Living room organization is mostly about managing the objects that accumulate in the most-used room — remotes, cords, media, and the inevitable flat-surface drift.
01Cable management
The tangle of cords behind a TV and entertainment center is both an eyesore and a maintenance problem. Label each cord at both ends before managing them. Bundle cords that run together using Velcro ties — not zip ties, which are permanent. Route bundled cords along the back of the entertainment unit or in a cable management box. A cord cover strip at the baseboard conceals the run from the TV to the outlet.
02Remote controls
Remotes have a home — a basket, a tray, a drawer. The rule is that remotes live in that spot when not in use. One designated spot, always. A universal remote replaces the four or five device remotes and reduces the problem significantly.
03Bookshelves
A bookshelf organized by cover color looks nice in a design magazine and is useless as a library. Organize books by category or by how you'll look for them — fiction alphabetically by author, nonfiction by subject. Leave 10–15% of each shelf intentionally empty. A shelf at capacity is a shelf you can't add to and one that looks overcrowded.
04Coffee table surface
A coffee table is used as a surface for drinks, books, and remotes. It is not a storage unit. Clear the coffee table down to one tray with a few intentional objects. Anything that's been living on the coffee table without being used should find a drawer or a shelf.
Marcus Webb is a general contractor and home maintenance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. He writes about the repairs and installs that come up every year in every house — the practical, repeating work that keeps a home livable.