Home Organization Made Easy at IKEA

The New Year means new resolutions and for many that means one word – organization.  While I don’t necessarily make formal resolutions, I always vow to be more organized, if anything to help our day-to-day lives run more smoothly.

This year, throw in the fact that we just moved to a new house in November, and we have been anxious to organize and simplify. We decided to start with a family command center and decided on two main things: it needed to be kid friendly and budget friendly.

With that in mind, there was only one place to turn to…IKEA!

Have you been to IKEA? If you haven’t, I highly recommend carving out a few hours day and have a family outing. We are very lucky to have a location right here in West Chester, as it really is the answer to so many home dilemmas. Our particular goal with this trip was to create a command center nook in our kitchen. We do not have an office on our main floor (a playroom won that space) and we quickly found that mail, computers, Ipads, phones, artwork, etc. were taking over our kitchen counters.  My husband and I both like to have a place for things and this time we wanted to incorporate the kids too.

This was the space before…

IKEA Before

I made the trip over the river and through the woods (literally, we live in N. KY) up to IKEA, with the kids in tow. I was a little anxious, but was pleasantly surprised at how kid-friendly IKEA was. If your children meet the potty trained/height requirements, they can even hang out in the fun, supervised play area! There’s obviously plenty to look at and explore and even the food was little one approved. On this initial trip, I planned on figuring out exactly what we wanted. Luckily, IKEA has rooms set up to inspire and show you how pieces will look in your space. I found plenty of inspiration.

IKEA inspo

I took these ideas home with me, chatted with my husband and made a list of what we wanted. We were both thrilled to see that all of the items totaled less than $200! When I happened to be back up that way again, I swung by with my list and loaded up the car. I had my hands full with my two toddlers, but the staff was very helpful in loading up — one nice man even worked side-by-side with my son so he could help.

We arrived home, and two hours later, our corner was transformed to this…

IKEA after

The pieces fit perfectly in the little corner and we now have a dedicated place for mail, our laptop, phones, keys and even drawer space for artwork, magazines and diapers!  I love the style of it; it matched the traditional look of our current furniture. IKEA can be known to have a more modern style, but they’ve really expanded their look so anyone can make their solutions work in their home. I do plan on adding a small lamp to the desk and a family picture below the clock to give the wall a gallery look.

drawers

If you’d like to be more organized in 2017, you will definitely be inspired by IKEA. The store is just fun to walk around and the staff can help you achieve your goals in any space of your home. You can get started on their website here, or I suggest requesting a catalog to start your planning!

Editor’s note: IKEA generously provided the products for this feature; however, all opinions are Andrea’s. If you want to replicate her Home Command Center, here’s what you’ll need:

Linnmon Table Top Black/Brown, size 39 x 23 | Alex Drawer Unit in Black/Brown | 2 Lalle Table Legs in Black | Luns Writing/Magnetic Board in Black | Kvissle Wall Magazine Rack in White | 31″ Fintorp Rail in Black | 2 5-pack sets of Fintorp Hooks | 2 Fintorp Utensil Holders in White/Black | Fintorp Condiment Stand in White/Black.

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 6.33.50 PMAbout Andrea:

A native Cincinnatian, Andrea has experienced life in all four corners of this city. After growing up on the west side, she headed north to attend Miami University, then moved east to Hyde Park and now lives in Northern Kentucky with her family.

When she’s not playing trains and doing the “hot dog dance” as a stay-at-home mom to her two toddlers, Andrea is busy writing for Cincinnati publications and brainstorming ideas for her next children’s book! With a newfound passion for fitness and overall health, she spends a lot of time at her family gym and loves to play outside.

Andrea worked in education for several years and has a special love for children’s literature. She loves showing her children all our city has to offer and enjoys sharing her finds with other parents. Her favorite spots include the Cincinnati Zoo (although she steers clear of the bird house), her local library and any playground.

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