You’ll love these home command center ideas if you need a drop zone for all the items that clutter your kitchen counters or entryway.
A home command center is a simple way to keep your family organized. It provides a drop zone for all the items you need as you leave the house and things you bring home with you.
You can use it to keep track of schedules, store mail or other papers as they come in, preventing paper clutter from spreading throughout your home.
There are tons of options for what you can include and designing your own is a matter of personal taste, along with how much space you have available.
So, I thought I’d give you some ideas for command center design. If you’ve been wanting to create one for your family or even tweak your own, these should be very helpful.
7 Home Command Center Options
This post contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, there’s absolutely no extra cost to you. Read my full Disclosure Policy here.
1. Kitchen Command Center
The family command center should ideally be located in a high traffic area near to the main entrance. So, the kitchen is a popular place to put it.
Even if you don’t have a lot of room for one, tucking it into a small cupboard and even using the sides of that cupboard for extra storage and to hang bulletin boards is genius.
You can see in the photo below that they’ve included a whiteboard, corkboard and hooks for keys, along with pockets for paper storage.
2. Wall Command Center
If you’re short on space, just go vertical.
Pick any wall space and put everything you need one underneath the other. If you have hooks or bins that young children need to access, keep them at their height or lower so it’s easy for them to reach without your help.
Put calendars or corkboards with pushpins out of their reach for safety reasons and so you don’t find doodles all over the calendar.
3. Chalkboard Command Center
Who doesn’t like writing on a chalkboard?
Whether you do or don’t have a small obsession with them from childhood, they’re an awesome way to write notes to others in your family and to keep track of to-do lists or groceries you need to buy.
You don’t have to buy a chalkboard either. Simply slap some chalk paint on a wall or even a cupboard door. If you want a less permanent option, apply chalkboard wallpaper.
And, if you have allergies and don’t want to mess around with dusty old-fashioned chalk, use chalk pens. They’re sold in a ton of colors and some have fine tips.
4. Hanging Bins and Baskets
Having bins or baskets gives your family a place to store smaller items like shoes, gloves etc.
Hanging them on the wall frees up floor space. Just stick to using similar or complimentary colors and designs to prevent the area from looking cluttered.
Use the baskets to corral items you need as you’re leaving the house.
5. Mail Organizer Ideas
One of the most important functions of a home command center is to organize paperwork. If you don’t have a place to store mail or other papers as you bring them into the house, then you’ll probably end up losing or forgetting about them.
Incorporate folders into your command center and use those to stash all the incoming papers e.g. mail and school documents. You can give each member of the family their own, if you wish.
A dry erase family calendar is an excellent solution when you need a reusable calendar. This saves money because you don’t need to purchase a new calendar every year and it’s good for the environment because you’re using less paper.
Write important reminders on the calendar e.g. bill due dates, appointments, events, your kids’ schedules, weekly meal plans and more.
6. Parent Command Center
If you just need a spot to stay on top of all of your kids’ appointments and activities, a corkboard and white board or magnetic board might be quite adequate.
Hang notices, school letters and a calendar so you can write down important dates.
If you prefer a clean, minimal look, the idea of having everything out in the open will be terribly unappealing to you.
All you need to do is tuck yours away in a cupboard and close the doors. The mess magically disappears!
7. DIY Command Center
Make your own family command center with just what you need included. This is a great way to mix function and your personal style.
A home command center is one of the best options for managing paper clutter and keeping your family organized. Use these ideas as inspiration for your own.