Wednesday, August 7, 2019

44 Before & After: An Organized Nightstand Drawer

We all have that one drawer. The one that becomes a dumping ground with an endless pit of random items. It happens to the best of us!

Most of the drawers around our home are set up in a way that they self maintain, but there are a couple that demand attention more often; our junk drawer in our kitchen, and apparently, my nightstand drawer both top that list.



I clean out the junk drawer every month or so, because even with dividers, random items that don't have an instant home, end up in that very popular drawer. Being in such a high traffic area that we all utilize, I am pretty good about tackling it frequently to keep some semblance of order.






But my nightstand... that's another story. I generally only see it late at night or during a quick surface cleaning session. It was time to finally do something about it.

Sometimes these projects are brought on last minute when I just can't take it anymore. I generally just tackle them and never think to blog about the before and after. It's just a drawer after all. But dang. Anytime I see an organized drawer, or a before and after, I am 10000% more motivated to tackle one myself. So this time I grabbed my iPhone and took a quick picture of the before and decided that I would share the process. I am encouraging all of you to do the same! It doesn't have to be a nightstand drawer, it can be ANY drawer! Just one. Let's do it!


Wow, really Jen?

Let's see, there were candles, linen sprays, essential oils, cold and sinus medications, drawer hardware, jewelry, prescriptions and supplements, hair accessories, lotions, cough drops... the kitchen sink is about the only thing missing from this drawer. Remember, this is a no judging zone.

Clearly, I would use something and then just toss it inside.

First step was to sort it all out. I found two random bins/baskets and used one for "Keep" and another for "Relocate". The keep items would stay in the drawer and the rest would go back where it truly belonged.


Ha! Look at the difference!

I also gave my nightstand a good cleaning and thought to myself that the old, velvet-esque drawer liner was dark and dirty.


I had a couple of foam core boards so I cut them to the shape of the drawer and wrapped them in a scrap of light blue linen fabric. I did this for both of my drawers.


This was an added step, but I felt like it would just freshen up these old and dated nightstands without much effort for now. And I really believe these small changes make a big difference in the end result.

I dug through my stash of organizers and pulled some dividers and a random bowl that I thought would better fit the drawer and help me maintain things better going forward.


The bottom drawer just holds a massage pillow, oil diffuser, and my daily journal.


And here is the after of the top drawer:


The back organizer corrals all of my morning/nightly meds and supplements. The bowl holds my sleeping mask and silk hair scrunchie.


The larger organizer holds the remote, a single sleep spray, my glasses, and hand lotion.


Also matches, essential oils, lip treatment, earplugs, my grinding guard, and daily jewelry items.


It's like an entirely different drawer and only took me about 20 minutes to take a couple of really easy, anyone-can-do steps.


Now that I shared that, I dare you to take on a drawer too! Start small and simple! That's what it is all about. And this one little change really does make me happier at the end of the day. I have also become much more mindful of what I am tossing back into the drawer.


Yay or nay to more of these types of posts? I think we should share these types of transformations over on the #ihearttransformations hashtag on Instagram. It will be fun to take this small challenge to that community and see some before and afters from all of you! Ready. Set. Go!

44 comments:

  1. Thank you for this i am on it

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  2. Oh, this turned out so pretty! The blue linen-wrapped foam board and the clear organisers against the dark wood of your nightstand make such a lovely contrast.

    I like reading about smaller, simpler projects like this one, because they’re a part of everyone’s home, too, so I’ll definitely be following the hashtag on Instagram to see the before and afters! 😊

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  3. These drawers are amazing! I need to get my life to this level!

    Paige
    http://thehappyflammily.com

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  4. Love this kind of quick and easy organizing project that makes a huge impact on your day to day! I'm a mom of two, 3 & 5, so my time to do big projects is somewhat limited. But this would be very doable! I have a drawer of my own that could use some tlc. :) Thanks for the post!

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  5. You've inspired me to the same for my bedside drawer. I'll try to do it this weekend.

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  6. I don't remember the last time I cleaned out my bedside table drawer ... so I'm inspired! I love your tip for creating a fabric base to encourage maintenance of the drawer.

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  7. Yes! I love this. You've inspired me to do the same, thank you!

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  8. An absolute "YAY" to these kinds of posts!! Love before and afters, and this is so down to earth and 'keepin' it real' and within grasp for us mere mortals!! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Yes please! These posts make tackling my own projects seem much more achievable. Thank you!!

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  10. Yes with a vengeance to more of these classic and perfect Jen posts ... is it wrong that I want to switch my brand of iron now so that it's the same as yours? :)

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  11. Definitely a big YAY on more posts like this! It looks lovely. So motivating to hear it only took 20 minutes!

