I love my new home. It’s a beautiful 1920s bungalow in the heart of Chicago’s Bungalow Belt, and it’s exactly the kind of place I’ve always dreamed of owning. There’s just one drawback: The living room came with significantly less storage than I was used to.
In my previous space, I had a built-in with drawers, cabinets, and a fireplace with a long mantel where I displayed art collected during my travels. Now, all of that storage and display space is gone — but I still have all the stuff. So I booked a video consultation with C. Lee Cawley, a certified professional organizer and owner of Simplify You, and in just over an hour she helped me maximize the space. Here’s how we did it.
Re-create a “mantel” without a fireplace.
One of the first problems Cawley tackled was my lack of a mantel. My husband had already purchased a mid-century modern cabinet to place beneath the television, and she suggested treating the top of it like a rotating gallery. Now, we swap out art pieces every few months, which keeps the display fresh without overwhelming the room.
Address cord clutter.
The tangle of cords beneath the TV was another pain point. Cawley recommended stashing them in a large lidded seagrass basket and using matching baskets for DVDs and video games; I ended up filling the entire set with the latter. The woven texture blends seamlessly with the floors while keeping everything neat.
Upgrade side tables for storage.
On the sofa wall I had been using a folding TV tray as my side table, while my husband had a small side table on his end. Cawley suggested replacing my tray with a side table that had hidden storage. I opted for another mid-century piece with sliding doors, which now conceals my knitting project. I also added a standing lamp in the corner for cozy, low-level lighting. Above the sofa, we finally hung some of our favorite art pieces.
Re-home (some) pillows.
I’ll admit that paring down my throw pillow collection was the toughest part. I had far more than I could ever use, plus a storage chest packed with extras. After trimming the pile and moving the rest to the basement, I started rotating pillows in and out with the seasons. That simple switch freed up the chest for puzzle storage — which meant I could finally move the bulky black cabinet out of the room. With that gone, we had more wall space to showcase art.
What I love most about this transformation is how a few small changes made such a big difference, and the whole room now feels more balanced and comfortable. Best of all, it doesn’t look like I downsized — it looks like I designed the space this way all along.
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: I Showed a Pro Organizer My Cramped Living Room, and Now It Feels Spacious