Paul Davis Architects It’s hard to keep the living room clean, I know… especially during the busy summer season. After all, it’s called the living room for a reason. So today I wanted to pass along a few tips that will help you curb the clutter for good. I’ll give you some ideas that will help you strike a balance between making the space functionally sound for your lifestyle and making it look pretty.
1. Hide the clutter. If you have a tendency to be messy, invest in closed storage. Many media storage units have open shelving on the top with closed cabinets on the bottom. Do look for furniture that does double-duty, too – think ottomans that double as storage containers, or end tables with drawers. Be sure to head over to Homebent for more tips on choosing the right storage solutions for your living room.
2. Create minimalistic areas. Minimalism isn’t for everyone, but carving out small areas that are clean and sparse can go a long way to make the whole space feel more organized. The title image at the top of the page is a great example of this. Try clearing out a few spots on your bookshelf where you only display a couple of artfully arranged objects.
3. Organize your media. Keep your magazines, books and DVDs organized by corralling them in dedicated areas. This will make the room feel more organized, and it will be easier to find that DVD that you’ve been meaning to watch. Try some of these organizational ideas.
4. Look up. Vertical space is an important thing to keep in mind when trying to keep your living room neat. Be sure to buy storage units that reach the ceiling, as shown above, so you’re not wasting any space. Head over to Home Ideas to check out some other organized spaces that use bright colors to their advantage.
5. Keep your coffee table visible. Flat surfaces tend to be landing zones for things like keys and unopened mail. Trays can be great for holding these items, along with remotes and other things that may not have a permanent home. Baskets can also be tucked underneath to hold toys, DVDs, etc. Keeping the top of the table clean will make the rest of the space feel more organized.
6. Take advantage of underutilized space. Do you have a corner that’s completely unused in your living room? Try installing triangular shelves to use for extra storage or display space. Find out how to make your own corner shelves over on Lushome.
7. Consider a wastebasket. Few living rooms have trash cans, but they can do wonders for your space if your family tends to leave empty wrappers or old paperwork around. Be sure to pick a style that blends in with the room’s aesthetic, and empty it regularly.
8. Decorate intentionally. Sure, you can throw a bunch of books on the shelf haphazardly – or you could arrange them by color as shown above. Or place some in horizontal piles and some in vertical ones. Head over to The Organized Wife for some great tips on how to organize your books. Choose wall art that corresponds with the other themes in the room. Display collections in groupings rather than scattering each piece around the space.
9. Tidy up in the morning. Get in the habit of putting things away in the morning when you get up. Put those shoes you kicked off last night in their place in the closet, fold up the blankets, and bring empty glasses to the dishwasher. You’ll start the day off right and you’ll avoid the massive disaster that might otherwise accumulate if you let it go for a week.
10. Do a weekly deep-clean. This shouldn’t take very long if you’ve been sticking to the habit of tidying up every morning. Dust and vacuum and then clean the windows if you have an extra minute.
Do you have any other living room organization tips? Don’t be shy… share them in the comments section below!
I’ve been a Curbly follower for quite some time now but have always been too shy to voice my opinion. This time, however, you touched a sensitive topic here because I’ve been fighting the living room clutter battle for too long. Lately, I tried a new trick that has worked wonderfully and wanted to share it with you: I got my 2 kids envolved!!! They already have chores to do every day (I had to bribe them with pocket money but that what matters is that things get done, right?) so now, all I did was add another chore when they asked for a raise. Before going to bed, each kid takes his/her stuff from the living room and they’re greeted with a big smile from me the following morning when I walk into a tidy room!!!
@Paula thanks for sharing your tip!
That’s such a great idea Paula!