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  12. Yah to more of these posts! Such an inspiration to see the transformation. And also nice to see that disorganization happens to the best of us.

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  13. Yay yay yay! Definitely more posts like this 💛

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  14. Another 'yay' for more of these types of posts!

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  15. Looks awesome and I love the idea of adding a splash of color for the bottom of the drawer! It's like a bright we;come!!

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  16. Definitely a “yay” for these types of posts! They are very inspiring! I have some kitchen cabinets I am going to tackle once the kids are back in school!

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  17. Definitely more of these types of posts -- it's really motivating to see what can be done in 20 minutes. And I really appreciate the before and after -- that's also very motivating to me!

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  18. Love, love, love your bedding! Where are the comfortor(s) from?

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    1. Thank you! I just use an all white quilt that I’ve had for many years, paired with a white duvet cover I found at Target: https://rstyle.me/cz-n/dqs5whb5y77. I believe the euro shams are also from Target or Pottery Barn. I’ve been loving layering all white bedding and just swapping throw blankets and pillows. ☺️

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  19. Love that bowl! Do you know where you bought it?

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    1. It was from HomeGoods awhile back but they always seems to have similar styles in store. ☺️

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  20. Hi,
    this simple project is so effective. can you provide the source for the storage containers?
    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. They are collected over the years but you could definitely find similar items at HomeGoods/TJMaxx/Marshalls (or Target and The Container Store).

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  21. Yes, more of these easy to tackle projects, please!

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  22. I just cleaned this out today as well! Feels soooo much better! Love the linen as the new liner - so pretty!

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  23. Jen, thank you for inspiring me to organize my home one drawer at a time. Sometimes I get overwhelmed because I want it to be instantly organized. Please keep the small projects coming because they do make a BIG difference.

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  24. Yes please to more of these types of posts! I love to see simple, everyday organizing posts for issues that many can relate to, in addition to the bigger projects and tasks.

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  25. I can’t tell you what joy your “before” picture gave me! Sometimes it feels like the whole world has got it together, except me. If even the mighty Jen whose organising powers I admire so much has a drawer like this, maybe I don’t have to feel quite so bad about my imperfect house!

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  26. What a spark of inspiration to cover the inside of the drawer! Mine is black “velvet” and now I know why I feel a twinge of aggravation when I look inside ... it sucks all the light away! Bring on a quick weekend fix :)
    Cindy

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  27. I love the foam board wrapped in linen! I love these posts that feature smaller transformations--they are so motivating to me! I appreciate the time you take to document your organizing process!
    --Jennie

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  28. I'm so happy you're back. You are the very first blogger I ever followed; didn't even know what a blogger was until your site. I would begin and end my day waiting for your posts because I loved your ideas and your esthetics. Again...so glad you're back.

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  29. I love these types of posts. I agree doing a little at a time makes a difference and not everything has to be done all at once. I love the foam board. I never would have thought of that! Oh and that "random bowl" I LOVE it.

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  30. Yay to these posts! Little projects like this are really the backbone of an organized home, aren't they. And love the honesty, because even the most organized person has a spot or two that needs a little help. Love that you are back to posting!

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  31. I love how you give a pop of white color with every project. It makes everything look much cleaner.

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  32. Yay to these posts! I like your small projects that feel easier to tackle for me, especially with 3 young kids :) I have those same nightstands too, so funny!

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  33. Love this! Thank you! Yay for this type of post! #motivated

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  34. Jen! You are my long lost friend and I am SO excited to see you back. I think of you and miss your posts so much.

    So it's a big Y E S from me on these type of posts.

    My nightstand drawer is for my undergarments, but things like hand cream still creep in. I am going to put a cute little basket in it like the Keep basket you have above.

    thanks so much!

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  35. This is so helpful! We have the same nightstands!! 💕

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  36. I love this! I also have a nightstand with a slightly bowed front edge which can make finding organizers difficult. Do you find that the organizers and bowl slide around when you open and close the drawer? Is the linen that you used slippery?

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  37. Everything has been staying put just great! The linen is not at all slippery, so there has been very little movement inside of the drawer.

    If you are concerned about things moving, you can check out this post with more tips to keep your drawer organizers in place (rubber door stops/feet, command strips, mounting putty, rug pad, etc..)

    http://www.iheartorganizing.com/2018/05/quick-tip-get-grip-on-your-drawer.html

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  38. This has been so helpful as I am wanting to do my own nightstand drawer. It has been a catchall and driving me crazy. Really like the fabric bottom and the bowl for the sleep mask. love your blog, such great inspiration and tips. Thanks!

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