21 Smart Family Command Center Ideas That Could Finally Get You Organized

By
Grace Gallagher
picture Grace Gallagher
Grace Gallagher
Grace Gallagher is a lifestyle expert and writer with five years of experience covering home furnishings, storage, and organization. She has also written for Greatist, Veracity Selfcare, Brit + Co, and others. Grace also taught creative writing workshops in Portland, Oregon.
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Updated on 09/11/23
Family command center ideas

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

If you're looking to get organized, taking some time to create a family command center is a great place to start. A command center is a designated area in the home where you can keep a family calendar and everyone in the family's important information, homework, to-do lists, and more—think of it as your family record of where everyone needs to go and what they need to get done.

Whether it's tucked out of sight behind a cabinet or closet door or you use a bare wall to make your organization station part of your decor, these family command center ideas will inspire you to get organized (and bonus points that you won't have to spend your mornings looking for lost homework or missing grocery lists).

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You'll Use This Paint Chip Calendar Year After Year

  • 01 of 21

    A Command Center on a Narrow Wall

    command center on kitchen wall

    Sunny Circle Studio

    This stunning command center sits on a small wall in a family area that was previously unused. Chic and thoughtful touches, like a leather letter holder, brass hooks, or a scroll of pretty paper used for writing shopping lists or notes on your way out, make this organization station a gorgeous part of the room.

  • 02 of 21

    A Command Center in a Closet

    command center with calendar and teal bins in closet

    The Happy Housie

    If you have a small closet that's not doing much for organization, try turning it into a family command center. This station has charging docks for the whole family (genius!), plus plenty of labeled folders, bins, and calendars for keeping everything orderly.

  • 03 of 21

    A Corner Command Center

    command center with file folders in corner

    Hi Sugarplum!

    Upgrade an unused corner of your house by turning it into a streamlined command center in a spot the whole family will see. It's helpful to have both a corkboard and a whiteboard (this one does double duty because it's magnetic) plus a designated drop zone for all those notes that end up crumpled at the bottom of a backpack.

  • 04 of 21

    A Pegboard Command Center

    a command center made with clipboards and a pegboard

    @KaitieBryant / Instagram

    A pegboard makes the perfect base for organizing a family command center. This one is chic with plenty of smart touches, but it leaves room for a bit of minimalist decor to let the space shine.

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  • 05 of 21

    A Wall-Mounted Command Center

    command center made in home office using clipboards

    @fearless.motherhood / Instagram

    This command center is so gorgeous it actually looks like part of the decor. Hanging chic clipboards (yes, they exist) are a clever way to keep all those loose papers organized without putting push-pin holes in them.

  • 06 of 21

    A Farmhouse Chic Command Center

    a rustic and chic command center on small wall

    @farmheartincity / Instagram

    You don't have to abandon your aesthetic when creating a family command center. This one uses chalkboard-style bins, vintage clocks, and farmhouse accents for an organized station that looks just as beautiful as the rest of the space.

  • 07 of 21

    A Command Center With Hooks

    Dry erase board command center with hooks

    The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

    It doesn't get much more streamlined than a mounted whiteboard calendar and a to-do list on a chalkboard. The hooks are a cute trick for keeping keys, bags, and leashes organized.

  • 08 of 21

    A Chalkboard Command Center

    command center with chalkboard and art and small drawers

    The Small Things

    If you're lucky enough to have beautiful penmanship, anything you write on your to-do list will look like decor with a family command center based on a chalkboard wall. Framed art and a picture ledge can add style to a functional space.

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  • 09 of 21

    A Command Center Made With Wire Baskets

    wire baskets in a family command center

    Unoriginal Mom

    Never underestimate the power of hanging wire baskets, especially when they're clearly labeled. This tutorial will walk you through all the things you need to create a command center your whole family will use.

  • 10 of 21

    A Command Center With DIY File Folders

    command center with DIY file folders

    The Homes I Have Made

    Something as simple as file folders in a mounted holder can really improve your organization. This tutorial will show you have to make DIY file folders that look as pretty as these (and are so much more fun than basic manila).

  • 11 of 21

    A DIY Command Center With a Chalkboard

    DIY Command Center With Chalkboard

    Old Salt Farm

    You could build your own command center with thoughtful details like hanging hooks, label holders, and spots to display the date. The black and white color scheme looks crisp and clean and helps your to-do lists pop.

  • 12 of 21

    A Command Center With Mini Stations

    command centers with boxes and small corkboards

    Old Salt Farm

    Give everyone in the family their own wooden basket and corresponding corkboard. This makes it so much easier to keep track of papers, homework, and events for each child and family member.

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  • 13 of 21

    A Countertop Command Center

    command center on kitchen counter

    Tater Tots And Jello

    A family command center doesn't need to take up a ton of space; in fact, a corner of the countertop will get the job done. Here, mounted file folders and a cute pin board keep everything streamlined and in sight.

  • 14 of 21

    A Pretty, Minimalist Command Center

    an all white command center with calendar

    Elizabeth Joan Designs

    There is something so aesthetically pleasing about white on white with wood accents, especially when there's a little fresh greenery, too. Letter holders or file boxes work well for keeping loose papers organized, and a wall calendar keeps everyone on the same page.

  • 15 of 21

    Dollar Store Command Center

    a colorful command center made from dollar store products

    My Life And Kids

    This bright, fun, and functional command center was created using products from the dollar store, proving you don't have to spend a ton to get organized.

  • 16 of 21

    A Hidden Kitchen Command Center

    a command center behind kitchen cabinet door

    Two Twenty One

    Clothes pins are a clever way to keep papers, receipts, homework, and more organized, especially when you're trying to corral items you'd rather not stick a push pin through. This command center is neatly tucked behind the door of a kitchen cabinet.

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  • 17 of 21

    Wall Command Center

    command center with clock and white board

    Bless'er House

    A whiteboard with different sections for a calendar, notes, to-do lists and more is so key in creating an organized space. The labels with the hook take order to the next level.

  • 18 of 21

    Command Center Board

    command center made on a wooden board with framed whiteboards

    Girl Loves Glam

    Who knew one wooden board could create so much order? There are even spots for a menu (so you're not constantly asked what's for dinner) plus daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning chores.

  • 19 of 21

    Personalized Folders & Baskets

    command center made with large personalized plastic file folders

    @HelloHappyHome / Instagram

    When in doubt, put a label on it. These boxes with children's names written in loopy script will ensure that one child doesn't actually take the other's homework to school accidentally. Plus, they look really pretty.

  • 20 of 21

    A Command Center Behind a Cabinet

    command center behind cabinet door

    Simply Organized

    Turned unused space into something useful by adding a command center to the back of a closet door or cabinet. Everything will have its special space, and best of all, you can tuck it away so it's out of sight.

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  • 21 of 21

    A Practical Command Center

    a command center broken into calendar, organization, do-lists, chores, checklists and more

    Lemon Lime Adventures

    If you're looking for a little more direction on what a command center actually needs, this tutorial is an excellent map. It shows spots for organizing smaller, often lost items like keys, plus space for to-do lists and visual charts so kids who don't yet read can still get in on the fun (even if chore charts aren't exactly fun for them).