How to Create the Perfect Household Command Center
In a household, importance is placed on making sure everything gets done, schedules are adhered to, rules are followed and things are put away in an orderly fashion. A command center is a perfect place for this all to occur in your home. These can look different for every household as each has their own wants and needs. On Hometalk, there are many command center ideas, ranging from a family command center to command centers in general.
Why a Command Center?
What is the point of this central location for communication in the home you might ask? Hometalker Theredpaintedcottage shares that when you have children with demanding schedules, a family command center is simply critical in keeping everything organized. Theredpaintedcottage also shares the various locations for a command center, most commonly the kitchen she says, but it could be in the entry, mudroom, hallway or even a cupboard. Get tutorial here
Tips for a Family Command Center
For Hometalker Camille Walker, there are a few important tips to follow for a family command center. They include having a designated space for shoes/jackets/ bags, labeled baskets for each family member and keeping everything within reach. The great thing about a family command center is that it’s for the whole family; as such, Camille has strived to make it kid-friendly by adding the "Walker Family System" lower down on the wall. Get tutorial here
Creating a Message Board
An important aspect of any command center is having a place to leave messages to others in the household. Hometalker Sharon Saw shares how she created her own personalized cork board/chalkboard combo using an old board she had in the house. To create the geometrical pattern on the cork board, Sharon used tape and painted between it, guaranteeing a clean look. For the chalkboard, she used chalkboard contact paper, which she stuck on top of an old whiteboard. Get tutorial here
An Artistic Cork board
Another great use for a command center is to let your artistic skills shine through by expressing yourself to your family and also any visitors who might see, just like Hometalker Cutting Edge Stencils did. To create your own board with a design, use a taped cork board (with painters' tape) and paint the inside using a stencil and different colors. Once done, no one will know that you used a stencil instead of creating the intricate design on your own! Get tutorial here
Command Center Ideas
What are the elements that make up a command center? For Hometalker Sondra, there are many that make up her family command center in the mudroom. It includes two distinct areas: an organizing side and a planning side. Pictured is the organizing side, which includes bins for everything you can imagine. From gift cards and mail to glasses and random items found on the kitchen counter, everything has a home – almost like a family lost and found. Get tutorial here
A Command Center Wall
This mom of four has created the ultimate family command center… and it’s taller than she is! Hometalker Beneath My Hearts used a giant chalkboard as her command center, allowing for plenty of room for communication and collaboration. She has also included the typical elements such as storage, calendars, a section for each of her kids and of course, a whiteboard. Get tutorial here
Kitchen Command Center
The kitchen is one of the most common places for a command center, which is why it comes as no surprise that this is Hometalker At Charlotte’s House second command center in a kitchen, and she loves it! For her, the importance of the wall is placed on storage. It is for this reason that she used bathroom storage baskets from IKEA and containers from Home Goods to make up her wall; she’s added a cork board and her wall was complete. Get tutorial here
Mail Sorter
Another command center that is focused on storage, this project uses wire bins hung on nails in the wall to gather different documents in the house. Hometalker Ashley @ Domestic Imperfection has labeled her boxes outbox, needs attention and coupons & gift cards. For everything else miscellaneous, Ashley has chosen to put up a personalized cork board that has ample space for reminders and a calendar so that it doesn’t have to overtake the fridge! Get tutorial here
Clutter No More
Getting rid of clutter was this Hometalker’s mission and one that she took quite seriously. This can definitely be seen by her mail sorter tower, which is made up of a five pack of magazine bins from IKEA, with personalized labels she created using stencils. She also incorporated a key hanger into her command center, along with a message board and storage bins. Get tutorial here
A Command Center With Style
While a command center is all about organization, it doesn't mean you need to sacrifice the design of your home. For Hometalker Alaya, it was about finding the perfect balance of function and style when thinking of command center ideas for her home. Elements of her design include an entire chalkboard wall, which she made using chalkboard paint, and file folders spray-painted bronze to go with decorative arrows she tastefully placed. Get tutorial here
A Discreet Command Center
For a more discreet command center, a cabinet can become the ideal locale – out of sight for anyone else. Hometalker Jamie used a medicine cabinet, which she has modified to fit her household needs. Inside the cabinet, Jamie installed a key rack using contact adhesive to stick it into the cabinet, meaning she didn't have to deal with creating any holes. She then used several coats of chalkboard paint for her chalkboard. Get tutorial here
Simple yet Effective
While a command center has the potential of taking up an entire wall or even a room, there is something to be said about simplicity and creating something that works for you. This is exactly what Hometalker DIY Decorator did in her kitchen command center. She used a whiteboard with things she needed atop, including a calendar, notepad, hooks for keys, and clips. It's not as busy as other boards we’ve seen but it does the trick! Get tutorial here
A Creative Command Center
While most command centers consist of whiteboards, cork boards, and bins, there’s no rule book saying they need to. Instead, Hometalker Ioana created a colorful pegboard that can be used for a variety of things. To create the board, Ioana drilled holes into a piece of wood, painted it, and then cut and painted wooden pegs to fit the holes on the board. Get tutorial here
