Home Organization Challenge: Master Bedroom

The main objective for me this past week was collecting clothing that will be donated and to maximize the storage potential of the master bedroom. I really wanted to reclaim the room and create a sanctuary. The bedroom is a place to retreat and reenergize and having an uncluttered space is instrumental.

There is a lot of of floor space in the bedroom, but the angles in the room make it a bit of a challenge for furniture placement. To maximize storage space, my husband and I found this great armoire this past summer that is now his closet, while I was able to claim the built-in closet as my own. I also use an old family trunk at the base of the bed to store additional linen.

Several weeks ago at the start of the Home Organization Challenge I found four red Sterilite ornament storage cases that are perfect for most of my Christmas ornaments. I say most of them, because the cases do not work very well for unusually shaped ornaments. I purchased four of these cases and I repurposed two larger containers that stored family photos. After some minimizing of our Christmas ornament collection, I was able to fit everything (including lights) into the six containers. These containers fit perfectly under the bed, which is a great space to store them away from direct sunlight and changes in temperature and moisture. In the past I have also used the space under the bed as a place to store seasonal clothing items. I like using rubber containers under the bed, because they are easy to pull out and clean on a regular basis.

Cleaning my dresser and limiting its' contents to a couple family photos and night lamp is a great de-clutting strategy. I have found that keeping the surface of my dresser clean and de-cluttered is very important. The dresser can become a catch all for all sorts of things and believe me I have had a very messy dresser before and it is no fun. When we move into our week on closets, I will share with you how I organize my dresser and armoire.

This coming week our focus will be on kids rooms. We have a three bedroom home, but since I am using one of the rooms as my sewing studio, it means that my two boys will be sharing a room. This week is therefore not only about cleaning, but about getting the room organized and functional for two boys that are eight years apart in age. My youngest son will be three in April and he has been partly sharing a room with my husband and I. We have been getting things ready for him to move full-time into what has been my eldest son's "domain." There are two beds in the room and the boys currently share a wardrobe and bookcase, but my youngest son is yet to spend a full night in the room. It has been a slow process and I am hoping that with a few changes, the transition will be complete. There is a lot of space for the two boys, but again the angles in the room have made furniture placement a challenge.

Week 6 - Kids Bedroom

To Do List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; keep, donate, trash and other room
• Empty dresser and sort items
• Sort and wipe bookcase
• Sort and wipe night stand
• Clean lamps and light fixtures
• Wipe walls, doors and windows
• Clean under bed
• Clean and shine mirrors
• Clean floors and vacuum carpet
• Vacuum and flip mattress
• Wash curtains and bed linen
• Organize toys and disgard damaged ones
• Donate items

The idea for week five is to create a bedroom that is both fun and functional. I am also getting my eldest son involved in the process so that it works well for him, but also encouraging him to help keep the room clean and organized.