When it comes to living room organization, it’s not just about keeping it clutter-free and tidy – it’s about making sure the room is practical and useful as well.

After all, the living room is the space in the home where all family members congregate and spend real time together. It’s bound to be messy and disorganized from time to time.

We put together a quick living room organization checklist to help you make your living space the best it can be!

Click here to get your printable checklist.

Declutter

We will say this until we are blue in the face: Decluttered rooms are easier to organize.

For this step, we recommend taking a good look at your furniture, decor and shelf-consuming trinkets. Do they fit into your room? Do they serve a purpose? Do you still need them, or even love them?

1. Remove inappropriately-sized or unnecessary furniture

Read how inappropriately sized furniture can make your living room look cluttered.

2. Minimize your decor (yes, even those throw pillows)

Less is more! White space is important when it comes to a room looking clean, tidy, and organized.

3. Don’t forget the shelves!

Shelves are clutter magnets for all sorts of items, so use your shelf space wisely. If you use the shelves to showcase prized collections, consider decluttering your collections, too.

 

Consider Purpose and Function

The success of being able to keep your living room clean and tidy while also useful relies on taking some time to consider the purpose and function of the space – and then planning the room accordingly.

The living area must serve everyone in the family, and it shouldn’t be a chore for everyone to feel comfortable.

4. Target a focal point for the living room

This tends to be the TV and entertainment unit in most homes. If most of your family room time is focused on being able to binge your favorite Netflix shows, you want to make sure the room accommodates that purpose.

In that case, you will center the furniture so that you can focus on the TV.

But, it’s also important to think about all the other ways the room is being used. Napping? Reading? Studying? Working? Crafting? How can you incorporate that into the space?

5. Create zones

The truth is that a living room is also often the craft room, the dining room, the kids’ playroom, the home office, and so on. If that’s the case, having defined spaces for each of these purposes will improve the functionality of the living room and its organization.

Have a designated play area for the kids and a home workspace. Use shelving, rugs, and white space to separate all areas.

6. Utilize multipurpose furniture where possible

It helps to make the room useful without being too cluttered.

7. Keep the flow between spaces

Make sure there’s room to walk between the couch and the coffee table, and don’t forget that it should be easy to flow from one designated space to another. When it feels effortless, that’s good organization hard at work!

Tackle Your Clutter Hotspots

Every home has a few clutter hotspots that act as magnets for any stray belonging that passes. They tend to be flat surfaces (like coffee tables and side tables), but in the case of a living room, it can also be a sofa or armchair that gets the random items left behind.

8. Integrate storage on or near flat surfaces

Add trays, bowls, or baskets near these areas so that remotes, books, and other random items have (temporary) homes that look nice.

When you can, integrate hidden storage to combat clutter and disorganization. Add baskets to shelves, put rolling baskets underneath your coffee table, or invest in an ottoman that opens for storage.

9. Create homes for items commonly left in the room

The big factor in easily keeping your living room organized is to make a dedicated home for things that regularly get used and left behind there.

If you want to make it easy to put things back where they belong, remove the barriers.

If kids play with toys while you watch the news, integrate a toy basket into the design. If you knit while your husband watches sports, get a side table with drawers that house your knitting supplies.

10. Tame the entertainment unit

And that includes hiding all that visible cable clutter!

 

Easy Maintenance is Key

Set up a system so that keeping your living room looking organized is a breeze.

11. Create a 10-minute routine for maintenance

We love a good 10-minute miracle. Your specific routine could include going through the living room and doing the following tasks:

• Face the shelves – Straightening and repositioning trinkets, books, and other items on display can make a huge difference in how a place feels. (This is what a retail shop does to its display stock.)
• Clear the coffee table
• Corral loose items
• Tidy up throw pillows and blankets

12. Get your family into the routine

You can’t do it all on your own! Getting your family on the same page goes a long way.

If each member grabs something to put away before heading off to bed, the easier it is to maintain that organized appearance – even in a high-traffic room such as the living room.

 

Grab Your Living Room Organization Checklist

 

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