key points
- Avoid leaving “infection items” such as mail, packages, shoes and jackets in the living room.
- Consider organizing them by arranging them in baskets and bins to keep them out of sight.
- Don’t display too much on the coffee table, whether books and magazines or knick-knacks.
Often the location closest to the front door, as well as the room dedicated to home entertaining, the living room becomes a magnet for everything from mail brought inside to books, toys, and gadgetry.
But professional organizers agree that most of these items are clutter that shouldn’t be there. Although some of these items are obvious, there are some that are overlooked or unknowingly accepted as permanent living-room residents.
We asked experts to tell us what they’d never leave in the living room and why. (You may be surprised to learn that you’re guilty of adding to the clutter.)
meet the expert
- barbara brock is a professional organizer and founder and CEO of Barbara Brock Inc.
- jolene monaco is a certified professional organizer and founder of Habitually Organized.
- mary potter Is an eco-friendly professional organizer and certified virtual event professional.
coffee table clutter
According to Certified Virtual Organizing Professional Mary Potter, random items like mugs, trinkets or extra coasters on your coffee table can disrupt that feeling of peace.
Instead, she recommends that you just keep a small, deliberate arrangement — like diffuser, candleAnd plant – to make your coffee table both functional and beautiful.
And while you’re there, edit your pile of literature that you keep on the coffee table (or any other open surface instead of a bookcase).
“A few favorite books or magazines may inspire engagement, but piles send the opposite signal and lead to overwhelm,” says Potter.
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dirty dishes
Whether you live in an informal home or alone, you may be the one bringing your meals, snacks, and beverages into the living room while you stream your favorite shows and movies. If you do this, never leave used utensils, glasses and tableware there.
,dirty dishes The smell of a dirty household, says Barbara Brock, a professional organizer and founder and CEO of Barbara Brock Inc.
She adds that it’s awkward—and you never know if someone will come by. Not to mention that dirty dishes can attract insects (or worse).
transition item
Potter says the living room can become a temporary holding zone for mail, packages, returns or donations, but “temporary” can easily turn into permanent clutter.
The goal of giving every class a true home somewhere else. Think mail in a wall-mounted holder in the lobby and packages tucked away in a designated corner near the front door.
Other culprits that may accumulate in the living room due to transit are shoes and outerwear. It’s very easy for people to flop down on the couch and then take off their shoes or take off their jacket and put it on a chair on the way to the couch, without giving those items a second thought.
To ensure you don’t forget about these until they’re stacked or when you next need them, return jackets and shoes to their designated spots during a nightly reset, advises Jolene Monaco, a certified professional organizer and founder of Habitually Organized.
If you don’t have an entryway wardrobe to return such items, consider purchasing a simple coat rack or wall-mounted hooks and one. shoe cabinet, bench, or tray,
Entertainment
Since the living room is often the entertainment space of the home, you can bet you’ll find games, toys, handheld devices, and hobbies or crafts.
If any of these are used on a regular basis, they’re guaranteed to have a permanent spot in the room. Find some storage that blends in with the decor and keep items out of sight when guests come over — like storage ottomans, decorative baskets, and shelf boxes and bins.
Try to return these items to their respective storage containers at the end of each day.
“This way, cleaning becomes a routine rather than a burden that builds up over time,” says Monaco.
Don’t forget about highly technical items.
“Multiple remotes, extra wires, and tangled charging cable The scene is chaos,” Potter says. She suggests streamlining your setup and organizing cords in a woven basket, drawer insert, or other cable-management container.
laundry
You read that right: laundry in the living room. This is because many of us like to distract ourselves with TV or podcasts while doing tedious household chores. folding laundry,
Brock advises not to leave laundry on display in the living room — whether folded or unfolded.
“The more you leave something unfinished, the longer it takes to get It’s done,” she says.
If you’re not ready to fold the laundry, she suggests you at least move the items to a different room away from public view.
