How to Organize a Family Room

Create a space for your family to hang with these tips on how to organize a family room. Quick shortcuts to get you on your way to a gathering space that is less messy and fun to relax in.

How to organize a room by adding fun, creative shortcuts your entire family can stick with, keeping the clutter to a minimum.

The family room is an important area in any home, no matter what size your family is.

It’s a gathering space that is meant to help you unwind and detox after a long and probably stressful day.

However, it can also be one of the house’s most cluttered and unorganized rooms.

Toys, clothes, dishes, papers, and other things can quickly pile up, making it difficult to find a place to sit, let alone relax and get comfortable.

If you can find ways to corral some of the stuff, you are half way towards creating a room you love to relax in.

Clutter and Stress

A messy family room can be a source of stress for everyone in the house, from the parents and teens even to young children.

Studies have shown that clutter and disorganization can lead to high levels of stress, anxiety, and even depression.

It’s hard to relax when your mind is constantly thinking about the mess around you.

Clutter and mess also affect our physical health. Dust and dirt can easily accumulate in a cluttered room, causing allergies and other respiratory issues.

So not only is organizing your family room good for your sanity, but it’s also good for your overall health.

Setting up a family friendly room

To create a space everyone loves, think about the needs of all family members. Instead of designing just for adults, include features that work for kids too.

By making the room age-friendly for everyone, you’ll have a family space where everyone enjoys spending time together.

Different Areas to Have in a Family Room

How you set up the room is up to you, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Gaming and Movies

If the family room is mostly used for gaming and movies, you will want the TV to be the focal point brining in cozy chairs and ottomans for watching or playing.

2. Reading and Puzzles

If reading or puzzles are the main activity in your family room, a cozy chair, table, and overhead light are the perfect way to customize this space.

3. Toys and Fun

If you have very young children then toys are probably taking up space already. Create a cozy area for kids to enjoy their things so you are not in a constant battle with clutter. A table, toy box, small couch and rug are all great ways to give them space while still being in the room with you.

Identifying the room’s purpose will make it easier to choose the proper setup and layout that will suit the space and everyone’s needs.

How to Organize a Family Room

Whether you call it a family room, living room, or rec room, these tips will take you from cluttered and messy to streamlined and organized. Work through this list one step at a time.

D/M Pro Tip: To help make this job less overwhelming, make a plan of working on one step each day or week, depending on your schedule.

This will allow you to make progress without monopolizing your entire day or weekend to get things done.

Step #1. Declutter the Room

The first step to organizing the family room is to remove any items that are no longer needed or used or do not belong int his space.

Since you have identified the purpose of this room, deciding what can stay and what must go should be a bit easier.

More often than not, the clutter you see is mostly items that need to be put away. Let’s tackle these things first.

The 3 Core Steps

These steps will help you quickly remove the stuff out of the family room so you can dive into organizing.

• Trash – Arm yourself with a bag and walk this room looking for any trash. Start with the easy stuff first. Things like empty food bags, old papers, tissues, napkins, etc.
• Recyclables – Arm yourself with another bag and look for any soda cans, water bottles, papers, or cardboard and put them inside. Take both bags to the trash area and toss.
• Put away – This time, use a clothes basket and gather up any items that belong in another room. Look for things like toys, office papers, dishes, shoes, etc. Once done, walk your home and put these things away.

Finish up working through any items that are left.

The good news is, now what you have to deal with should be much less making your sorting easier. You will have two main categories to work with.

#1. Donate – Any items that you no longer need or use that you can give to someone else that may need them. Things like toys, games, movies, books, or magazines.

#2. Keep – Any items that you are keeping and belong in the family room. If you do not have a spot to keep it yet, don’t worry, you will by the end of this article! Set those items aside for later.

A little organization goes a long way. Try these Brilliant Ways to Organize Your Family Room and make it the coziest spot in your home.

#2. Setup Each Area

What you do in this room will determine how you organize. You might only watch TV in yoru family room and that will make this job much easier for you. However, you might do puzzles, read, watch TV, pay bills, exercise, and more.

Know each activity and organize them one at a time.

Entertainment

This includes watching TV, movies, or gaming.

1. DVD’s
2. VHS movies
3. Television
4. DVD player
5. Gaming system
6. Video games

Reading, School, and Work

This includes reading, word games, homework, pay the bills, or misc paperwork.

1. Reading light
2. Table and chairs for doing homework
3. Bin of pens and pencils
4. A cozy chair
5. Bookcase
6. Basket with a blanket or two
7. Table for a drink or journal

Playtime

This includes puzzles, board games, kids toys, toddler fun.

