Inspiration Station - Living Room

If you feel like you’re fighting a never-ending battle with clutter in your living room, you are not alone. From eating and lounging to entertaining guests, this room is wonderfully versatile. However, this means that it's often a dumping ground for a number of things; discarded clothes, blankets, toys, books… the list is never ending. The best way to keep the clutter at bay, and keep your room clear and tidy is with storage. Read on for our top 7 storage ideas for your living room.

7 Living Room Storage Ideas

1. Invest in furniture with storage
2. Use the space under your sofa
3. Make use of vertical space
4. Dedicate a box for toys
5. Tidy your cables with a wire organiser
6. Consider a coffee table with shelves or tiers
7. Consider living room display units

1. Invest in furniture with storage

Investing in storage furniture is a great way to keep your living room organised, and will also help keep all the visible surfaces for your well placed ornaments. Ottomans and storage footstools are a stylish way to declutter your home whilst also providing space for you to put your feet up or for guests to sit on.

2. Use the space under your sofa

Don’t overlook the space underneath your sofa too. If it has longer legs, you can easily hide blankets underneath, ready and waiting for those cooler evenings.

3. Make use of vertical space

One of the best ways to maximise space and declutter a small living room is to take advantage of vertical storage.

Hideaway all your miscellaneous books and DVDs in a storage cabinet, or showcase them with a standing shelf or bookcase. The shape, colour and style of the bookcase –- as well as the contents – will help organise the space, but also help tell the story of the room.

4. Dedicate a box for toys

We all know how chaotic children can be – whether they’re 5 or 15! – so it’s important you explore some living room storage that’s practical for them. For instance, having a specific toy storage box, or a drawer for games or technology, can really help bring a sense of calm to your living room. A blanket box can be a great solution which allows them to have a place to put all of their favourite possessions and can easily hide away all of the clutter. Alternatively, make use of low furniture you may already own such as a sideboard and make sure to give them a designated drawer or cupboard which is easy to reach.

5. Tidy your cables with a wire organiser

Hiding messy tangled wires is an easy way to bring organisation back to your communal space. Consider a TV unit with cupboard space for your TV and related equipment. You’ll find that our TV units have holes cut for cables on the backboard making it much easier to manage and hide away multiple wires.

Consider side tables with built-in drawers, too. You can even add an extra level of organisation with drawer dividers, so you can start to organise and separate different wires and chargers.

6. Use a coffee table with shelves or tiers

Having a coffee table with extra storage space is both a practical and stylish solution to declutter and organise your living room. You can keep it simple and modern with a striking coffee table with an open lower shelf, or you can make more of a statement with a 2 or 3 tiered coffee table with drawers.

Find out how to How to Style Your Coffee Table to make the most of this piece of furniture that’s often a focal point.

7. Consider living room display units

Dressers and display cabinets are both wonderfully versatile in combining storage with the possibility of showing off some of your favourite pieces.

The style of your dresser will, of course, depend on your personal taste and what kind of home you live in. You may have a variety of hand-painted plates or vases, for instance, or a collection of old cameras or books you wish to display.

Maximise the use of space between objects and experiment with the rule of three – items arranged in odd numbers tend to be more visually appealing. Try not to overcrowd a big display area like this though, because you may find the whole living room feels cluttered as a result.

If you can’t slot it all in one display, then store additional display objects in the drawers and cupboards, rotating them every month or so. This will help keep your living room feeling fresh and clutter-free.

Discover the latest in living room furniture or for further advice on decluttering and organising your home, head to our blog or check out more in our furniture guides.