4 Tips to help you start organizing your living room

Living rooms can have many purposes. 

1. Decide what your living room will be used for and create areas for each activity – watching TV, listening to music, reading, entertaining, office/desk work, or relaxing.

Determine what activities you will use the room for and then plan your space.

Determine what activities you will use the room for and then plan your space.

Lighting

2. Use task lighting as needed for each activity.  Floor lamps, table lamps, wall-mounted or ceiling lights help to make the room perfect for any task.

Make sure your lighting suits the task you want to do.

Make sure your lighting suits the task you want to do.

Choose furniture that has more than one purpose

3. Additional hidden storage can be added to the room, such as an ottoman or footstool with storage, a chest, or a coffee table with shelves or drawers.  The space behind a couch is great for storing flat items such as pictures or dining room table leaves.  Bookcases or floor-to-ceiling shelves can be used to decorate a wall and store items.

Foot stool ottoman pouffe over isolated white background

Pictures

4. Too many pictures?  Instead of trying to hang them all, rotate them each season.  It will give your walls a facelift.  Storing your pictures behind your couch is a great way to keep them handy but out of sight.

Pictures hanging on a wall

How do you store your CDs and DVDs?

Julie Stobbe, professional organizerJulie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

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5 Comments

  1. Seana Turner on September 12, 2016 at 8:00 am

    Storage is important in a living room. Many of my clients have gone to using those DVD organizers and getting rid of the original boxes. That can be a big space saver. I also love the storage ottoman…

    • Julie Stobbe on September 12, 2016 at 8:31 am

      DVD organizers can be a big space saver. I have a client who purchases a lot of DVD’s and the challenge is to keep them organized so they can find them. We started alphabetically but then it is hard as new ones are purchased to keep them alphabetical. The 3 ring binder organizers might be a better option because it makes it easier to add new DVDs.

  2. Sabrina Quairoli on September 12, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    Great tips for living room organizing. I store my DVDs in paper sleeves and a DVD sorter bin. It is cheap and I can get rid of all the jewel cases. Yippee.

  3. Sarah Soboleski on September 12, 2016 at 6:43 pm

    I like that tip about rotating out your pictures seasonally. And I, too, like dual purpose furniture pieces. Being the mother of a toddler with stuff, the more storage, the better!

    • Julie Stobbe on September 13, 2016 at 10:28 pm

      I really enjoy changing the pictures on the wall because it makes the room feel new and different without spending money or a lot of time. A mother with a toddler doesn’t usually have a lot of extra time.

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