Setting Up A Family Command Center
The crazy thing about decluttering + getting organized is that it requires effort. Yep, that means that over-and-over again you have to remind yourself why you want to get organized and then envision the payoffs. What life looks like once you’ve created that beautifully organized home you’ve always dreamed of having?
In order to make your home more efficient + better suited for you + your family, you have to re-commit to maintaining these organized time-saving spaces + tweaking those swoon-worthy organizing systems of yours by evaluating + taking into consideration what isn’t working.
And this my friend, is why the most important thing about creating a family command center isn’t just about what it looks like but rather ensuring that you actually use it.
Even if it’s imperfect in the beginning, if you’re using it when you come in the door or when you’re preparing to leave then it will certainly get better. Remember, we create the system + then (once we know it works) we’ll beautify it later 🙂
Know Why A Family Command Center Is Important To You
It’s imperative to creating a functional family command center –– before you do anything, that you decide the purpose of this space first.
For instance, some great questions to ask yourself are:
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Why do you need a command center?
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What do you think you need in it?
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What do you not want this space to become?
To help you narrow in the focus of answering those questions above, think about what items are piling up in your home right now? Take a look around.
What things do you + your family need a place for? Or even, think about is there something you’re always trying to track down before running out the door? Hello, keys, wallet, purse *wink*
Once we understand the purpose of your family command center + how it’s can better serve you day to day life, we’re able better specify whether all these things are actionables or necessities.
And better yet, whether they all need to live in your command center or is there another place in your home better suited for these things.
Essential Components of a Command Center
Let’s be honest, at Elegant Simplicity, we don’t think outside the box — we erase it. We’re not interested in harsh rules about what goes in or out of a family command center. In fact, whether it’s designing or organizing your home we believe guidelines, not rules, are more suited for everyday living *wink*
So, here’s a handful of things you may want to consider or include in your family command center
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Magnetic, Dry Erase Board (for notes)
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A Calendar or Weekly Planner
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Digital Display for notes or calendar
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Wall Hooks
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Baskets, Bins + Trays to corral items
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Charging Station
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Filing System (for paperwork + mail)
Once you’ve dialed in on all of your actionables + the necessities, figuring out how to make them functional + efficient is the fun part. Not to mention, organizing doesn’t have to be basic + boring.
Magnetic, Dry Erase Board or Digital Display
The magnetic or dry erase board can be a fun place for posting inspirational quotes, a word for the week or a message to your loved ones. While the digital display may show your family calendar or important notes.
Wall Hooks, Baskets, Bins, and Trays
The wall hooks can have a bit of personality + showcase the things that you most often use in each season. In the summer, sunglasses, a purse or baseball cap. In the winter, a jacket, scarf and hat.
The baskets, bins and trays are the perfect way to corral items like wallets, keys or even things like shoes, hats or gloves.
And lets not forget, simply because this is a family command center doesn’t mean it has to look utilitarian. A family command center can absolutely be drop dead gorgeous.
So, go on + dress it up some.
Maintenance Is Key
During our 1:1 organizing sessions with clients, we often find that the family command center is the place where things tend to spiral out of control quickly.
And it makes sense, it’s designed to catch + prevent clutter from making its way onto all of the other surfaces throughout your home.
A command center is used daily (or at least quite often) to ensure that nothing gets forgotten, lost or even put there that doesn’t belong.
When using it, if you recognize that something doesn’t work quite like you envisioned or would be better off if removed from your family command center, don’t be afraid to adapt the command center to truly function for you.
Set aside a few minutes each week to maintain your family command center by:
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Update your calendar’s
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Clear out old notes or outdated reminders
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Sort through mail and discard the junk mail
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Reorganize items that have been misplaced or are unused
