Keeping your space uncluttered and tidy is one of the easiest (and most budget-friendly ways) to ensure your home looks and feels incredible. If you're looking to give your home a seasonal spruce or get it ready for guests to arrive, it's a no-fail approach designers and homeowners alike stand by. Whether you love a minimalist design scheme or a more maximalist look, keeping everything in its place goes such a long way.
It's clear that a clutter-free space looks much better than one with piles of everyday essentials strewn about, but what impact does clutter have on your mind? According to Bobby Berk – interior designer and former Queer Eye star – the impact is significant. Bobby recently took to Instagram to share more about a small space that's known to collect clutter, and why clearing it off should be first on your chore list. These are the decluttering tips he had to share.
'Do you ever walk into your space and it's a mess, and instantly feel not so great? There's a reason for that. When you're surrounded by chaos, it creates chaos in your mind, and it instantly makes you feel anxious and nervous,' Bobby says in the video.
While tidying and organizing is undoubtedly important across the whole home, Bobby says that smaller spaces are often the culprits behind a cluttered mind. Often forgotten and easy to neglect, small surfaces and corners can easily become catchalls for books and magazines, water glasses, and other small items that crop up throughout the day.
From coffee tables to mudrooms, high-traffic areas are extra susceptible to additional buildup. But one space that Bobby suggests you pay special attention to hits very close to home: the bedside table.
'When you are going to sleep with the nightstand piled with junk, whether it be a bunch of cups that we've got water in, or drinks that we've left, or food – don't eat in bed, by the way, just saying – that starts to pile up. That's the last thing you see before you go to sleep and the first thing you see when you wake up – you're surrounding yourself in chaos and clutter. That is not good for your mental health,' Bobby says.
Organizing the bedroom well makes for a serene nighttime routine and a carefree start to the morning. By creating the perfect bedroom sanctuary, designing not just for aesthetic appeal but also for functionality, you'll be setting yourself up for success. Aside from the nightstand, ensure your bookshelves, wardrobe, closet, and any under-bed storage is looking tidy for a peaceful night's sleep.
Bobby explores home decoration and organization's impact on well-being more in his interior design book Right at Home, published late last year. 'If you want to learn more about organization, your home, and the way it affects your mental health, Right at Home chapter three – you can get it on Amazon. Enjoy,' says Bobby.
