How To Keep A Family Command Station Organized

Over the years, I organized many family command stations. Personally, I love to organize them because usually they are in the kitchen and can easily be a drop zone for many families. The kitchen is the heart and center of the home, so it should be the most organized place since we are always there. It's where everyone goes each morning and each night. So, it makes sense that the family command station is there. But keeping it organized can be an issue.

Jump to:

• What is a family command station?
• Tip 1: Find a paper management system that works for you.
• Tip 2: Have a place to store your papers for the week.
• Tip 3: You only need one drawer in the family command station.  
• Tip 4: Use part or all of the upper cabinet for storage. 
• Tip 5: Make sure everyone knows where everything goes. 
• Tip 6: Hang the calendar. 
• Tip 7: Have a place to hang your keys.

What is a family command station?

Well, I'm glad you asked. A Family Command Station is a catch-all place for incoming school papers, bills to be paid, mail to go through, phones, and even a place for the family to do their work. With all these tasks using one area, this section of the kitchen needs to have homes for many varieties of items, so it must be organized well.

Here are some tips on how to keep a family command station organized.

Tip 1: Find a paper management system that works for you.

In the cabinet below the command center (affiliate) I have, I added a pull out drawer with an upright holder that holds all my monthly event folders and other household folders. This area is where I put papers from school and other documents that are coming up for the entire year. Check the link above for the details. The image below shows how you can make a small space well-organized.

Tip 2: Have a place to store your papers for the week.

Here is my cute little family command center (affiliate) magnet mail sorter. And, yes, I do keep it like this all the time. To help keep my papers organized, this magnet chalkboard weekly paper sorter is a DIY home-organizing project I made when I remodeled my kitchen. I still use it to this day. Here's the link if you want to make it.

Tip 3: You only need one drawer in the family command station.  

A drawer with drawer organizers in it, that is, to sort your pens, notepads, scissors, etc... If it is a small drawer, like mine, it's important to keep it organized. The little drawer inserts work great.

Figure out what you want to put in the drawer. Visit our 14 ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO KEEP IN YOUR JUNK DRAWER for a list. Be sure to measure the drawer's width, height, and depth before looking for the drawer organizers.

Tip 4: Use part or all of the upper cabinet for storage. 

You can store your purse, light bulbs, candles (affiliate), coupon binders (affiliate), etc., in the upper cabinet to keep the surface clear. I also like not to see these items, so a cabinet door works well.

Clear acrylic bins work great for this area, so you can see what is in each bin. Ten-inch-deep acrylic bins (affiliate) work nicely in the upper cabinets. If you have an open cabinet, you can find solid-colored bins to hide the items.

Tip 5: Make sure everyone knows where everything goes. 

After setting up your area, show everyone where everything goes. You may need to remind them where items go a few times, but that's okay. Labeling each bin and organizer in your command station will help keep everyone aware of where items go.

Tip 6: Hang the calendar. 

I like to hang the calendar inside the upper cabinet door. I use a 3M Command Hook to attach it to the cabinet door.  The thin utility hooks work great to hold calendars. You can also have a desktop calendar, a wipe-off magnet calendar, or a paper calendar you change each year. Ensure you measure the place you want to put this calendar before buying.

Tip 7: Have a place to hang your keys.

The keys can be attached to the backsplash or the inside of the upper or lower cabinet.  I wrote a post about places to store keys.  Feel free to check it out.

That's it! By making these changes and creating a well-organized family command station, you and your family will keep your kitchen clear of clutter all of the time, resulting in happier meals with the family. I hope these tips help you keep your family command station organized.

Do you have any advice on how you organize your command station?  Please leave a comment below.

Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (affiliate), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.