Communication is key to a household running smoothly, whether you’re a part of a large family or have multiple roommates. Homework needs to be done on time, bills need to be paid, animals need to be fed and messages must be sent and received for life to float along with ease.

A Command center is a great way to display and organize all of your papers, calendars and to do’s where everyone can see them.   

Use these tips from Bounce Energy  to get your command center at home running smoothly. Practicality is key, and these ideas will help you get there.

Home Command Center Basics

A command center is a centralized location in your home where messages can be left, bills can be posted, notes about upcoming out of town trips can be noted, and a calendar with birthdays, anniversaries and important dates can be written.

This is a place that is almost the antithesis of our electronic age, where notes are written by hand, and calendars are in our space as opposed to in our hand held devices.

Stamps can be stored here for those who need them, along with envelopes, important addresses, and permits.

Location Location Location

Where you set up your command center is key to its success. Your second floor office where the kids never enter is likely to fail, as is a command center in their game room or play area. The command center needs to be located where all eyes fall upon it, at least once a day. Some good places for it are your mud room, kitchen or entry hall. 

Think of your command center as a place of constant reminder. It needs to be located where every member of the home will see it, and be reminded multiple times a day of what is approaching, or needs to be done.

Materials Needed to Set Up Your Command Center

Now that you’ve decided where the command center will be located, you need to decide on materials.

Will your command center revolve around a cork Board, a white board, or an old-fashioned chalk board? What about metal baskets that hold bills, as well as an ongoing lined paper notepad where notes and messages can be written and a log is inevitably kept?

There are numerous companies making incredibly colorful chalks these days. Your command center could be coupled by a brush of artwork for the more creatively inclined.

Chalk board paint also makes it easy to paint a section of your hallway or kitchen to serve its duty. With the use of something natural and easy like chalk, you can incorporate your children into writing grocery lists and other reminders as practice in using their penmanship and cursive writing.

White boards come in all sizes, as do cork boards. Interior decor these days has put chalkboard and cork boards on the market with pretty and eclectic borders that make hanging them in a home attractive.

Writing Utensils and Plenty of Pins

Writing and leaving messages is only possible with a writing tool! Seems simple, but how often do pens, chalk and markers get misplaced? Or you go to write a note, and waste time trying to find a pencil?

Whether it’s a nail with a piece of string and chalk attached, or a small container to hold markers against the wall, be sure you have a place to put extra writing utensils so they’re there when you need them.

If you’ve opted for a soft board or one made of cork, then you’ll need a little pot to keep your thumb tacks in. Rather than stabbing 3-4 notes with one tack, make sure you have enough to space out your flyers, notes, and the like. Let the board breathe, and make sure you have enough pins to do the job right.

The Magic of Magnetics

If you do opt for a white board or store-bought chalk board, then make sure it’s magnetized.

You can use actual magnets to keep items clipped on the board, and you can also purchase a magnetized clip to hold things together.