simplifies her life immensely because the drawers are not full of wrinkly shirts, but neatly hanging all the time. She hangs them right out of the dryer. Love it!

Speaking of bedrooms… I read an article two years ago stating that most burglers go straight to the bedroom nightstand and dresser drawers. If you have valuables, these are not the places to store them. Try storing cash behind a photo frame on the wall, or inside a boot in the closet. Just don’t stash it so well that you forget where you put it!

Books … if you are a reader, a stack of current things you are reading or the next book or two on your list will suffice. Your bedroom should not be the home library.

A bedroom, if it has room, needs a chair of some sort… a place to sit down and put on your nylons or for him to put on his shoes. That chair should not look like a laundry pile. If possible, a lamp nearby would make this part of the sanctuary, mentioned above. It’s also a great thing to have in your room if you have teens. When they come in at night from a date, they have a place to sit and tell you about their evening.

A change receptacle is another need in a bedroom. As you get dressed and empty pockets, having a place to drop the loose change is a great idea. There’s not clutter and it’s also a great way to save money for a fun reward… maybe a getaway!

Have a hamper or laundry basket in your bedroom.  It can be stored in the bottom of the closet, but it's essential for staying on top of clutter.  Use it!  Toss dirty clothes into the basket and take it to the laundry room daily, then bring it back to it's home for the next day. 

If you don't have a large bedroom or a lot of storage space in your room, a storage trunk can be helpful, as well as a great decor.  I picked up the wicker trunk (at the foot of my bed) at a local thrift store for ten dollars.  It stores extra blankets and bedding and also provides an extra place to sit.

Get a jewelry box or some way of organizing your jewelry.  (I think I'll do a whole entry about jewelry later in the month.)  Rather than having all of your jewelry just tangled together or tossed on a dresser, find a way to organize it.  Necklace boards, tackle boxes, even a piece of 1x2 board with pegs, nails or hooks.  But, don't clutter your dresser with piles of jewelry.  And get rid of earrings that are missing a mate, necklaces with broken clasps or take them to the jeweler and have them replaced if it's worth keeping.

There's just a few ideas to help in the master bedroom.  Look through magazines and decorating blogs for great bedroom inspiration.  Imagine yourself settling into a spacious (because it's not cluttered, not because of square footage) room and relaxing in a peaceful, calm spot that was created just for that purpose ~ relaxing!  Imagine yourself not having to trip over a laundry basket, not having to move clothes before you can sit down, not lying on the bed and looking up at cobwebs in the ceiling fan or corners of your room.  Doesn't that sound divine?  It is!  Enough said!

 

Order is the shape upon which beauty depends.

Comments

[Amy So]

Sophia, I have to say...I loved most of what you said, except for the part about the bedroom not being the library. My bedroom has a built-in bookshelf and it makes me happy to have all my books next to me while I sleep. I wouldn't want them anywhere else!

xox

[msdramateacherlady]

I love this! Great ideas and wonderful motivation, too bad I'm spending my day in a writing workshop. Here's an idea for necklaces...hang a small towel bar where ever it is you would like to store your jewelry, hang the necklaces from the towel bar, they don't get tangled and it's pretty easy to find what you are looking for. The only ones I don't hang from the towel bar are my Tiffany necklaces because they come in either pretty bags or have nice pouches that keep them neat.