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Writer's pictureJonda Beattie

Organizing the Living Room Using the Zone Plan


Spring is in the air… or should be soon. Spring is when I want to open the windows and doors and let the sun pour in. The first thing you see when you come into my home is the living room. For that reason, I organize and clean my living room in March.

Using the zone plan, the first step is to develop a vision. I start my day in the living room with my coffee and the newspaper. Later in the day, my husband sits in his chair with coffee and the paper and maybe watches some news on TV. Together we connect in this room to plan our day, the week, and our future. We entertain family and friends here and welcome people from out front door. My vision is that this room is welcoming and nurturing. I want everyone who enters to feel like they can exhale and enjoy their time here.

Papers, books, brochures, and magazines can accumulate as we relax and read/discuss the literature. It is a gathering place. Because I want this area to feel uncluttered I need to have a plan for handling the paper. Every morning, before I sit down, I make a sweep of the room and put away any papers that were left out the night before. Yesterday’s newspaper goes into the recycling bin. Magazines go into a basket until the next one comes in and then the old one is recycled. We also have a tray to act as a landing pad for that one book we might be reading or any brochures we are studying.

Multimedia like DVDs and CDs are stored in the living room. During this month I sort the entire collection. We cull out the ones we are ready to donate or pass on to a friend. I use a container system to manage our supply. We can keep as many DVDs or CDs as will easily fit into our containers. If they don’t all fit with some room to spare, then we agree on what ones can go to a new home.

While I am organizing this space, I give it a good clean and change out accessories to match the season. Gone is the nut bowl and winter candle. In their place, I have fresh flowers and a pastel candle.

When this zone is complete at the end of the month, I celebrate by having a nice glass of wine, a lit candle, and some down time with my hubby.

Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer

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