If you would like to join our organizing challenge, sign up (here) on the event page. Once you are signed up, join the Home Organization 101 group page on Facebook (HERE). On this page, you can ask questions, post pictures, and support each other during this 14 week process.
Week #11 – THE LIVING ROOM
I cannot believe its already week 11. The time is going by so fast. I hope you ‘re all starting to feel the rewards of having an organized home. Today we are organizing the living room. This room is pretty simple to organize and the #1 tip I will give you is LESS IS MORE! I have simplified my living room. There is no clutter. Its our “home sanctuary”. We come in here to relax, not to stress over clutter & a mess. This is not a storage room or a “collect all” space. It’s the “living room”. I challenge you to get rid of as much “stuff” as you can this week. Donate it, give it away, or sell it… but get rid of it. You really don’t need that much stuff.
THE PROCESS
1. Take a picture of your space “before” you start & share it with the facebook group here. One of the best rewards of organizing a space is seeing the before and after pictures side by side.
2. Gather up 4 baskets: Keep, Donate, Trash, Other Room.
3. Start sorting & purging! At this point go through everything on all shelves, floor, drawers, etc. Divide it all into the 4 baskets (or more if needed).
4. Once you have sorted through everything, you are ready to clean your living room. Dust, wipe down, vacuum, windex, etc. Make it shine and smell good.
5. Now its time to organize. Get baskets, bins, use drawers, etc… The point is to containerize so the room doesnt look “messy”.
6. Now take an “after” picture. You’re done! Come back here to share your hard work.
MY LIVING ROOM
I designed my living room in a “nantucket” theme. Its only partially finished… and I still have a lot of work to do, but its getting there! I have pictures that need hung. I need to purchase a sofa table to place behind the sofa, and I need to find some more things to hang on the bare walls.
Organizing tip #1: Containerize the remote controls.
Organizing tip #2: Increase storage space by using an ottoman or a trunk.
Organizing tip #3: Control clutter by storing magazines in a vintage (or new) magazine rack.
Organizing tip #4: Use baskets to store blankets & other commonly used items.
Organizing tip #5: Store candles & scentsy bars together in a drawer or basket, close to the warmer.
My name is Toni and I am a Scentsy addict. I said it! That feels better.
Where did I find my things?
1. Furniture – Ikea
2. Basket – Target
3. Pillows – Home Goods (Ralph Lauren) or here
4. Cloche jar – Pottery Barn or here
5. Beach sign – Home Goods
6. Rug – Ikea
7. Drapery – Ikea
SPONSOR
Please welcome our sponsor this week… Elena, an independent designer for Origami Owl. They have the cutest lockets & charms that would be the perfect Christmas present. Visit Origami Owl (here).
LINK UP YOUR LIVING ROOMS BELOW…
Tags: home organization 101, living room, organization
Blog, Home Organization 101, Living Room, Organize, our home Posted in
25 comments
25 comments on “Home Organization 101 – Week #11 The Living Room”
So pretty! I love the ottoman and totally had to laugh at your Scentsy stash {I have one too!} Great basket in front of the fireplace too! Have a great weekend.
Jenn 🙂
I love your furniture from Ikea and am contemplating purchasing it for the home we are building. How hard is it to keep clean with children or pets? I know they are slipcovers, but do you wash them once a week or just live with the dirt. Any rules about shoes or eating on the furniture? Thanks so much. This will help me make my decision.
We do not allow eating, drinking, or shoes in the living room. My furniture is fairly new but will most likely wash the slipcovers every 4-6 months… depending on dirt. Yes, it gets dirty, but we live with it. At first it drove me nuts but now I dont mind.
Holy cow that’s a lot of scentsys! My coworker also has an addiction but my allergies are super touchy and we had to have a comin to Jesus about it at work one day. So glad we did though because I seriously couldn’t breathe with certain scents!
