Room Concepts

Whether you have a large living room or a small living room, somehow we always need more space. So let’s talk about the benefits of decluttering your space and five living room storage ideas to help you minimize the clutter.

What are the Benefits of Decluttering My Home?

Some people love clutter (think your friends who love decorating their space with anything and everything), while some prefer a living space with little clutter (think Marie Kondo). And then there are some people in between. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, decluttering your home, especially your main living areas, has many benefits. 

One of the biggest reasons decluttering your space can help is that disorganized spaces can affect our mental health. Clutter can make us feel more stressed and less focused. Not to mention, clutter means we have more to look through if we’re trying to find something. Think of the last time you lost your remote – how many blankets, pillows, and random other things did you have to move around to try to find it? 

Less clutter also means less time cleaning. With optimal storage space, everything has its place, so it’s easier to put things away when you know exactly where they need to go. Decluttering can also help with safety if you have pets or children. Finding places for electronics, wires, or small knick knacks are important if you have little ones or furry family members. 

How Do You Organize a Room With No Storage? 

If your living room currently has no storage, you’re probably wondering how it’s even possible to keep it organized. You may have to get creative, but there are unique ways to create living room storage to help you minimize clutter. Here are five tried and true living room storage ideas to help keep your space clutter-free.

1.  Built-Ins

Built-ins are an excellent way to add storage and character to your home. Built-ins are a great idea for showcasing your love of books, family photos, and more. This is especially helpful if you want to avoid clutter on end tables.

2. Shelves

If built-ins aren’t your thing, you can add floating or regular shelves as a storage option. Floating shelves come in all shapes and sizes and give you more flexibility with placement compared to built-ins. Floating shelves are not only great for storage, they’re also great as statement pieces. These are also a perfect living room storage idea for small spaces.

If you need more storage space than floating shelves can give you, then traditional bookcases may be the way to go. But don’t limit yourself to just storing books here. Bookshelves can be used for decorative and sentimental items, as well as baskets (which we’ll get to in a bit). 

3.  Occasional Tables

There are many types of tables that can double as storage. End tables and coffee tables can have drawers or have two layers, which create more space for items such as electronics, books, and blankets. Let your imagination run wild with what you can store in an occasional table! Tables can also add another element to your home by counting as storage and breaking up an open floor plan.

4.  Double-Duty Furniture

Double-duty furniture is one of the best ways to expand your living room storage. Think out of the box with this one. Popular ideas include using a chest as a coffee table and having a sofa table that opens into a shoe rack. Living room storage furniture, like ottomans and entertainment centers, are another great way to make your furniture go further overtime.

5.  Baskets

Do you find random items spread around your living room? Baskets are a great way to tidy up your space without adding permanent living room storage. Plus, they come in a variety of sizes and styles, so you can also use them to add a pop of color or decoration to your home. 

Now that you know different living room storage ideas, you may be wondering how to actually put these into practice. Here are a few suggestions. 

How do I make storage space in my living room? 

Some living rooms come with little to no storage space. If that’s the case, you still have ways to create the storage space you need. Our go-to living room storage furniture ideas for small spaces are occasional tables and entertainment centers. Customizable living room tables are a great way to maximize your living space because you can determine the size and can easily move them around depending on the layout of your living room.

If you don’t have room for a table, then maybe a custom entertainment center is the solution for you. Custom entertainment centers come in different sizes, with or without shelves, and cabinets to help organize electronics, cables, and more. If you have limited space in your living room to make storage, you can also add shelving surrounding your entertainment center to create a statement piece that acts as storage. 

How do I maximize storage in my small living room?

Maybe you already have shelves or functional living room storage furniture but you still need more living room storage ideas. If so, it’s time to double up on some of the ideas above. Floating shelves can add extra places for knick knacks and photos to make other furniture, like end tables, more functional. 

Baskets can also be used throughout your living room to add extra storage. Large baskets can be placed on the floor to store toys, blankets, pillows, and more. Smaller baskets can live on shelves to organize electronics or random things you regularly use that don’t have a permanent space.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that not everything should be stored in your living room. If you use your living room as a main living and hangout area for your family or guests, you’ll probably want to rethink how much extra stuff you really need in that particular room and find other storage space around your house to help tidy up.

Decluttering your living room can help alleviate stress, give you more space to enjoy your living room, and add a bit of your personality to the room. Our five living room storage ideas can help create storage no matter how small or large your living room is.

Room Concepts provides high quality, customizable living room furniture to fit your lifestyle and space, with many configurable options and customized designs to meet your needs. Our Furniture Design experts are happy to help you create the perfect piece to add value and comfort to your home. Get in touch with our team today or stop into one of our Pittsburgh area showrooms in Whitehall or Wexford, PA.