1. ANYTHING STACKED UP ON A SIDE TABLE
Although coffee table styling usually means stacked coffee table books, decor, and candles, a side table should be kept clear to make room for drinks and snacks, says Lisa Cantu, professional organizer and founder of An Organized Home OC. As a result, anything cluttering up these surfaces should be removed, she says.
2. HALF-EMPTY STORAGE BASKETS
The recent uptick in people adding beautiful living room storage to their homes means that many of us have ended up with a little too much, or even choosing solutions that don't quite suit our space in the name of aesthetics. ‘This spring we are saying get rid of your half-empty baskets,’ says Carly Shafiroff professional organizer and owner of Creative Interiors.
3. UNUSED OR BROKEN FURNITURE
Arranging living room furniture will only go so far in creating good flow, designers point out. Getting rid of any old, unused, or even broken furniture from your living room will help create more space and reduce visual clutter – especially in small living rooms.
4. EXTRA PILLOWS AND THROWS
It may be hard to choose between our best throw blankets, but an overabundance of throws and cushions can clutter a living room and even hinder our cozy living room ideas with visual clutter. You should consider getting rid of the ones that you don't use or that are worn out, especially when they are piled high in unnecessary baskets, suggests Jeniffer Smith, homemaker, and organizer at Urban Home Corner. If you can’t quite part with some of your soft furnishings, ‘consider storing them in a closet or another room or only keeping a few out for use,’ she adds.
5. OLD OR UNUSED TOYS AND GAMES
Children’s and pets’ toys, board games, and gaming consoles are among some of the most common offenders of clutter in a living room. Cutting back or storing them elsewhere such as in toy storage in playrooms or in home offices can help to make the living room a more relaxing space as having too many toys in your living room makes it difficult for adults to relax, overwhelms kids, and makes cleaning/tidying challenging, explains Sonja Meehan, professional organizer and owner of Simply Thriving Organization.
6. TRINKETS COLLECTING DUST ON SHELVES
When styling a shelf it is easy to layer on trinkets and knick-knacks to fill in spaces, however, this adds to clutter and makes it impossible to clean a living room thoroughly. As a result, these small objects are seen as the number one thing professional declutterer Andrea Brame, founder of This Modern Mess, gets rid of from living rooms.
7. PHYSICAL COPIES OF DVDS AND MUSIC YOU DON’T USE
One of the biggest living room organization mistakes we make nowadays is to keep hold of physical DVDs and CDs when many of us turn to streaming instead, Andrea Brame, professional declutterer points out. ‘I always get rid of these physical relics,' she says, ‘eliminating the need to find clever ways to store numerous CDs, Blu-ray discs, DVDs, or even VHS tapes out of sight.’
8. ANYTHING YOU DON’T FIND BEAUTIFUL
We should all strive to make a living room beautiful, no matter its shape or size. So, it should go without saying that anything that you do not believe reaches this goal needs to go. ‘If the item isn't useful or beautiful, it is a candidate for donation,’ says designer Sarah Walker of Nuance Interior Design. ‘If you can’t part with it but it doesn't have a home in the living room, it is key to find a meaningful place for it so it isn't cluttered anymore.’
9. OLD MAIL AND IMPORTANT PAPERS
In the digital age, it may be rare that you have to organize paperwork, however odd bits of mail and important documents should always have someplace to call home just in case. That home, however, should not be the living room. ‘It can be easy to simply drop mail off in the living room as you open it or pass by, but you should aim to create a designated drop zone or filing system for important documents, mail, and papers, so they don't take over the coffee table,’ suggests Andrea Brame, professional declutter and founder of This Modern Mess. A great spot would be in home office storage or a safe or strongbox in your bedroom or under the stairs.
10. FAKE PLANTS
If you do not have a particularly green thumb, it can be tempting to go artificial when decorating with plants – they always look good after all, right?