1. A toy box or plastic tote to hold toys for kids
2. A basket to hold toys for your pet
3. A table for playing games
4. A tote of games
5. A bin of dice, pencils, papers

Extra items

Now for the extra things that are found in a family room that need a home so the room is more put away.

1. Remote – These items store best in a bin or basket on the coffee table.
2. Pillows and blankets – These items store best in a large basket.
3. Family photos and knick-knacks – There is nothing wrong with decorating your family room; just keep things to your favorite pieces to give a more organized feel to this space.
4. Ottoman – I love storage ottomans, and they are super helpful at keeping a family room more organized. Small ones can double as end tables, larger ones as benches, and in between as footstools.

See my favorite storage benches here that are great for seating, storage, or both!

#3. Find the best organizer

To make sure every item in your family room has its own specific place, you can try out using a few of these ideas.

• Baskets – The perfect container for so many things, including your kid’s toys or extra pillows and throw blankets. See my top baskets here.
• Plastic Bins – I love plastic bins because they are another great way to organize a room and work great for games, toys, books, or blankets.
• Built-in cabinets – Wall Cabinets are another great way to organize a space. You can use them to hold movies, books, candles, and misc items.
• Shelving – Whether built-in or just regular, shelves can help you store a variety of items. Things like games, books, magazines, or family photos.

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Before heading out the to store to buy, take a look at what you have. Are there items you can repurpose to use in your family room? Not sure? Let’s look at a few examples.

• A table and chairs may work well in the corner of your family room, giving a place to play games or do homework.
• A small dresser may work great up against the wall giving a place to hold books, movies, or video games.
• A toy box works perfectly to hold kids’ toys or games.
• A large basket can hold books or magazines you are currently reading.
• A wicker basket can hold your pet’s toys.
• A cloth hamper works great to hold extra pillows or blankets.

Remember, there are no rules to how you use containers or even furniture in your home.

Look at what you have and see if you are using that item in the best way. If not, consider a new purpose and try it out. You might just be surprised at how resourceful you can be!

D/M Pro Tip: When organizing items, consider what family members use often and store them where you can get them easily. Keep things easier will help to encourage everyone to put items away when they are done using them.

Finally, remember to label everything clearly so that everyone knows where to find the things they need and to also put those things away when they are finished.

The secret to a beautiful home? It’s all in the details – check out new Easy Organization Tips.

#5. Decorate and streamline

Keeping decor to a minimum will help you to bring this room together without adding clutter back in.

• Photos – Displaying family photos of special moments and milestones can spark nostalgia and create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Every few months swap out photos to bring in a fresh look.
• Art – Art prints can add an extra personality to the space while also creating conversation starters. You can purchase collectable art or let your kids display theirs in these art shadow boxes.
• Furniture – Choose pieces that are comfortable, durable, and made to last.
• Lighting – Have the best lighting for the activity in the room. Soft lighting can help create a relaxed atmosphere, whereas brighter lighting is best for puzzles or reading.

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Lastly, when decorating the family room, focus on items that bring you joy and match the room’s atmosphere.

Doing so will ensure that everyone can feel at home in the space.

Furniture that doubles as storage

There are so many organizing options for the family room that you are sure to find what you need creating a room that is organized and easier to keep neat and put away.

• Storage Ottoman – A storage ottoman is a great addition to any family room. It can serve as extra seating, a footrest, and most importantly, a place to store blankets, pillows, or even toys.
• End Tables with Shelves – Instead of traditional end tables, opt for ones that have shelves underneath. This will give you additional storage space for books, magazines, or other items that tend to clutter up the room.
• TV Stand with Drawers – If your family room has a TV stand, choose one that has drawers or cabinets for extra storage space. You can use these drawers to store DVDs, video games, remotes, and more.

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Let’s make the kids’ room feel bigger and brighter. Learn How to Organize Large Toys to make more room for play.

#5. Streamline the Layout

Lastly, take some time to evaluate how you have the room set up. Is there enough room for your entire family to relax? If not, what you can you do to fix that?

Having a spot for everyone to sit and relax not only helps organize a family room but also adds style and warmth that makes it more inviting.

If you are not sure how to set things up, refer to the section above where we talked about the different activities that happen in a family room. This will help you to organize the layout more easily.

By following this guide, you can turn your family room into a space that is both inviting and organized.

And with a little time and effort, you can create a beautiful and functional living space for your family to enjoy.

Spending time to organize the family room is a project that will benefit not only you but your entire family.

More Organizing Resources:

• Daily Rules that Will Keep Your Home Clean
• Amazing Organizing Baskets for Your Home
• How to Organize Your Bathroom