A common misconception in the decluttering and organization world is that in order to achieve the organization results you desire, you have to sacrifice your overall aesthetic.

People think that they have to use certain products or furniture that doesn’t match their style, so instead of finding a happy medium, they opt out of organization altogether and end up with a cluttered and chaotic look all throughout their home.

While I totally understand why people may think that they have to sacrifice their unique aesthetic to achieve a clean and organized look throughout their home, it’s simply not true!

There is a way that you can declutter and organize your home without sacrificing the style and aesthetic that you desire. 

My goal as a professional organizer is to help you see how you can easily implement certain organization measures throughout different parts of your home in order to achieve true harmony WITHOUT breaking the bank.

In recent blogs, I’ve given deeper insight on closets and kitchens which are two parts of the home that many people like to start with when they kick off their decluttering and organization journeys since those are two places that most people struggle with the most. 

An area that often gets overlooked, however, when it comes to organizing are living rooms and common areas.

While it may not feel like an area that needs as much attention due to the reduced number of items, compared to that of your closet or kitchen, this is a space that you, your family and even your guests utilize A LOT, so it’s vital that you’re implementing smart organization and storage solutions to achieve the ultimate benefits of decluttering.

For that reason, in this blog I’ll be diving into living rooms and common areas specifically. These areas of the home often become dumping grounds that catch our belongings day after day and this is amplified if you have a large family.

Kids’ toys are left behind, shoes are kicked off and never picked up, blankets are left unfolded and pillows tend to be thrown everywhere.

To avoid this clutter on an ongoing basis, there’s a few storage ideas that I like to implement with clients that are extremely smart yet remain very stylish so that you aren’t sacrificing the aesthetic of your home.

Before I get to those solutions, I always like to remind people that no amount of organization will solve the issue of too much stuff!

If you’re finding that your living room or common area is overflowing with a lot of items and you aren’t necessarily using these items, it may be time to follow my 3 pile purge process that involves a keep, donate and toss pile.

During this process, you’ll set everything in your sight for the area at hand (in this instance your living room) and you will decide what to keep, donate or toss. 

For your living room specifically, many of the items at hand will likely be decor, accessories or even furniture. This process will allow you to remove anything that you no longer want or need so that you’re only working with the things that are staying.

Once you’ve completed that process, you can move on to implementing a few of these storage ideas to achieve the perfect mix of organization and style in your living room or common area.

5 Smart Yet Stylish Living Room Storage Ideas

Decorative Storage Baskets

While this one might seem obvious, many people have storage baskets in their living room or common area, but don’t actually use them for storage. They are simply sitting in places for looks.

Many baskets fit perfectly under TV consoles and other furniture pieces that are commonly found in living rooms. These baskets can double as decor and a great place to hide extra blankets, remotes, the wifi box, gaming systems, etc. 

You can often find inexpensive baskets that match your style at HomeGoods, Target or Amazon – my favorites are linked here!

Bar Cart

Bar carts have become pretty common in households over the last few years and beyond their actual use, they serve as a great way to store extra glassware and barware that has the potential to clutter your kitchen.

Many people like to change their bar cart with the season and mix in a few decor pieces on the cart as well. Overall, they function as makeshift shelves, side tables and sometimes even drawers.

I think these are great especially for the homes that have a dining room, kitchen and living room that flow into each other.

If you don’t drink, you could use this concept to create a coffee cart or simply use it to display decorative items or kitchen glassware that you don’t use on a daily basis. 

Sofas with Built-In Storage

You’re probably familiar with ottomans and side tables that have built-in storage, but did you know that some sofas come with this feature as well?

Since sofas can be a bit pricey, it’s smart to invest in one that has multiple uses and I especially love this option for those that have smaller spaces, such as apartments, condos or townhomes. 

You can typically find some great ones on the market wherever you prefer to buy furniture – this is a great Amazon find!

Shoe Storage

One of the things that can get totally out of hand in living rooms or common areas are shoes! Everyone walks in, kicks off their shoes and they never make their way to the closets.

While you of course don’t want to store every pair of shoes that you own in your living room or entryway, it can be smart to have some sort of storage solution if this is a struggle for you and your family.

I came across this cute shoe rack cabinet that is completely disguised as an entryway or hallway table. This is great proof that you don’t have to sacrifice your aesthetic for storage solutions!

Media Consoles with Built-In Cabinets and Shelving

One of the ways that I see people go wrong with their living room organization is that they don’t have furniture pieces that allow for easy storage.

When you’re investing in pieces for one of the main areas of your home, you want to make sure you’re choosing items that will make your life easier down the road.

Try to opt for media consoles or tables that have built-in cabinets with shelving so that you can use those baskets I mentioned above to hide all of the things that you don’t want in sight. 

Most media consoles are built this way, but there’s also a lot on the market that don’t have this, so my biggest piece of advice is to find one that fits your aesthetic that has this feature, so you can easily organize and declutter your living room consistently.

All in all, your living room doesn’t have to act as a dumping ground. You can keep the floors clear, the clutter minimized and have all things stored away WHILE meeting your design wants!

If you’re struggling to find the right pieces for you or need a little more guidance on storage solutions for your needs specifically, connect here.

The Organize2Harmonize team aims to make your life easier when it comes to organizing and decluttering and it’s our pleasure to assist you with these needs!