Bedrooms, instead of being the oasis of tranquility that they should be, tend to become a catch all for clutter from all over the house. Anything that doesn’t seem to have a place in the rest of the house seems to belong to the bedroom. Since there is a level of privacy in a bedroom, people don’t hesitate to leave things lying around. In no time, this grows into an unmanageable mess and you start wondering how this beast can be tamed. Bedroom storage ideas beyond the conventional built-in wall cupboards are something that people are increasingly looking for.
Here is a set of expert solutions that you might not have thought of for organizing storage for the bedroom.
1. Under bed solutions
If you have not already capitalized on this idea, look out for storage solutions that can fit in under the bed. From sliding drawers to cabinets built into the space under your bed with hydraulic covers, a wide range of solutions exist for items that you do not use frequently, such as quilts and blankets, linen, extra pillows, etc. A word of caution if you are on your way to buying a bed with sliding drawers – make sure the way you are planning the layout of the bed and your bedroom leaves enough space to pull the drawer out.
2. Improvising under bed storage
If your bed does not come with drawers or cabinets and you do not intend to get yourself a new bed, you still can benefit from the concept of under bed storage. Take accurate measurements of the under bed space, especially the height available and the space available in the bedroom outside the bed. Go to a home supplies store and look for the largest storage boxes, baskets or trays that will fit into the space. Use them as drawers that you can slide under the bed.
3. The bed head
The bed head is often used a last-thing-at-night landing strip for books, glasses, phones, and water tumblers. With a little planning and affordable bookends and dividers, you can optimize the usage of the space available. You can stack your books vertically and horizontally to blend aesthetics and ingenuity. You can create additional shelves by laying board or glass over stacks of books, dramatically increasing storage space.
4. The improvised bed head
If your bed does not come with a headstand, you can use a bedside shelf or a cabinet placed behind the bed to good effect. Bedside shelves are a great way of optimizing on space since the sides of the bed have a distinct “traffic pattern” in that we rarely use the space closest to the head of the bed. A cabinet with open shelves can serve as a wonderful storage that straddles the utility of both a headstand and under bed storage. Use the lower shelves to keep items that you rarely use, and the upper shelves for books, magazines, photo-frames, and knick-knacks.
5. Go vertical
Wall mounted shelves above shoulder or head height make for excellent out-of-sight storage solutions. You can close these off with glass panels or see-through plastic so that you don’t have to climb and rummage every time you need to search for something. An excellent place to keep things like that collection of music CDs that are so 70s that you can’t throw them away, and so 80s that you don’t want anyone to see them.
6. Behind the door
The next time you are at a home supplies store, browse the hook and hanging rack solutions they offer which you can use behind a door. You may even want to consider a hanging organizer made out of fabric with compartments and pocket. You will be amazed at the number of odds and ends that will find a home in these handy little inventions. Just make sure that these behind-door hanging organizers don’t become clutter magnets.
7. Bedside tables
These come with a cabinet space under the table top, and can serve as excellent storage for small items. If you don’t have a bed side table, look around for a carton that is roughly the same height as your bed; turn it on its side, and drape it with a folded table cloth. The top surface will serve you as a bedside table for your glasses and your cell phone, while the box itself can be used to store all sorts of small items.
8. Don’t neglect the corners
Nowadays you get extremely attractive shelves and cabinets very intelligently designed to fit into corners. Look out for these and find one that suits your bedroom. If you have unusual curves or angles in your bedroom, keep them in mind when you are at the home supplies store. You can also effectively use corners by stacking up things like fishing rods, rackets, lacrosse sticks, brooms, skis, and then placing a large vertical framed celebrity poster or attractive painting in front of them. The poster or artwork will get you the oohs and aah yet no one will guess what lies behind.
9. Out of the closet
There are several ways that you can use open spaces visible to all as storage. One way of doing this is by stacking things up in a stylish fashion, which you can do with things like travel cases, cases for musical instruments, cardboard boxes, or wicker baskets. The other is by turning them into unusual displays, hanging them on the wall, or highlighting them near a standing lamp, something that you can do with items like leather jackets, flags and banners, musical instruments, sports equipment, mementos and souvenirs, or sculpture and artwork. If you are adventurous, you can even display items that take up large amounts of space like cauldrons and folding play pens. Your imagination is the only limit as to how far you can take this storage idea.
10. Outside altogether
Take a close look at the stuff you are sweating over. Have you used it in the last several months? Do you really need it? Is it in a good and usable condition? Are you holding on to it just so that you don’t offend the person who gave it to you as a gift? Ask yourself searching questions along these lines for all items that appear to be hogging your precious storage space. Once you have ascertained that the item is better off out of your space, decide when you want to sell, donate or dispose of it. Once that decision is made, do not delay, act on it at once, before it finds a way of creeping back into the loft.
Most peoples’ dilemma regarding bedroom storage ideas comes from their instinctive clinging on to things and memories even after they have outlived their utility. Another factor that prevents the efficient use of space is the conditioning that forces you to search for solutions along conventional, middle-of-the-road lines. A little courage and a little imagination can free you up to a life that is more spacious than you ever imagined.
