ORGANIZED AND ENERGIZED! PART 3 – THE LIVING ROOM/FAMILY ROOM
By Dianne de Las Casas

The Living Room or Family Room
If this is the place where your family gathers to watch T.V., play games, and talk, then you definitely need to take control of the clutter in this area. You probably have a number of items to store in the living room including DVDs and CDs, board games, blankets, photos, remote controls, books, and children’s toys. Where does it all go?

Coffee Table with Storage – If you don’t have a coffee table that doubles as storage, perhaps you can retrofit it. Does it have a shelf underneath to which you can add boxes, bins or baskets? My coffee table does triple duty – it is a storage unit where I can store blankets and games. The cushioned top can seat extra guests. Then the top flips over to become a serving tray. Simply ingenious.

End Table with Storage – When my husband and I looked for an end table, we couldn’t find one that suited our needs. So I decided to use a non-traditional piece. We found a high bedside night stand with a drawer and two shelves. The drawer houses our remotes and the shelves become a home for books and magazines. A perfect solution.

Entertainment Unit – Find an entertainment unit that can house your TV, A/V equipment, CDs, DVDs, books, collectibles, photos, and games. An entertainment unit that provides added storage is a valuable piece of furniture. Last year, I helped a family organize their entire house in five days. Whew! This entertainment unit was purchased by my clients, Mr. and Mrs. M, from IKEA. It houses a flat screen TV, all the A/V equipment, bins, collectibles and books. Plus, there is room to grow.

Miscellaneous Storage – Are you a magazine junkie? Control magazine mania with a magazine rack or, better yet, labeled magazine holders stored on a bookshelf. Keep a basket handy to gather stray toys (children’s or pets) that are to be put away by evening’s end. Love your wine but don’t have room in the kitchen for it? Consider a wine/liquor bar. This one is in our living room and houses all of our wine, liquor, liqueurs, glassware and bar supplies. It was purchased from World Market.

Bookshelves – Bookshelves make terrific storage pieces. In addition to storing books, you can store DVDs, CDs, and collectibles. Bookshelves can also hold bins, baskets, and boxes to contain just about anything. Put baskets on the bottom shelf to hold the children’s toys. I use my baskets to store my CDs (the ones I recorded). The red boxes store extra paper and postcards that don’t fit in my office.

This bookshelf, purchased by Mr. and Mrs. M at Target, mimics the slant of the staircase. We used it to store photo albums (that were in piles on the floor), travel treasures (buried in various places around the house), and family photo frames (we edited to select the best ones).

There is a Shaker saying that a friend of mine taught me, “If it can be put down, it can be put up.” Put up the clutter; don’t put up with the clutter! This is your year to get organized and energized. Here’s to beautiful spaces. Here’s to beautiful you!