Your living room should be a place that welcomes and nurtures you – your haven from the cares of the world and a place where you can truly relax with family and friends. There are four major areas I recommend for you to consider when organizing your living room.
Your living room should be free from clutter and full of relaxing vibes. Picture: West Elm Australia
1. Keep flat surfaces clear
Flat surfaces are like clutter magnets. One major reason your lounge room may not look organized is because your flat surfaces are filled with too much stuff. Have a look at the floor and the coffee tables and look at what’s accumulated there. Are there piles of items on the floor that need to be gone through and either put away properly or just gotten rid of? On the tables are there old magazines, newspapers, items that you just don’t need to have out?
I know it sounds odd, but when you clear flat surfaces in any room there is an immediate increased sense of calm, order and spaciousness. The more you can store away, the more organized the space will feel. And, going forward adopt a plan to not let things build up. As soon as you’re finished using something return it to its proper place. Do your best to keep these areas as free of clutter as possible.
Keep an eye on flat surfaces like coffee tables – they are clutter magnets! Picture: Interior Secrets
2. Eliminate the cord ‘spaghetti’ look
If your living room is where your television, computer, and/or stereo system live, there’s a good chance that there are some electronic cords cluttering up the space. This unruly tangled spaghetti of cords are probably covered in dust, are filled with different colours, and just plain look messy. You’re probably so used to them by now that you no longer even notice them when you come into the room. The problem is that the tangle of cords really makes a room look disorganized. There are all sorts of cord management systems that can work for you – but even a nice box with openings on two sides is a great way to cover up as much excess cord as possible. Give that area some consideration and you’ll make your living room look far more tidy, organized and cared for immediately.
If your living room serves more than one purpose such as a place to watch TV, a place to read, a place for the kids to play, a place to do some craft projects, etc., then it’s really in your best interest to set up different zones within the room for each of those functions. Store all of the items you might need for each function in a separate area within the room. And, designate a box or a bin to hold the items needed for each function. Creating clear areas for like items or activities makes it easier to find items when needed, helps establish limits for what can reasonably fit into that zone and, perhaps best of all, makes cleaning, clearing and putting things away much easier.
If your living room serves more than one purpose, create zones such as study nooks. Picture: Kari Shea/Unsplash
4. Don’t overload the space – the big stuff
One of the most common reasons lounge rooms look disorganized is that the furniture is simply too big – or there’s too much of it – for the room. Big bulky entertainment consoles, couches or recliners may have worked well at some point in your life, but they may simply be taking up too much space now. The truth is most people rarely use DVDs, CDs, or even the equipment needed to run those anymore. Getting rid of some of the bulkier items in the room will make it feel far more open and inviting.
The more you can get rid of in the living room and the more you can organize what’s left, the more relaxed that room will feel. Picture: Oz Design Furniture
Living rooms should be the place in your house where you can really find some relaxation. If that room is cluttered and disorganized, the less calm you will feel. Have a good hard look at what’s there and see what can be done to open up that space and make it feel more like the welcoming centre of your home.