Family Room Remix

Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-713 -- More Projects »
PHOTO

At 22 x 14 feet, this family room is bursting at the seams with children's toys, art supplies, musical instruments and sports equipment. Organizer Maureen Gainer Reilly intends to change that.
Lizzy Benner and her live-in mother Jeanne stay busy raising Lizzy's children Ethan, Alex, Ella and Daniel. That leaves little time for keeping things in order, especially in the family room. That's where organizer Maureen Gainer Reilly comes into the picture. She is called upon to use her organizational know-how to reclaim this space.

Gainer Reilly's master plan begins with a sorting frenzy. Everyone pitches in to go through all the clutter--everything from tons of the kids' artwork and clothes to books, sports equipment and musical instruments--and divide the items into categories: Trash, Keep and Donate.

Once the room is cleared, she explains how the new furniture she's selected will work much harder than what was in the room before. Making use of vertical space will also be key, and fresh paint will give the room a fresh new feel. See the results below.

Photo

Before: The shelves and floor were covered in clutter, leaving scant space to use the room for its intended purpose. Adding to that problem was Grandma's big-screen TV (far right), which took up entirely too much space.
Photo

After: A larger shelving unit with built-in drawers holds all the children's art supplies, a smaller TV, DVD player and office supplies. There is even a small desk area for mom. The childrens' instruments are hung on the wall next to the unit (far left) to conserve floor space.
Also in this Episode
Mission: Organization : Episode MSO-713
•Family Room Remix
•Extra Tips: Maureen Gainer Reilly