10 Living Room Storage Ideas: Tidying Up Your Home Lounge

Your living room should be an inviting haven where you go to relax, gather with your friends during game night, and hang out with your family after dinner. However, if you’re spending too much time hunting for the TV remote or sifting through piles of board games, you’re probably not enjoying the room as much as you could be. 

The good news is that all it takes is a few tweaks to make your living room a warm and welcoming space that is clear of clutter. And we’re here to make that happen. 

To help take your home lounge from disorganized to organized, we’ve listed some of our favorite living room storage ideas. Follow along to find all the best storage solutions and organization tips below. 

The Importance of an Organized Living Room

If you’ve ever felt anxious or unsettled walking into a cluttered and disorganized space, you’re not alone. In fact, you have science on your side. Studies have shown that messy, unorganized rooms can increase feelings of stress, anxiety, and even depression. Furthermore, those who live in cluttered homes have expressed less satisfaction with their lives. 

Now, if your own living room is messy and stress-inducing, then this is your sign to organize your space. After all, you spend a lot of time in your living room, playing board games with your kids, watching movies with your partner, and bonding with your friends over a bottle of wine. This room should bring a sense of calm, peace, and happiness—not stress and anxiety! 

Aside from improving your mental health, organizing and finding living room storage solutions can make your living room a more inviting space. It’ll look more pleasing to the eye, and you’ll know exactly where everything is, from your remote control to your favorite game console. The more clean and organized your living room is, the more likely you and your family will spend time in that special area of your home.

Living Room Organization Ideas

Now that you understand the importance of an organized living room, are you ready to transform yours? If so, then it’s time to check out our living room storage tips and tricks for inspiration. Even implementing just one or two of our recommendations can help make your home lounge less cramped and cluttered. 

Tip #1: Sort Through Your Living Room Belongings

Sometimes, the quickest and easiest path toward organization simply involves paring down your belongings. Maybe you have a run-down treadmill in the corner of your living room that you haven’t touched in eight years. Can you donate or sell it? And what about that tower of cassettes and CDs? Do you even still own a cassette or CD player on which to play them? 

Throwing away, recycling, donating, and selling items you no longer want, use, or need can help declutter your living room and free up space. What’s more, once you know exactly what you have on hand, it’ll be easier to find appropriate living room storage solutions.

Tip # 2: Add Shelves

Adding shelving is another one of the easiest living room organization ideas. You can build them as wide and long as you’d like and then line the shelves to your heart’s desire. Store your belongings in wicker baskets or woven bins on the shelves to match your decor, or neatly stack your items from biggest to smallest. You can even add a picture frame or trinket to further enhance the room’s ambiance. 

You’ll soon find shelving gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes to organizing (and decorating!) your living room. 

Tip #3: Consider Cubbies

You might picture a kindergarten classroom when we mention cubby storage, but you may be surprised at how many stylish cubby storage options are available. For example, modular bookcases are a popular take on the classic cubby, as they give you the option to display your items out in the open in a cube or place them in a bin or drawer in the square space. 

Picking up some cubbies is a prime living room storage idea because you can dedicate specific items to each cubby. For instance, video games can go in one cubby, and TV equipment and cords can go in another. 

Tip #4: Install Built-in Storage

If your space doesn’t have enough living room storage for your needs, you might consider building some of your own. Find an open wall and then construct cabinets or drawers that line it, providing you with more than enough storage space. You can close up these storage spaces when they’re not in use, giving your living room a neat appearance and a serene atmosphere.

Tip #5: Find an Entertainment Center with Drawers

Your big-screen TV is probably the center of attention, so why not get savvy with your entertainment center? Look for a TV console that not only provides a nook for your TV but also features drawers, shelving, or cabinets. This gives you the option of tucking away belongings you don’t want on display all the time, such as your rom-com DVD collection. It also lets you showcase the items you do want to show off, like your record player and vinyls. The bigger the entertainment center, the more living room storage you’ll enjoy! 

Tip #6: Invest in Hidden Storage Options

Some of the best living room storage ideas are the kind you don’t notice right off the bat. Nowadays, there are all kinds of living room storage solutions that are secretly built into furniture. For example, you can find large, stylish ottomans with lids that can provide hidden storage space for everything from TV remotes to board games. Couches with fold-up seats are another great storage option, perfect for storing extra bedding and linens. 

As you shop around for new furniture, you just might be surprised at how many hidden storage solutions are now available! 

Tip #7: Get Creative

Not every living room organization idea involves cubbies or hidden storage. In fact, decluttering and sprucing up your space could just mean getting a little creative. For instance, instead of covering all your shelves and tables with your plants, have you ever considered hanging them from the ceiling? This will enhance your space while freeing up other areas for storage. Or what about all your blankets and throws that are always in a messy pile on the floor? Instead of taking up valuable floor space, invest in a wooden ladder, neatly fold them over each wrung, then lean the ladder against a wall, and ta-da—instant decor!

Tip #8: Strategically Place Boxes and Baskets

Another easy DIY living room storage idea is to hide items in baskets, boxes, and bins. Place a big wicker basket next to your couch to store your blankets and throws, and put an ornamental box on your coffee table to keep your remotes, chargers, and miscellaneous cords. You can even organize your belongings in bins tucked in cabinets, along shelves, or under tables. 

Tip #9: Keep Your Toy Chest

Your kids may be grown up and living on their own, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold on to their toy chest for additional storage. And who says you must store toys in a toy chest anyway? Not us! Use the spacious storage for items such as photo albums and home videos. 

Tip #10: Reserve a Storage Unit

Finally, no matter how savvy you are with organizing your living room, sometimes you simply run out of space. If this is the case for you, it might be time to rent a storage unit for your overflow items. 

Before selecting a storage unit, go back to tip #1 and run an inventory of your belongings. For instance, do you really need to hold on to that broken VCR from 1981? And will your adult children ever touch those board games designed for toddlers? Once you know exactly what you want to hold on to, you’ll have an easier time deciding on the best-sized storage unit for your needs. 

The Treasure Valley’s Go-to Storage Provider

If the last living room storage idea on the list appeals to you most, and you decide to rent a unit, look no further than Stor-It. We’re not only the oldest storage facility in Idaho, but we’re also the largest, with more than 16 storage locations across the Gem State. 

Are you wondering how to declutter your home? Or trying to figure out how to store things in a storage unit? Here at Stor-It, we’ve got you covered every step of the way, from organizing your space to neatly storing items in your storage unit. Contact us today to learn more and find the ideal storage unit for your items!