By Elena Acoba
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Any active household needs a home command center, a place where family members can find out what's going on when and where.
Two local experts suggest that the best design for a command center is a stealthy one.
"It's hard for me to suggest something that's bulletin-boardlike," says interior designer Susan Lujan, 39.
Lujan, owner of Aesthetics Interiors Inc., instead recommends using a binder that contains calendar pages, lined paper for messages and pocket folders for invitations, soccer schedules, maps and other related information.
Match the color of the binder to that of the room where it's located, or make it fancy with scrapbooking methods, says Lujan, who has two tweens.
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In any case, keep it in one place. That could be near the main phone, she says, or the place where family members dump their stuff when they first walk in.
Professional organizer Sue Zepeda says her three kids, ages 10 to 14, know to look in her big planner, which has all the dates and supporting information.
The planner has become her family's central calendar, a crucial element to a smooth-running command center.
"The most important thing is to have one calendar that's looked at by everybody, copied, written on another calendar," says Zepeda, 43, owner of We Organize It.
She discourages putting things on the refrigerator because that creates clutter. However, wherever it's located, a good-working command center should have:
● A calendar with plenty of writing space for each day. She likes blotter-style desk calendars.
● A tickler file or other system for stashing the supporting information.
● A place for each family member's papers, keys and other items needed for the next school day or workday. She suggests using drawers or magazine files.
● Contact freelance writer Elena Acoba at eacoba@dakotacom.net.
Stylish ways to stay organized
When organization trumps design, you don't have to sacrifice good looks. There are lots of stylish ways to keep the family humming:
» Linen-lined magazine files online at stacksandstacks.com add a touch of class for loose items.
» The Swipe Dry Erase Board, also online at stacksandstacks.com, shows off the wall behind its clear writing surface. It's also available in a see-through blue.
» The Jagga writing and magnetic board from Ikea in Tempe — 2110 W. Ikea Way, at the Warner Road exit off Interstate 10 — includes a clock and cubbies for phone, keys and mail in a sleek design.
For an in-your-face command center, consider:
» The FridgeMate (stacksandstacks.com), which corrals all that paper in pockets attached to a dry-erase board.
» The EZ Pocket Hanging Organizer at onlineorganizing.com, a big perpetual calendar with pockets for every day of the month.
» A wall-mounted or desktop Simpliciti Aurora electronic home organizer (onlineorganizing.com) that keeps track of five people.