how to create a family command center in your home

A family organizing center can be a lifesaver when trying to organize family members, and all of their important things, in one designated spot.

How many of you have a place in your home…the drop zone, usually right inside the door, where everything from school papers, mail, shoes, car keys, toys, and even your pet’s stuff end up in a big heaping pile? And let me guess, you can never find anything you’re looking for? And you’re always running late? Sound familiar?

You need a family command center that will solve your family’s needs on a daily basis! Just follow these few simple techniques to find the perfect solution for your whole family, and you’ll be on your way to being more organized and less stressed.

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Take inventory of the “stuff” to organize in your command center

First thing, is you need to know what items you need to organize before you can decide what types of space or containers you will need to organize it.

Purge items you don’t need! Then remove items from the space that belong in another room in the home. What you have left is what you will need organize in your command center. Now you can find a central place to store it and organize it.

These items are usually everyday items like backpacks, keys, purses, coats and shoes, pet leashes, mail, school papers, and more. Then you will add your organizational items like calendars, white boards, bins and baskets, etc.

Designate a central area for your command center

Find a designated space, in a central location, where it is easily accessible for everyone. Make sure it has enough space for some type of storage piece with extra wall space either above or beside it.

What we’re looking for is an area that can hold all of the items in your “heaping pile”, but in an organized and orderly fashion. Wherever your “stuff” ends up is probably the perfect place because it’s convenient. So let’s make better use of it.

One great idea for your home command center would be just inside the front door or whatever door you usually use to enter the house. This is a great spot because this is the first place you see when you come home and the last place you see when you leave.

This makes it a great spot for all of the “don’t forget” items such as to-do lists, important school papers that need to be signed, outgoing and incoming mail, grocery lists, and more. You’ll never forget these things if you see them as your rushing out the door.

Another great space is the kitchen command center. The kitchen is a central location where everyone gathers frequently. There is also plenty of room in the kitchen to house your family calendar, shopping lists, chore charts and more.

You can utilize the space on your refrigerator, inside a cabinet, a section of your kitchen counters, or designate a blank wall to organize your family’s things.

Don’t have space in your kitchen? How about a small closet? You could hang a monthly calendar or magnetic board on the back of the door where it is out of sight. Add a small desk or counter inside for mail and school papers. A few wall hooks will hold your child’s backpacks, sweaters, or lunch boxes. And the best part of this idea is it’s out of sight so all the clutter is behind closed doors.

If you have a home office this is also a great place for organizing your family. All you need is a little wall space and a drawer or file cabinet. Just dedicate a designated area within the office where the whole family will have access to.

But if all else fails you could always find a small wall where you can set up your own wall command center. There are plenty of wall mounted storage options as well as bulletin boards, or shelving, to make great use of a small empty wall.

Find storage pieces that will make great command centers

We all know space is limited, so finding a storage piece that can help with more than one task is gold. Here are some examples of furniture that can do double-duty and help organize everything you need on a daily basis.

A cushioned bench for putting your shoes on in the morning that has storage space underneath with baskets, and hooks above for organizing.

A hutch or entertainment center that can hold a computer, school papers, office supplies, file folders, and mail bins.

A large bookcase or even something as simple as a few wall shelves and a rolling plastic caddy.

A kitchen cabinet used just for your family organizing space can hold a lot of supplies and daily to-do items.

Don’t forget to look into some great Ikea hacks too. They have so many inexpensive storage pieces that you can make into your own DIY family command center.

Family command center product ideas

Everyone’s needs are different so you will need to take inventory of the items you need to keep track of and then find the perfect products to organize them. Here are some great items that you can include in your command center that will help your entire family get organized.

A charging station so everyone will have a freshly charged device and won’t have to wonder where their phone is.

Use the back of your door for a whole organizing system from Container Store I love this!

Grocery list pads for that last minute trip to the store or for meal planning.

A modular wall system to hold keys, pens, notes, a calendar and more.

A message board with dry erase markers, bulleting board or cork board to leave quick notes and reminders.

A junk drawer… because everyone needs a junk drawer.

Large monthly or weekly calendar to keep track of appointments and school schedules.

Magnet clips and hooks if your using your refrigerator for your command center

Baskets and bins for storing all of the school supplies, shoes, mail, etc.

Wall hooks for keys, purse, coats, backpacks, pet leashes and anything else you may need to grab and go. Getting things off the floor and surfaces will make your space look cleaner.

Or even some chalkboard paint and chalk to get your blank wall organized.

Check out this awesome Magnetic chore chart, menu ideas and grocery list on Amazon!

Having your own command center for your busy family is easier than you might think. It will save you time, frustration, make your home look less cluttered, and maybe even help the kids learn how to take on a little more responsibility for themselves.