Organizing 101: Organizing living rooms

Books
• For bookshelf styles, check magazines, decor books and catalogues.

• Don't hoard books that you'll never look at again. Take them to secondhand shops, have a garage sale, or put them out by the curb with a sign that says Free Books.

• Organize books alphabetically, by category or mixed with decorative objects.

Art & collectibles
• Display objects that you find beautiful, but make sure you don't overcrowd the room. Put some items in storage and rotate your collections so that you don't end up with too much out all at once.

Toys
• For infants, a basket for small items like rattles and books will do.

• For toddlers and older children, a wicker toy trunk or upholstered ottoman with hidden storage is ideal.

• Allow school-age children to store their board games and books on a cabinet or bookshelf.

Photos
• Display photo albums on coffee tables or bookshelves so that guests can browse through them.

• A wall-mounted gallery of beautifully framed photographs can make a strong yet personal design statement.

• Tabletops are ideal for small framed photos, but don't scatter photos throughout the room –- for impact, group a collection in coordinating frames of different sizes.

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