Day 4: Coffee Table {31 Days of Easy Decluttering}

Welcome back to 31 Days of Easy Decluttering! Throughout this series I’m sharing easy decluttering projects that you can complete in 10-15 minutes.  If you do them, then by the end of the month you’ll be enjoying a less cluttered home!

If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, there are links to them all here.

Today’s Easy Decluttering Project

Today we’re decluttering coffee tables.  AKA clutter magnets!  Remotes, magazines, mail, newspapers, pens, toys, books, tablets, and all sorts of other things are drawn to a flat surface like a coffee table.

I mean it’s right there in the middle of your living room or family room… just waiting for stuff to be dumped on it, isn’t it?!

But all that stuff on the table becomes visual clutter.  It’s stressful.  And then things get buried under other things and you have to waste time searching for them.  Or bills are forgotten and you have to pay late fees.

If you don’t have a coffee table, you probably have another surface in your living room or family room that is cluttered.  Maybe an end table, entertainment unit, mantle, or even the floor!

Check out this old picture.  Talk about your cluttered surfaces!

This picture is from a great article called “A Table is not a Storage Device“.  Great article!

It’s so easy to use our tables to store stuff, sometimes without even intending to.  We see a flat surface and think it’s a perfect spot to set something down… just for now.  Trouble is, we don’t go back and do something with it later.  And once something is already on a flat surface, it’s easier to put more on it.  And then more.  And soon you’ve got clutter.

Wouldn’t you rather walk into your living room after a long day and be greeted by an empty table with just maybe a vase of flowers on it?  It just feels more relaxing to be able to place a cup of tea or a glass of wine on the table without having to clear a space first!

Agreed?!  Good!  Then let’s put a stop to the coffee table clutter today!

Easy Decluttering Steps

Throughout the series, you’ll follow these steps to complete each daily task.  {Don’t forget to take before and after pictures to share too!}

Note: The main purpose of this series is to declutter so don’t get overwhelmed doing too much cleaning.  Once your house is less cluttered it will be easier to clean so you can always come back and do it later!

Also, if you have the time, you can organize the space while you’re doing this step, but don’t get overwhelmed with too much organizing this month.  We’re focused on decluttering!

Purging Tips for Your Coffee Table

Follow the steps listed above, and use these tips as you purge (step #5) your coffee table:

• Throw out any garbage that was left on the table – things like granola bar wrappers and used tissues (if you’ve got kids you know it happens!)
• Recycle all papers that you no longer need (newspapers, flyers, old mail, outdated school newsletters, etc.)
• Relocate items that don’t belong on your coffee table (toys, books, magazines, games, electronics, etc.)
• Gather all your remotes and put them in a basket so you always know where they are and they aren’t visual clutter on your table
• If you have items you want to keep in the living/family room that don’t have a designated place, then create one.  For example, put a basket under your coffee table or beside your sofa for magazines or current newspapers.  Make sure you tell your family members about the new homes you’ve established so they can help keep your table clutter free.

Now that you’ve decluttered your coffee table, the key is to keep it that way!  Make it part of your daily routine (or someone else in your family’s daily routine!) to clear off anything that has been left on the table, so you never have more than a day’s worth of items accumulating.  Change your mindset about flat surfaces.  Empty space is good!

My Coffee Table

Confession time.  I don’t have this particular decluttering task mastered.  I love when my coffee table is clutter free. And I try to make that happen as often as possible. But we often have piles of things we need to follow-up on sitting on the table, as well as items my family members dumped and didn’t put away.

It’s gotten better now that I have better systems in place for dealing with paperwork in our house (see my command centre and office posts for more details on that).  But I really need to stay on top of this particular clutter magnet in my house 🙂

Here’s what my coffee table looks like when it’s clutter free.

Just a tissue box and a basket with remotes, pens, and notepads.  I’ve got baskets underneath the table to contain newspapers and flyers and a few books we’re currently reading (they also hide clutter quickly when people are coming over!).

When our coffee table looks like this it makes me feel calm.  When it’s covered in stuff, my stress level goes up proportionately.

So, I’m with you on this decluttering task.  And I’ll stay on this one for the long haul.  Because I know the difference it makes to have that coffee table clutter free.  Now if I could just help my family see the value of a clear surface… 🙂

Pictures and Links to Inspire You

Here are a few clutter free coffee tables to inspire you to declutter yours!  They show the use of trays and baskets to contain items on or below the table for a visually appealing look.

This table has a tray on top with a few books and a candle.

Another simple looking table top with just a basket with books and flowers.  Love how peaceful it makes the room feel!  There’s storage underneath too.

I love the stress-free feeling I get looking at these clutter-free tables.  I can picture myself relaxing in those living rooms.

Note:  I’m not saying you need to live in a picture perfect, magazine-page home.  But you don’t want clutter to pile up on your table either.  Just find a balance you can live with 🙂

*Please pin from the original source if you choose to pin these pictures.  If you want to pin this post please use the button at the top.  

If You’re On A Roll…

• Check out my Living Room/Family Room Organizing Board
• You can find more decluttering tips on my Decluttering/Purging Tips & Ideas board.
• For cleaning tips, you’ll find a bunch on my Cleaning & Cleaning Supplies board.

And just for some fun to finish off this post, here’s a clip from Seinfeld that’s been going through my head the whole time I’ve been writing this post about coffee tables.  Love that show 🙂

Good luck with today’s decluttering project!  I’d love to hear how you did, so please leave a comment and use the hashtag #31DaysEasyDecluttering when you share your pictures.

What do you keep on your coffee table?  Do you struggle with keeping your table clutter free as much as I do?  Any purging tips I missed for flat surfaces?

If you need help decluttering, contact me for in-person organizing services in the Mississauga area, or virtual organizing services anywhere else.

Happy organizing decluttering!