by , in Organization & Storage from hometipsforwomen.com
Ahh, the open floor plan. It’s spacious, airy, bright … and cluttered in a matter of minutes if you don’t have a strategy. That's why it's important to have a plan to avoid creating clutter in an open floor plan home, along with an approach to clear the clutter when it inevitably reappears.
Remember why you love an open floor plan. They're popular with homeowners who prefer a spacious look and feel. The problem is that when one thing is out of place in the living room, you can see it from the foyer, dining room and probably the kitchen, too. Suddenly the living room’s clutter is visible in every adjoining space.
If you have an open home and struggle with keeping it looking as bright as it was when you moved in, here are a few ways to conquer clutter in an open floor plan home and reclaim its sweeping appearance.
Make sure everyone in your family knows they have to help clear the clutter, or even better, put things away when done using them to eliminate clutter.
Good Habits Reduce Clutter in an Open Floor Plan
All of the tricks and tips in the world won’t help without good habits behind them. Whichever methods you use to reduce clutter, you and the whole family need to keep up with them until they're second nature.
Be careful not to make things too complicated or cumbersome. If you have to walk past the spot where you'd ordinarily set something down, to get to it's assigned space, chances are you'll stop at the closer spot most of the time. That's when you know it's time to rethink what goes where as convenience helps good habits settle in for the long haul.
Clear the Clutter with Entryway Organization
After a long, tiring day, you might be inclined to drop your purse on the kitchen counter and drape your coat over the nearest chair. Now think about how your purse and coat look from other parts of the room. There’s a better way.
Provide a place for everything you carry and wear into the house, but discard shortly after. A bench with cubbies and hooks is the perfect spot for purses, backpacks, shoes, coats and anything else that might otherwise end up as clutter.
Even though you see the items left there, it all has an organized look.
If you don’t have space for a bench and cubbies, a row of hooks on the wall works just as well for some of those items. A boot tray on the floor gives you a spot to leave outdoor shoes.
Closets & Armoires Reduce Clutter in an Open Floor Plan
The bigger your open spaces, the more you need closets and furnishings where you can tuck away unused items. If your home doesn’t have many closets, that might be something to add to an upgrade list for the future. Small closets aren’t difficult for an experienced carpenter to add.
Closets and large armoires can house almost anything you like, keeping their contents completely out of sight. Coats, family games, craft and hobby supplies, and even a small home office with all of its supplies can fit into a closet. When the doors are closed, nobody is the wiser and your open floor plan home looks clean and tidy.
So if you have lots of overnight guests, why not purchase a sleep sofa that includes space to store the bed lines and towels they'll need?
And don't assume storage is only space with doors as this coffee table has three large shelves so you can store things like remote controllers, charging stations and more where everyone can see them.
Furnishings with Storage Reduce Clutter
Think about an oversize ottoman that's hollow inside for lap blankets and magazines. End tables with drawers keep the media remotes out of sight when not in use. And one of our favorites, the window seat can store almost anything, including small household tools.
Don't Forget about Kitchen Clutter
In most open homes, the kitchen is visible from almost everywhere. The kitchen needs special attention to keep it clutter-free. If you store things on the countertop, be sure they're contained in an attractive jar or container. Small appliances can stay in view, but an old, unattractive toaster might be better off kept in the pantry until you use it.
Everything in the kitchen needs its own spot. If the kitchen is small and there's not much space, a pot rack looks tidy and frees up cabinets for other cookware. You don't have to put everything in a kitchen out of sight. Just be sure that if it's on display, the display looks good.
Have you conquered the clutter monster at home?
