Command Center

During the last year, I have been helping people organize spaces in their home and one of the most common requests is to develop a family command center. This is a space where they can hang up birthday invitations, school schedules, pay bills, and my favorite… “a space that signals to my kids that I’m working.”   Not everyone has a dedicated office space, but there are many ways to organize a space of your own–be it a little nook, wall space, or the inside of a kitchen cupboard to hold everything that you need on a daily basis.

When we moved into our home three years ago I didn’t have a specific place to plop my computer down and get organized.  One day it dawned on me that with some easy switching around I could convert a small eat-in breakfast nook into my office.  (Don’t worry, I didn’t force my family to eat their meals on the floor, but rather moved a dining table to the other side of the kitchen.)

Here are some photos of my own office space:

The love seat was a hand-me down from my sister-in-law.  I originally thought I would build bookshelves along that wall but since moving the love seat to the space, it has become so useful.  The kitchen is right around the corner so it gives people another seating option while I’m in the kitchen cooking.

This is my desk where I sit down every morning with a latte and charge through my blogroll.  The magnetic board is attached to the frame built around the refrigerator.  My desk is actually a console table. The desk and chair  were bought for other rooms in our house but work so much better in my office space.

This is a great idea for older kids-a designated spot to put homework that needs to be completed, forms to be signed by a parent, and of course take-out menus for those evenings when you just need a break.

Look what Sugarplum did with a tiny corner in her dining room:

If you don’t have any space in your home for a desk, what about this method for some simple organization?   They used a dish drainer to contain all of the pretty file folders.

Or, even a file ledge mounted onto the wall or under kitchen cabinets can hold all of your important documents.

I also love this Mom Agenda book to keep things like take-out menus, kids schedules, list of emergency contacts, and other important documents at your fingertips.

I hope I’ve inspired you to create that perfect command center with lots of design.