Let’s just take a moment and acknowledge (or stand in wonder/confusion) that I have been a mom for over 10 years and just recently put together our very first family command center.  When it was finished, I stood back and thought ‘WHY did it take me so long to do this?!’ It just makes good plain sense! As an organization junkie, I’m totally geeking out about it – and maybe sharing our space can give you some tips to help keep your own family organized!

Again, I’d like to mention that we are renting our current house from family members.  Though they have given us quite a bit of liberty to make design choices, Craig has drawn the line on a few things he will absolutely not allow me/us to tackle no matter how many times I ask.  One of them is the painting of the kitchen cabinets.  This kitchen was remodeled in the 1960’s and I believe the cabinets are primarily constructed of oak hardwood, which are stained a very dark color.  The only natural light source in the space is a small window above the sink, and so those cabinets really make the room seem very dark.  I’ve lobbied to paint them all white, and add some fresh new hardware – but he’s not budging and I would like to stay married, so it’s a no go.

But… what happens behinds closed doors stays behind closed doors, right?!  😉

In the kitchen there is a tall cabinet in one corner of the room.  We have used it for pantry storage since we moved in nearly 3 years ago; But it’s depth meant that a lot of items were inaccessible or were forgotten about – helllooooo stale cheerios!  Through time, the bottom portion even became a space where footballs were stored.  I cringe at the memory.

Here is a BEFORE picture.  The cleaned out pantry space.  Note the lovely contact paper on the shelves and the unfinished flooring below.

Let me tell you…. they don’t make contact paper like they did in the 1960’s.  That stuff was made to last!  I was eventually able to peel it all off, but woah.  Just woah.  I also managed to finally finish the flooring by using the more high quality peel and stick tiles over the existing chee-po peel and stick tiles.  It’s an upgrade. (Note to self: In the new house… REAL thickness tile only.  Please!)

I then used some barn wood that we had on hand to line the back wall.  I found a floating shelf at Target that matched the texture and color perfectly and though it gave him quite a struggle, Craig was eventually able to attach it to the barn wood wall.  The inside of the cabinet doors were painted the same mint blue color as the decorative ‘niches’ we have in our kitchen.  From there it was a matter of adding the functional pieces and making it pretty!  I thought it might be easier (and more fun!) to do a video of the space pointing out all of the little details instead of typing them.  Behold the first ever YouTube video that includes my face talking.  Be gentle on me people, it can only get better from here.

And there you have it!  Our family is now on track to be ultra organized! Though we have only had it functional for about a week, I’m happy to report that the kitchen counters aren’t littered with papers, and the kids have been having fun playing with all the activities that are right at their fingertips. And can I just say that pointing them in the command center’s direction when they ask, yet again, ‘what’s for dinner?!?’ has been a treat.

Everything can be tucked away behind closed doors – great for when company comes over!  There is a sweet space for photos, and a charging station for the phones/ipads.

There is space in this command center for both adults (top half) and kids (bottom half).  I get a sleek barn wood wall to look at when I am writing a blog post or browsing on Pinterest.  The kids have access to all sorts of fun activities down below – coloring books, play doh, etc – as well as a spot for their Ticket System (chores/ commission)

The Meal Rotation clipboard is in easy viewing distance for the kiddos, so they don’t need to ask mom what’s for dinner.  Stylish file folders make organizing bills and paperwork more tolerable.

My favorite piece?  Probably the three ‘Plan of Action’ calendars!  I’m a list maker… remember?  I love sitting down at the end of the day and writing down my top 3 goals for the following day.  I think that seeing what is to come helps prepare me, and makes me less anxious.  I have made each of these calendars (monthly, weekly and daily) available in pdf form.  By clicking on the images below you can print your own to use.  As mentioned in the video, I print off one of each sheet and then make them into DIY dry erase boards by placing them in a clear plastic binder protector (then folding back the binder portion or cutting it off).  That way, I waste less paper and spend less time printing.

Maybe these calendars can be your first step toward making a command center for your own family.

Enjoy and happy organizing!