Creating A Family Command Center To Stay Organized
The crazy thing about decluttering + getting organized is that most of us are in love with the i-d-e-a of living with less –– less stuff in our homes, in our lives + on our minds. But realistically, the mere thought of removing the unnecessary (or culling through all of our clutter) in order to live a better, happier + more purposeful life leaves us with racing hearts + sweaty palms.
That said, we come bearing good news friend. Flexing your organizing muscles doesn’t have to be so difficult. If you need a gentle nudge in the right direction or a helping hand along the way, our team of expert professional organizers is simply a call away :)
Over the last nearly fifteen years, we’ve set up what feels like a ga-zillion family command centers for clients. In other words, we know the value of having one centralized place in your home for all the essentials of daily living.
But there’s one really common challenge we’ve seen that keeps people stuck, feeling overwhelmed + unsure of how to move forward. And that is, how to deal with clutter, setup a family command center that functions + keeps your home + life truly organized.
Ready to dive in, friend?
Understanding the Family Command Center
Maybe you’ve never set up a command center before + you’re wondering what in the heck it is. In the simplest form, a command center is a singular place that corrals all of your stuff that would otherwise be cluttering up your kitchen counters, the desk in your office or even your dining room table.
At Elegant Simplicity though, we believe what’s in a family command center varies depending upon your family’s needs. After all, it’s your family command center (not ours) *wink*
In general, we categorize command centers by creating two clearly defined buckets: actionables + necessities.
Actionables
Actionables tends to be a place for things like:
To do's
Reminders
Outgoing mail
Important paperwork (like bills + receipts)
Everyone’s schedules
Necessities
Necessities, on the other hand, are more like grab + go things you need when you leave the house like:
Keys
Wallet
Cell phone
Sunglasses
Backpacks + handbags
And once we define what the actionables + necessities are for your family, it’s really easy to begin reaping all the benefits of a well thought out + organized family command center.
That’s because once you know what you need room for — creating that intuitive, stress relieving space becomes a whole heck of a lot easier. Not to mention, when done the right way it can also be a place that adds a bit of whimsical personality to your home, that inspires you + your family or that showcases your little Picasso’s artwork.
Choosing the Perfect Location For Your Family Command Center
With a better understanding of what this magical center can be + what your own family command center needs, you can shift focus + better determine the best location in your home.
For some, a command center is a great addition to their mudroom because this is where they enter + exit their home everyday. While for others a home that has a built-in nook in the kitchen area with mail slots + a place for a chair may be ideal.
That said, simply because your home may have a nifty little nook that feels like it was designed for a family command center does not mean your family has to utilize it this way.
Here’s a comprehensive list of locations that are often considered for a family command center:
The kitchen: Near the fridge or a frequently used entrance.
The mudroom: Especially if it's the primary entry and exit point.
Home office: If you have a dedicated space for work and study.
The hallway: A central corridor that everyone passes through multiple times a day.
Laundry room: Especially if it's near the main entrance, making it a great spot to drop off items as you enter.
Garage entrance: The point where many families enter and exit, making it a prime location for last-minute reminders.
Beside the staircase: Especially in multi-story homes, it's a spot that everyone passes frequently.
Regardless, a family command center should leave room for serendipity, for it’s often in the unplanned that the vibrancy of our home + life unfolds. In other words, leave room for your family command center to evolve with you.
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:
Why do you need a command center?
What do you think you need in it?
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
Magnetic, Dry Erase Board (for notes)
A Calendar or Weekly Planner
Digital Display for notes or calendar
Wall Hooks
Baskets, Bins + Trays to corral items
Charging Station
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:
Update your calendar’s
Clear out old notes or outdated reminders
Sort through mail and discard the junk mail
Reorganize items that have been misplaced or are unused
Personalizing Your Family Command Center
Your family command center should reflect your family's personality. After all, at Elegant Simplicity we believe home is everything you need + nothing more®.
Several ways to truly personalize your family command center are:
Use magnets or pins that are themed, colorful or in some other way — personal
Display your child's latest artwork or achievements (one of our personal favorites)
Incorporate family photos or motivational quotes
Choose a theme or color scheme that resonates with your home
Each of these rather simple approaches truly brings an intentionality to your family command center.
Digital Command Centers
In our tech-driven world, consider integrating digital apps to your family command center via a digital hub.
Some Apps You Might Use For Digital Command Centers:
Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook Calendar
Trello board, Todoist or Notes app
Reminders
Creating a family command center takes time + energy but nothing quite compares to how effortless the flow of your day-to-day life becomes with one.
Not to mention, once you’re all finished, you’ll glow with excitement every time you step foot in your home because you’ve created a beautifully organized space that doesn’t just work but it also draws your attention to the actionable things in your life.
You’ll feel a sense of reduced morning chaos, fewer missed appointments or events, a sense of organization and calm + a strengthened family bond as everyone stays in sync.
If you’ve given it a try + you're like “This is all too much… I need help decluttering, getting organized or designing my home ” –– friend, we’re here for you.
If you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.