For most of us, the lounge is where we spend the majority of our relax and play time when we’re at home. Not surprisingly, clutter can build up easily and get out of control in this area. De-cluttering the lounge is also vital to ensure you have a mess-free, clear space to entertain guests.
Kids’ toys, washing waiting to be folded, ironed and put away, books and magazines, games and DVDs, photo albums and memorabilia, hobby items, etc. all add to the visual clutter in this space. Let’s make this hub the relaxing place it’s meant to be!
To organise the lounge, we follow a similar formula as we used to declutter the master bedroom.
De-cluttering the lounge
Firstly, have a look around the room and remove anything that doesn’t belong there.
You might like to use a plastic basket/box to put everything into as you go through the room, so you aren’t making 101 trips around the house when returning items to their correct home. With a basket or box you can be more efficient with your decluttering time.
Remember not to get distracted when returning items to other rooms in the house by trying to organise those rooms at the same time. The key to success is to do one room at a time otherwise you will get overwhelmed and your house will end up worse off than when you started.
Now assess the furniture you have in the room. You will need a couch and chairs, a coffee table, a television and cabinet, a bookcase and possibly a display case.
Any furniture item that doesn’t belong in the lounge needs to be removed. Move it into the room it best suits or into the garage for storage.
Once you have only the items you want to remain in the lounge left, then you can address the placement of the furniture. Remember to sit down with a pen and paper and have a play with the layout of the furniture. This will save you having to move bulky items several times before you are happy with the placement.
Most people put their television in prime position in the lounge. The tv needs to be in a place that can be easily viewed from the couch and chairs and away from the glare of the sun.
The bookcase should be placed on a wall away from the direct sunlight also as this will fade the edges of the books and magazines.
Where possible, place the couch and chairs in a semi circle or opposite each other to allow for easy conversation. Try not to place all seating in one row as this can restrict the flow of conversation.
Place the coffee table parallel to the couch. Allow enough room to be able to walk past comfortably, but it should be close enough for you to easily retrieve your cup of coffee. Remember – never block the flow of natural light by placing large furniture items in front of windows.
Now that you have your furniture in place, you can start on the fun part – decorating the room. Remember that the lounge is for you and your family to use and enjoy on a daily basis, but it is also for your friends and family to enjoy when they visit.
Of all the rooms in your house, the lounge is the place for your most treasured and beautiful things. But remember not to put out too many items, the key is to keep the visual clutter to a minimum.
If you find that you have piles of things that you are removing from rooms as you go through the decluttering process that you need more time to sort through, or you’re not sure what to do with them, then allocate an area or a whole room if necessary, where these items can go until you have the time to sort through them all.
Many of your items can be sold online, which is a good way to get these things out of your house and get a little money back for them. Alternatively, you may like to donate them to charity such as The Salvation Army.
Check out Clear room, clear mind: Clearing the clutter in 7 areas of your life for the rest of this great series.
