For the past year or so, my boyfriend and I have had a very minimalist bedroom with only a bed and two nightstands.
The main reason for this is that our bedroom is very small (97 sq ft), and we could not fit other things in it.
But it also feels so good, so we wouldn’t want it to be any different!
However, my bedroom has not always been like this.
When I lived with my parents, it used to be incredibly cluttered and full of furniture and stuff even though it was approximately the same size.
I remember that it felt stressful and overwhelming.
I always had to spend a lot of energy and time tidying, dusting, and cleaning around all the things displayed on the shelves.
My closet was jam-packed and everything seemed to be out of control.
And you know what? I was not even messy. I was actually very tidy!
But being tidy was not enough for this small space. I just had too much stuff.
When I moved into my current apartment, I decided to keep the bedroom extremely simple, with nothing more than the essentials.
Now looking back, I know it was the right decision for me.
If you too want less clutter and a simpler, more minimalist bedroom, this list of 9 things to get rid of will help you keep the clutter away and create a calm, relaxing space that you’ll love!
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Why you should declutter your bedroom
The bedroom should be a haven for you, more than any other room in your home.
It is where you should be resting, relaxing, and releasing stress.
A good night’s sleep and proper rest are essential for our health and for feeling our best every day.
So our bedrooms should be arranged in a way that promotes quality rest.
However, a room full of clutter is everything but relaxing.
In his book Goodbye Things, Fumio Sasaki explains that every item in our homes is sending us a silent message, telling us to do this and that.
For instance, books you’ve never read are telling you “read me”.
Clothes with tags still on are saying “wear me”.
Everything lying on the floor is begging you to pick it up and put it back where it belongs.
Dusty knick-knacks on your shelf are shouting “dust me”.
All the clutter in your bedroom is a visual reminder that you should be doing something with each item, which makes your already full to-do list grow more and more.
This does not contribute to creating a peaceful, relaxing bedroom!
Thankfully, you have control over what is in your bedroom and you can let go of the excess to eliminate everything that does not help you rest.
So try to declutter it as soon as possible.
Here are 9 things you should go through and declutter in your bedroom!
9 things to declutter for a minimalist bedroom
1 – TV
Remember that the bedroom is for sleeping, and one of the worst things you can do before going to sleep is to spend hours staring at a screen.
Watching TV before bed can reduce your sleep quality and melatonin levels.
Not to mention that watching one movie at night can easily turn into watching two, three, or even four episodes of your favorite TV show!
So if you want to sleep well and longer, get rid of the TV in your bedroom.
You will wake up the next day feeling a lot more refreshed and rested, and will be way more productive!
Keeping the TV out of the bedroom is also an easy way to practice digital minimalism.
2 – Too many knick-knacks
Having many knick-knacks on our nightstands, shelves, dressers or any other surfaces in our room is a major source of visual clutter.
It also makes cleaning and dusting a lot more difficult and time-consuming.
If you truly love all of them and they make you feel good in your bedroom, definitely keep them!
But if you have an excessive amount or some that you no longer love, allow yourself to let them go.
I find that bedrooms with only a few things in them are a lot more welcoming and relaxing!
3 – Wall decorations
On my bedroom walls, I only have two sconces and a beautiful canvas print featuring a stunning seaside landscape.
This is perfect for me!
I am not saying that you cannot have different decorations on the walls of your bedroom.
But like knick-knacks, too many of them can increase visual clutter and make everything look chaotic.
Try to only hang wall decor that you absolutely love and that goes well with your interior design, and remove decorations you do not like looking at anymore.
Read more: 20 brilliant minimalist bedroom decor ideas you’ll adore
4 – Unnecessary furniture
This one is probably the most important thing you should get rid of for a more minimalist bedroom!
If you have any bulky, unused furniture pieces, sell them or give them away.
By doing so, you will open the space, and your bedroom will look bigger and more spacious.
Especially if your bedroom is small like mine, ask yourself if you need all the furniture you have.
Do you really need a big, bulky dresser?
Could you swap it for a smaller one, or completely remove it from the room?
Big furniture pieces also usually attract clutter.
So getting rid of them can force you to declutter more stuff and regularly reassess your belongings.
Also, get rid of the chair you always throw your clothes on at the end of the day.
