The living room is a central part of our home and we use the space to relax, work, eat, play and socialise. It can easily look messy with magazines, drinking glasses and toys lying around.
I usually declutter and tidy up the entire space in one session, but for the 52 week Organising Programme, I have divided it into two parts. This week comprises of tidying up the entire living room, as well as all CD, LP and DVD collections. Next week I will focus on sorting and storing of magazines and books.
CD, LP and DVD collections
- Nowadays, most of us use music and video streaming services, leaving our DVD’s and CD’s to accumulate dust. If you listen to your collections frequently or if it sparks nostalgia, then hold on to it. If you are in two minds, continue reading…
- Start by sorting and clearing out your collections.
- Go through each item and check if you still want it. Does it generate a feeling of happiness? Will you ever watch or listen to it again? Our taste and preferences change over the years.
- Keep the most memorable and let go of the rest.
- You can sell items online or give them away.
- Rearrange the items you keep, by grouping them by music genre or movie category.
- Before you put anything back, dust and wipe off the storage space, e.g. CD racks or shelf.
- If you have a cabinet, allocate some space to store your CD’s and DVD’s. Stack them upright in boxes. Having more items packed away will create a neater appearance in your living room.
Cabinets
- TV cabinets with doors are the perfect furniture units, for storing items out of sight. If you don’t have one yet, maybe it’s time to invest in one.
- Start by emptying the TV cabinet and any other storage cabinets.
- Sort items by category, e.g. DVD’s, candles, general household items, etc.
- Discard anything that is old and broken. Remove anything that belongs in another room.
- Wipe the inside clean with a wet cloth and soapy water.
- Store each category together in boxes or containers.
General living room
- The less objects you have, the more spacious and neater your room will appear.
- Remove anything that doesn’t belong in the living room and return it to their proper storage spaces.
- Do a proper clean of the entire room and move furniture in order to clean underneath it. It might be time to clean your windows, carpets and curtains.
- Maybe your space needs a fresh coat of paint. Lighter colours are better for a smaller space and make a room look bigger and brighter.
- Maybe rearrange your lounge to enhance the room or improve the seating arrangement.
- A large coffee table can fill up the room. Go for smaller side tables, which will provide enough surface space.
- If you have a huge collection of trinkets, then invest in a display cabinet. It will look great and remain dust free. You get beautiful metal and glass cabinets from Ikea, in various colours.
- Store remote controls in a wooden box or decorative bowl, to avoid having them lying around.
- Use table lamps to create soft and ambient lighting.
- Create a reading corner with a comfortable armchair and floor lamp.
- If you have kids, use a large box to store toys, which will help to keep the living room more organised in future.
- Once you have tidied up the entire room, check if you want to add some decorative touches like new cushions, plants or a painting, to make it look more homely.
- Make a list of any new items you want to get.
- For every new item you want to buy, you have to let go of one or two existing items.
“The living room should be a place where we feel totally at ease.” – Terence Conran
Follow my 52 Week Organise your Life Programme
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