10 Tips for Decluttering Your Living Room
Other than the kitchen, your living room is one of the top common rooms in your home that can often be used for just about anything. Watching TV, doing homework, eating dinner or just relaxing with the family. With numerous activities going on, the living room can often accumulate belongings and become cluttered rather quickly. Being your own judge to evaluate where to begin decluttering is sometimes hard so here are 10 tips to follow as you create a more enjoyable and orderly room. These can also be very helpful as you prepare your home to be listed for sale.
Remote controls
With smart TV’s, Apple TV’s, XBoxes, Stereos and DVD players remote controls can stack up quickly. If keeping them confined to a basket is not enough, try purchasing a universal remote to cut down on the number of controls. Smartphones also can be a great solution with remote apps omitting the additional devices altogether.
Pillows
Audit your pillow collection. Do you have too few? Too many? Toss pillows should add color and function. At a certain point too many pillows will only get in the way and be more of a nuisance than a comfort.
Traditional reading material
It is true that a lot of reading is done online these days, but some periodicals and magazines can offer design and a three dimensional ability that your Kindle cannot. Keep recent and current issues and toss any older or irrelevant copies.
Store games
Get rid of the old or broken games that nobody uses anymore. Stow away any of your frequently used games in a cabinet or storage bins. Closed storage can keep things safe from being stepped on or broken.
Cut down on decorations
It can be easy to collect decorative items over time. Perhaps you have gifts from holidays, travels or friends that have accumulated. Although these can be much appreciated, too many can simply be too much for one room. Try cutting down on items one by one rather than all at once. Relocating sentimental items to other rooms or away in storage can be a good solution.
Toys
Toys can multiply quickly, but can also be outgrown just as fast. Keep your current and core toys and consider donating the ones that are old and have been outgrown.
Junk drawer
Everything should have a home to be stored in. Even with your smaller, odds and ends just throwing them into a junk drawer will only be relocating the mess. Invest in a drawer organizer, bins or shelving systems so that things are neatly put away and easily found when you need them.
Office space
Most homes have a dedicated space for a home office or computer. Consider a hideaway desk or a pullout desk so that papers, bills and the like can be stowed away as they can often quickly pile up.
Minimize pet belongings
Sometimes your pets can have just as many belongings as children. Invest in a basket or bin to keep all of their stuffed toys and balls in so they are neat and organized.