Learning to Let Go: Clutter in the Bedroom

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Get rid of clutter for a stress-free, relaxing bedroom.

Moving into a 935-square-foot cottage has helped me develop a critical eye toward what comes in and goes out of my home. In a space this tight, I can’t hang on to things I think I may need someday (goodbye, set of foam rollers circa ’87, pack of dried-up markers and tower of empty shoe boxes). Periodically, I find it refreshing to choose a room and do a quick purge. Here’s what didn’t make the cut in a recent session in my bedroom.

Reader’s Digest: I rescued a family of dust bunnies living behind a large stack of reading materials I would never get through: overdue library books, last season’s catalogs and magazines with long-forgotten dog-eared recipes.

Pillow Fight: Every day, I waged the same war with two (purely) decorative pillows adorning my bed. Putting them on; taking them off. Making the bed shouldn’t be so hard, so I tossed them for good (in a box bound for Goodwill).

Sitting Pretty: Next up was a lovely vintage bentwood chair sitting by the window. What was supposed to be a quiet spot for coffee-sipping and paper-reading had morphed into a leaning tower of wrinkled clothes. Now the chair resides in the living room where it can be admired and used, and I am forced to put away my clothes.

Tune Out: And last, but not least, I turned to the TV—my good friend, who lulled me to sleep with its warm glow. This was a tough one, but I had stayed up past my bedtime watching Conan O’Brien and Frasier reruns too many times. I can still get my TV fix in the living room, and the dark circles under my eyes are starting to fade.