Create a Command Center to Reduce Clutter

Banish paper clutter in your home for good!  Let me show you how to easily create a command center to reduce clutter once and for all.

Ridding my house of clutter always feels like a never-ending battle.  Between a 3-year old who likes to dump legos and hot wheels everywhere, a 5-year old who loves art (and ALL the supplies that go along with it), and the paperwork and mail that simply comes with two adults living in a house, I sometimes feel like I am drowning in clutter.  

The clutter that consistently bothers me the most, though, is the paper clutter that tends to accumulate on the kitchen counters.  The problem with the paper clutter was that I didn’t have a designated place for all of it.  So, I ended up with piles all over my counter.  A pile of mail, a pile of bills, a pile that needed to be filed, a pile of reminders, etc.  I needed to create a specific place for all of the paper.  

Enter the command center.

Since the kitchen counters are what tend to get cluttered in my house, I chose to create a command center just off of my kitchen.  You could easily create one, though, wherever you need it most – office, bedroom, entryway, etc.  It will help clear up the clutter no matter where you put it!

Here’s how I did it.

(This post contains affiliate links.  To see my full disclosure, go here.)

How to Create a Command Center to Reduce Clutter

1) Choose Your Location

As I said before, paper tends to accumulate in my kitchen.  I happened to have a couple of areas in my kitchen where I was not utilizing the space as well as I could. 

First, there was a narrow strip of wall in between our pantries that was not being used for anything.  This space is in between our kitchen and our garage door.  So, it gets a lot of traffic, and it is the ideal spot for a command center to help corral clutter.

Second, we have a wall space next to our double ovens that I painted with chalk paint soon after we moved in.  I had been using the chalkboard for our weekly menu, appointment reminders, and grocery lists, but I knew that a couple of simple additions could help take it up a notch.

(If you love the idea of a chalkboard, but don’t want to paint a whole wall, check out my tutorial on how to build your own large chalkboard.  It’s easier than you may think, and you can put it anywhere you want!)

2) Decide What Items You Need

Once I settled on a location for the command center, I needed to decide exactly what would be the most helpful to me.  

The things that I needed most were a large calendar, multiple file folders or bins, hooks for our car keys, a cork board to hang reminders/cards/etc. on, and a bucket near the chalkboard for chalk.

3) Measure Your Space

You want to be sure to measure your space carefully, so you know exactly what you have to work with.  The two spaces that I chose were both fairly narrow.

So, I had to keep that in mind while I was shopping.

4) Round up Needed Items & Pre-Arrange

This step may require some trial and error, so be prepared for that.

I initially rounded up a bunch of stuff (some store bought, some things that I already had laying around my house) that I thought might work.  Then, I measured out a space on my floor that was equivalent to the size of my wall.  That way, I could arrange, and rearrange, without much effort before actually putting nails into the wall.

Arranging things on the floor first will also help you determine if you have any unnecessary items that need to go back to the store, or items that may need to be exchanged for a slightly different size.

5) Place Items on Wall & Organize

Once you have decided on your arrangement, the final step is simply getting it all up on the wall and organizing the clutter.

Here is the newly organized space between my pantries.

I have a large wipe board calendar that my husband and I can both easily see and add to, a cork board to pin reminders and notes to, multiple pockets for bills/coupons/paperwork/etc., hooks for our car keys, and a cute picture frame to round it all out.

For the chalkboard, I found these awesome reusable dry erase sticky notes.  You can peel and stick them, just like a post-it note, except they are reusable.  I like that they are a bit cleaner and easier to write on than the chalkboard.  

I also added this little galvanized piece because I didn’t have anywhere to put my chalk or dry erase markers.  They are now easy and convenient to get to, and my kids can use the space beneath the buckets to doodle on the chalkboard.

It was seriously so easy to create a command center that I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.  We are loving the organized space, and I, especially, am loving my clutter-free counters!

 

I recently have joined a wonderful group of bloggers for a monthly blog hop.  We will be bringing you all sorts of inspiration the first Sunday of every month. 

So, be sure to check out all of the other office and organization inspiration below!

Small Office Tips from Tarah at Grandma’s House DIY

 

How to DIY a Can Organizer for Supplies from Chas at Chas’ Crazy Creations

 

Home Office Makeover from Niky at The House on Silverado

 

Set Up a Workspace for Kids from Kristin at White Arrows Home

 

Rugs that Work in Your Office from Andrea at Design Morsels

 

Home Office Storage Ideas from Kippi at Kippi at Home

 

My Home Office Space from Mary at Life at Bella Terra

 

Related Posts:

• Clever Ways to Organize Your Kid’s Toys
• Organization Ideas and Hacks for Your Child’s Room
• How to Inexpensively Update a Cabinet

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