Get Organized: Declutter Your Living Room and Regain Space

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Looking for tips on how to declutter your home and regain some space? We’re delighted to share these awesome hacks from self-taught handyman Jeff E. Brown! 

Your living room doesn’t feel very welcoming and relaxing? Then it’s time to make some changes. You want to make this a space where you can relax and unwind, and you also want to be proud of how it looks. But hey, it’s easy to get caught up in clutter. You skip a couple of tidying up sessions and before you know it, everything’s a mess.

Okay, maybe you don’t even know where to start. Before you head to the store for new paint and curtains, see how just clearing out some clutter can make your living area more enjoyable.

How to Declutter Your Home & Regain Space

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Personal Items Go to Another Room

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The easiest things to pick up are personal items that tend to be left behind in the living room. Consider having the kids keep their laptops and tablets in their rooms, or get a trendy desk where they can be stored when not in use. Other personal items, like shoes, clothes, toys, and book bags, should be returned to their owners and stored in a more suitable spot. Don’t let yourself and other family members turn into hoarders!

Reading Materials should be Stowed

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You love relaxing with your favorite book or magazine after a long day, but you don’t have to leave everything out in plain sight in the living room.  You also don’t have to spend a fortune to create a tidy home, all you have to do get creative and  remember to keep it tidy regularly. Perform small maintenance tasks instead of waiting for things to get too messy.

Here’s an idea: upgrade your coffee table for one with built-in storageget-organized-declutter-living-room-regain-space underneath so that you can keep the reading materials handy and yet out of sight.

The same can be said for movies and music cases. Transfer the files to a digital medium that requires very little space. Then move the cases and originals to the office for safekeeping. You can also put everything in bins and store it in the basement, garage or attic.

The Extra Furniture

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This one is a little trickier. Whether you have an abundance of pieces or only a few items, you’re bound to feel as though you need everything. However, this may not be the case. Ask yourself how frequently a chair is really used. If it only serves a purpose for holiday parties and big family dinners, then you can safely move it to the basement and just bring it out for those events. This is also a great time to switch out pieces for double-duty items. A bench that holds blankets is handy and versatile, and you can convert the drawer of an end table into a great charging station for the phones.

One monstrous piece of furniture you can easily eliminate is the entertainment centerget-organized-declutter-living-room-regain-space. Mount your television on the wall and then put your electronics on attractive shelves beneath it. You’ll open up floor space and instantly make the room feel larger.

Extra Blankets

The kids want to curl up under a blanket when the weather turns cold, but you really don’t need to leave the collection in your living at all times. Keep them in the closet and pull them out only when needed, or stash them in an attractive binget-organized-declutter-living-room-regain-space or trunk that you can set in the corner. Resist the urge to fold them neatly on the end of the couch because they’ll quickly turn into an eyesore. Cast the same critical eye on pillows to determine if they’re truly an asset or just more background noise.

Tame the Cable Beast

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When it comes to the cables that go with your television, cable box, and Blu-ray, you may not know how to handle the wiring. In a perfect world, the cables are hidden inside a wall. In most cases, they’re not, and are tangled on the floor, which isn’t safe at all. This might seem like an insignificant detail, but keeping cables and wires tidy is a home maintenance task that should be on the top of your list when you’re in decluttering mode. Tangled wires lead to messiness and clutter, not to mention the potential electrical damage.

If you don’t want to deal with the cost, then get a special box that can be mounted on the box to hide the wires. Paint it to match the wall, and then place a decorative potted plant in front of it.

Remember It’s Your House

Some of the hardest things to get rid of are gifts and those sentimental items. If you are holding on to things just because you’ve always had them, they were passed down through the generations, or they were a gift, then it’s time to reevaluate your choices. Set a new standard that your home will only shelter items that you truly love, use, or need. If it doesn’t fall into one of those three categories, then let it go. This can be tough, but you can make it easier by:

  • Offering family heirloom to other family members. If nobody wants them, then you should not be expected to hold on to the items, either. Flea markets and thrift shops will help those items find a new home.
  • Send the gifts to charity or give them to a friend who will really use and love them. Chances are that the person who gave it to you will never notice the absence, but you’ll be happier without the clutter.
  • Remind yourself that a gift is yours to keep and do with as you wish, and that includes getting rid of it.

Consider the Walls

The clutter isn’t limited to your tables and couch. It could even be lurking on your wall in the form of heavy, outdated curtains, an overwhelming collection of pictures, books, or other artistic pieces that you just don’t care for anymore. Clear these out while you’re at it so that you’ll have a fresh slate to work with. After you’re done, you may decide that the current colors and themes suit you nicely when the area is clean.

Now that the living room is decluttered, you’re ready to get back to actually enjoying your space once again. Why not declutter other areas of the house? Maybe you’ll find new, unused areas of the home that can be redesigned. With the unnecessary items out of your way, you can get organized with everything else and create a living room you can be proud of.

You don’t have to stop with your living room. Make this a regular thing, and instead of being forced to declutter when things get too messy, find motivation to stay tidy and keep your home clean and clutter-free. You’ll breathe more easily and find peacefulness inside your own home.

About the Author:


Jeff E. Brown is a freelance writer and a self-taught handyman with a knack for lifehacking and DIY projects. Based out of his home office where his two dogs keep him company while he types, Jeff loves writing about home improvement topics, teaching others all the tips and tricks he has learned since he moved out of an apartment and into a house. When he’s not writing, he loves organizing barbecue parties in his garden. You can contact Jeff via his landing page.

Do you have any favorite tips for how to declutter your home? Share in the comments!

6 thoughts on “Get Organized: Declutter Your Living Room and Regain Space”

  1. We’ve lived in our home for 23+ years and we have a ton of stuff. Since I’ve always taught/consulted, I have enough books to start my own library and, then, there is all the kids stuff… Oy! Jeff can we hire you already!? I love the tips shared and know what a great difference packing it all up will make. :)

  2. My living room is almost minimalist (considering that I homeschool in it sometimes). My closet space however, is another story. Your tips may help me tackle that area too.

  3. Family heirlooms are a hard one for me. As someone who knows so little about her roots, I tend to jealously guard anything that even resembles a connection. I wish I had a basement to store chairs that only need to come out for the holidays. LOL.

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