How to Create Your Own Family Command Center

April 2, 2021 Just Jes

I’m sure you have seen all of these glorious family command centers floating around Pinterest; while your heap of a pile of mail, magazines, keys, purses, notes, pens, hair ties, loose change, etc just laughs at you.

It can be very frustrating to figure out solutions to such intense problem areas of your home.

Luckily people finally found a way to tame that beastly pile into a beautifully displayed and highly functional organized space.

These command centers will save yourself time, money, frustration, and most importantly your sanity. Although we see so many wonderfully inspiring command centers sometimes we just don’t know where to start!

This seven step guide will help you figure out exactly what you need to do to make your family command center a reality!

(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Some of the amazing following photos are not my own, click on them to head straight to the source!)

STEP ONE | WHAT DOES YOUR COMMAND CENTER NEED?

Are you a large family, or a small one? Do you need a drop zone? How about chore schedule? Take a look at the list below and pick out what you feel you will need to create the perfect command center.

CALENDAR
MENU BOARD
TODO LIST
PLACE TO PUT MAIL
PLACE TO PUT KEYS
PLACE TO PUT PHONES
PLACE TO PLUG IN PHONE CHARGERS
PLACE TO HANG BACKPACKS
PLACE TO HANG PURSES
PLACE TO HANG GYM BAGS
PLACE TO COLLECT LOOSE CHANGE
GROCERY LISTS
PLACE TO DISPLAY KIDS ARTWORK
PLACE TO DISPLAY RECENT CARDS
FAMILY PHOTOS
WALL CLOCK
GOALS LIST
PLACE TO DISPLAY INVITATIONS/ AWARDS/ INSPIRATION
PLACE FOR PENS/ OFFICE SUPPLIES
BINDER STORAGE OF IMPORTANT INFO
RECIPES/ RECIPE BOOKS
COUPONS
MAGAZINES
RECEIPTS
BILLS DUE
MONTHLY BUDGETS
CHORES CHART
HOMEWORK CATCHER
BOARD TO WRITE DOWN MOTIVATING THOUGHTS
CORKBOARD

STEP TWO | DECIDE WHERE IT’S GOING TO GO

Find the space in your home that you feel would make the most sense for your command center. If you’re putting a lot of personal information maybe keep your command center in a private place, like the side of the fridge or over a desk.

If it is not so private than find a place everyone in your home gravitates to and set up the command center there. The kitchen and main living spaces seem to be the best fit.

Is it clutter you are trying to tame with this command center?

Then place it where you and your family enter the home regularly so they have a place to dump their stuff before they dump it all over your kitchen table.

Are you’re struggling to find a spot for your command center? Walk around the home and really take note of where this could go.

Maybe you have a gallery wall of photos, maybe those photos can be relocated somewhere else in the home so you can use that valuable real estate for your command center.

STEP THREE | WALL OR WALL + FURNITURE?

Wall or wall with furniture? Many command centers use pieces of furniture with it and then there are ones where absolutely everything is hanging on the wall.

You need to decide if you need a small desk, or shelving unit, or bench under your command center based on what you decided that is going to be there.

Needing a landing space for cell phones with chargers, and places to keep bowls and bins for things than implementing furniture may be your best bet.

STEP FOUR | WHAT’S YOUR VIBE?

Simple & minimalist or eclectic & bright? There are dozens of ways to decorate your command center to work well with the vibe of your home decor. Check out some of these ideas below.

INDUSTRIAL
BRIGHT AND WHITE
FUN AND BRIGHT COLORS
MODERN FARMHOUSE
BLACK AND WHITE
MINIMALIST
NATURAL BOHO
CONTEMPORARY

STEP FIVE | GET WHAT YOU NEED

Chalkboard calendars, hooks, dry erase boards, clipboards, etc. Now that you know what look you’re going for, start gathering all the items you need to bring it to life!

STEP SIZE | LAY IT OUT BEFORE YOU HANG

Lay things out on the ground before you start to hang things up. Once you start hammering in holes without a plan, hanging up your command center can be a bit of a nightmare as things start to look off.

See the layout on the floor first and change it up until you find everything looks balanced.

I use a trick of laying a piece of masking tape on the back of the pictures I am going to hang up and puncture a small hole where the nail needs to be.

I then put the tape on the wall, take a level to it to make sure it’s even, hammer in the nails where I made the holes, and voila!

A perfectly even hung picture!

STEP SEVEN | ACTUALLY USE YOUR COMMAND CENTER

If this was your worry from the beginning that you would put time and money into this and then not use it, then make sure you force yourself to not let that happen.

Having a command center hanging on the wall is not going to magically make things more organized in your life. This command center is a tool YOU use to make things easier in your life.

Just like anything else in your life, washing your face at night, getting up early for a run, committing to reading a book a week, it takes discipline.

Your new command center is no different! You and your family will need a little bit of discipline to start making this command center work!