Gorgeous! Do you also have a separate family room? I have both and one gets all the use (family room, next to the kitchen) and the other never gets used – designed as a “formal” living room by the builder- haha! we don’t live a “formal” life:) Any suggestions on how use both spaces as “family” spaces. The kitchen opens to the family room which opens to the living room…
Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Amy
We have “3” living room spaces (one formal, one family, and one kids living room – bonus room). I like to keep the formal living room clean and well kept for company. The family room is more for my husband and me and the bonus room is for the kids.
Hi Amy, I worked for a build for almost 8 years and had to help people think of different ways to utilize a “formal living room” pretty much everyday! Some of the ideas are kids area i.e. playroom, study area, or you can make it a library. It really depends on the layout of your home. Some people also have used formal living rooms for their pianos. My small home has a formal living room and a family room. My family room is off the kitchen and has a fireplace and little wall space. So I use my formal living room as my family room. And the “family room” is kinda like a sitting room and play area. I have two recliners in there and my daughters toys. So while I am in the kitchen she can play in her kitchen. I have thought about making it and extension of the kitchen since my kitchen is really small kinda like a hearth area in the kitchen’s of custom homes. But baby steps…Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Your living room is so pretty. I love all of the crisp white. I have to admit it said “whoa” when you opened the Scentsy drawer…but you know, there are worse things to be addicted to! Then I wanted to go shopping in your drawer, so don’t worry, you are among friends 🙂
Love the simple clean lines of the white furniture and walls, and I agree w/ the above posters. That’s a lot of Scentsy!
Hi! I have been lurking around here off and on for about a week now. I’m not exactly following your schedule but, appreciate your ideas for organizing each room and am finding this blog extremely helpful. I have to say I was surprised at the simplicity of your living room. It is really beautiful though so, I think what you said about keeping it “clean” of clutter is so true! I keep wondering if our living room is “too bare” and I have some large “industrial” shelving on either side of the tv. I don’t really have enough dedicated living room items or decor to fill all the shelves. But, the thought of leaving shelves empty freaks me out. So, I want your advice on that if possible. I keep telling myself maybe the “empty” space could be peaceful and pleasing but, then I’m tempted to bring books in from our office to stack a few on the empty shelf. What do you think?
I think furniture can be “art” for your room. If its tastefully decorated. Maybe you could bring in some vintage cameras, old clocks, etc… to add some visual aspects to the shelf?
Hi! Adorable living room. Would you mind if I asked you what wood floors you have (they are GORGEOUS!) and which Ikea sofas you have? My living room is practically empty! (It only has a piano and a chair in it.) I would love to add slipcovered sofas and maybe… wood floors someday!
I love the look. Very crisp and clean. I was wondering about your hardwood floors. Do you know the brand and color?
Your new home is gorgeous. Blessings,
Im so sorry I dont know. They are very dark brown and handscrapped hardwoods. They are 5″ wideplank.
Love all the ikea stuff, our living room is not a normal size, its more rectangular and we have a treadmill in the corner. Ugh, a challenge for sure/
Where did you get the shower caddy?? I wish to have my home like yours one day.
I see your curtains are from ikea. This room is just gorgeous and the curtains would be perfect in my living room. I was just wondering the exact ones they are? They offer many and I can’t tell which ones they are exactly. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Love your living room and all the white with the gorgeous dark floors. Is that a pure white on the walls? Im about to freshen up my family room, and was wondering what paint color you used! Thanks!
Beautiful room! Loving the Scentsy addiction :0) I have purchased my first Scentsy warmer and just two fragrant bars……..for now. I would love to know your favourite scents? Many thanks for all the inspiration you give me with all areas of my home and life, i’ve always been a relatively organised person. But now i feel completely in control of life and thrive on it xx
Gorgeous! OK… I see the TV… I see the remotes… but WHERE did you hide your DirecTV and your DVD player? I SO want to hide mine…
I was just wondering how you are hiding your cable and dvd/blue ray boxes? We are moving soon and will be wall mounting our tv similarly to yours, but I have no idea how to hide all the components. There are lots of websites that show how to hide the cables, but none of them tell you where they are hiding everything else.
Ours are in the wall. 🙂
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What a fun idea! There’s nothing like a challenge to get the organizational juices flowing. I love these tips – thanks for the great post!