Believe me, it doesn’t look good!
I talked about the importance of keeping as few furniture pieces in your bedroom as possible in an article on ApartmentGuide.com.
Feel free to check it out!
Read more: 8 minimalist bedroom furniture ideas for a simple, peaceful room
5 – Clothes & shoes
Closets are usually where we store the most things in our bedrooms.
So if you want to be more minimalist, go through your clothes and shoes.
Declutter anything that is damaged beyond repair, that is not your style or that does not fit you anymore.
You can also let go of clothes you have not worn in the past year or those that no longer fit your lifestyle.
Shoes that hurt your feet should also go!
If you work from home, you probably do not need five blazers and ten dress shirts.
And if you live in a warm climate, you can safely get rid of most of your chunky sweaters.
I have an entire blog post about how to declutter your closet if you need guidance to let go of the excess in your wardrobe.
6 – Jewelry and other accessories
After decluttering your clothes and shoes, do not forget about all your accessories, bags, and jewelry.
Get rid of duplicates, worn-out or broken pieces, and things you never use.
Even though accessories are usually small, they all add up and can take up a lot of space!
I personally used to hoard jewelry and had all kinds of earrings, necklaces and bracelets, but I only wore a handful of them.
I recently decided to only keep the best silver and gold pieces and got rid of all the fake jewelry.
An easy thing you can throw away is tarnished fake jewelry!
It looks horrible and, unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to make it look better.
7 – Too many throw pillows
I’m surprised that so many people love having tons of throw pillows on their beds.
Yes, they look good, but they’re a big hassle to remove every night and put back every morning.
So I prefer not to have any throw pillows on my bed.
I find that, since my bed linens are beautiful, I don’t need anything else to make everything look nice.
This may not be for everyone, so it’s totally okay if you like having throw pillows on your bed. You can still have a minimalist bedroom!
But I recommend that you think about the best number for you.
Do you have too many of them? Are you dreading making your bed every morning?
If you have more than five, try and see if you prefer having only three.
You may (or may not) find that you prefer displaying fewer throw pillows on your bed.
8 – Books and magazines
Having lots of books and magazines can make the room look messy and cluttered, especially if they are stacked somewhere they shouldn’t be.
So go through your books and get rid of any you have already read but don’t plan on reading again in the future.
You may also have books that you really don’t see yourself reading, so pass them on to the next person.
I’ve sold many books from my university years, and I’ve made decent money out of them.
The remaining unused books went to the free little libraries that were scattered around my neighborhood.
Outdated magazines that you do not open anymore are not needed as well, so you can donate or recycle them guilt-free.
9 – Anything under the bed
Many people live in small spaces, so they need every little corner of their homes to store their belongings.
However, if you don’t live in a tiny studio apartment and still need to store things under your bed, you may have too much stuff!
Things that you put under your bed get incredibly dusty, making it even more difficult to clean.
For a healthy bedroom, you should be vacuuming under your bed very regularly.
Having things there complicates everything!
So do yourself a favor and get rid of everything that’s under your bed.
Either give the things away, sell them, or store them somewhere else.
I promise it is so much easier to vacuum under the bed when you have nothing there!
Final thoughts on these 9 things to declutter for a minimalist bedroom
I hope that these decluttering ideas inspired you to reassess and go through all the material possessions you have in your bedroom!
Of course, you don’t have to get rid of any of these if you don’t want to.
But if you remove the excess and minimize the clutter in your bedroom, you will find that your space will look and feel much more relaxing and inviting.
That way, you will be more likely to sleep better and wake up each day feeling energized and rested!
If you’re looking for ideas for things to declutter in other parts of your home, these articles will help you:
- 30 things to declutter for a minimalist kitchen
- 15 things to declutter for a minimalist bathroom
- 11 things to let go of in the living room
What things have you decluttered to have a more minimalist bedroom? Share them in the comments!
What about antique furniture that you have been given?
Hi Veronica,
If you love that piece of antique furniture, my advice would be to try and make space for it so that you can enjoy and use it every day. 🙂 If you don’t like it, there is no reason to keep it, so consider selling it as it might be worth something. But if it’s a family heirloom, maybe ask other family members if they’d like to take it off your hands.