|
  |
|
|
Livable Spaces: Clear the Clutter in the Living Room
By Jessica Stockton
Homes used to be designed with a formal living room, which was kept immaculately clean for holidays and guests, and a den or 'rec room' for the everyday use of the family. But today's homes often have one large living room or great room that needs to be both functional and stylish. It is possible to have an inviting living room that will accommodate a busy family who uses the room to read, relax, watch television and visit with friends yet still be special enough for entertaining. The key to having a comfortable, functional and stylish living room is to control the clutter. Try a few of these ideas to keep books, toys, magazines, remote control and electronics from taking over your living room.
Electronics: Centralize the Big Stuff A media center can centralize all of your electronic media in one stylish and functional unit. Whether you choose closed door armoire styles or open consoles, arranging the television, play stations, music and movie systems on one wall not only makes it easier to coordinate electronic components while taming cables and wiring, it also makes better use of the space. You can cluster all electronic media on one wall at one end of the room and design your furniture arrangement for comfortable viewing as well as for entertaining and conversation. Floor to ceiling bookshelves on either side of the media unit will give you ample space for storing books, movies and music media, as well as toys. Shop online, through catalogs and check a variety of retail outlets before deciding on media storage systems and shelves. Think about what will be stored and how you use TV, music, movies and electronic gaming to determine what configuration of open and closed door storage makes the most sense for your needs.
Odds and Ends: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Details add up and most families need some kind of system for controlling magazines, newspapers, books, remote control modules, toys, and games. Start by getting rid of everything that doesn't belong in the room. If there is a mountain of newspaper, recycle it and keep only a current issue on hand; file any important papers in a home office or file cabinets in a basement or other space. Everything else that does not belong in the room should be discarded, recycled, given away or packed away for a garage sale. When you have just the essentials left, consider a few of these ideas for stylish organization.
Fabric-Covered Boxes are great for holding remote controls, cordless phones, your latest rented movie and other odds and ends. Purchase plain wooden boxes from a craft store and use fabric to wrap the box as you would wrap a present, securing the material with fabric glue. These little boxes are a great way to emphasize color accents and textures through your choice of fabric. Antique boxes and vintage wooden jewelry boxes are another stylish solution for storing odds and ends. Classically Stylish Wicker Baskets, open or lidded, can be placed on the lower shelves of a coffee table or side table or on the shelves of a bookcase. Use them to corral games, magazines, compact discs, remote controls, crossword puzzles and books. You'll baskets with various finishes to coordinate with your décor at a wide range of prices online and in discount or home goods stores.
Choose an Ottoman to add extra seating and storage in one handsome package. An ottoman with storage below the seat offers a place to tuck throws, hats, gloves, and scarves and small toys that tend to devour the living room closet. Try one tucked into a corner of the room or by the entry so that it can be pulled into service at a moment's notice whenever extra seating is needed. Repurpose a Cedar or Wicker Chest as a coffee table, side table or under a window. Decorative accents, lamps, or a serving tray can add style atop the chest and you'll have ample storage below for throws, extra pillows, board games and out of season items. Photo from Flickr - "Living Room 1" courtesy of daryl_mitchell.
|
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
The copyright for this content entitled "Livable Spaces: Clear the Clutter in the Living Room " has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
 |
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
