Article: The Seven Essential Stations Every Home Should Have

**monkeywrangler71** · 11-07-2010, 10:31 AM

I love the "station" approach to organizing spaces - whether it's an office, room, or whole house. I'm sure most kindergarten teachers would find this idea familiar, as this tends to be the way that daycares and early years classrooms are set up. What could make life simpler than organizing your home with a system typically used for preschoolers

Here's an article which lists the top seven "stations" that every home should have:

The Seven Essential “Stations” Every Home Should Have - Stepcase Lifehack

Do you have these stations? Are there others you could add to the list that you think are as important?

**shoiji** · 11-07-2010, 05:00 PM

My place is very small but I do have stations. There is a small shelf at the door when you come in. Regularly used coats get hung there also hats, gloves and sun glasses. Shoes are taken off in that area also. I always place my keys on the same side table. If bills or letters need to be mailed out they get put there with the keys. Every night before I get ready to settle down and relaxed I make sure my lunch is packed and in the fridge. I also make sure I have enough change for the bus and anything I need to take with me for the day is in a bag. I place this bag next to the table with my keys.

In my bedroom behind the door is a small cabinet that holds my computer and a small filing cabinet. This is my "office".

Other than that I try to keep things situated and in their "regular" place. Helps cut down on the confusion. Would love to have a separate room for crafts but financially I can't swing it.

**pollypurebred39** · 11-07-2010, 05:17 PM

I really like this article and I'm in agreement. I also have a small home and I am currently trying to get our home set up with stations like these in the small space, it's not been easy.

If I were to add a station it would be a medical station. We have a very tiny hall closet that was meant to be a linen closet. It's so small it even has a made to fit custom door. It's far too small for our family so I use it as a medical closet. All our medicines, bandages, etc. go in that closet.

**imagine** · 11-07-2010, 05:23 PM

Our destination station is a collection of mini drop of spots instead of one. The Entry way isn't that big. like backpacks are in the education station. My purse has its very own spot tha tis handy for going and for receipt input into the computer.

The creation station, education station and communication and some of the administration station are all in one place in the corner nook of the kitchen with he actual work space being the kitchen table. The rest of the administration station is in the office.

Gift wrapping station is the kitchen table when needed. Supplies are downstairs in the wrapping box while tape is in the creation station. Presents are at the store or in the secret hiding space.

Donation station is a corner of the basement.

In the basement is set up in stations. laundry station, tools and fix it station ( compete with sawing area), camping storage area, other frequently used storage area.

**Ceashels** · 11-07-2010, 08:06 PM

Oh, the chance to dream! I really like the furniture pieces they pictured. I would love to have a cubby like that instead of using the back of the chair and the table in the front room, and the "where ever the shoes got taken off" system we have now. lol

**Palooka** · 11-08-2010, 01:09 AM

I really only have one and don't feel I really need any of these and my house is small. The kids stuff goes straight in their room, bills are put in their place in a drawer and no mail is laying around, and the kitchen table can be used for many things, but everything goes back to it's proper place. I don't really no how to explain it.

**nuisance26** · 11-08-2010, 08:20 AM

~I think the smaller the house, the more likely you are to have stations. We have to be pretty organized here in 800 square feet.
I have cubbies and baskets in the sunroom entry for shoes, hats, gloves and scarves. The coats go in the 18 inch wide closet that also stores the vacuum and brooms.
The gift wrap is all together on a shelf in our eat-in kitchen. It shares a station with my craft area and school area. Most projects are done on the kitchen table.
My finance station is in the sunroom. I keep my financial notebook, coupon box, sales fliers and correspondence on a bookshelf with magazines and phone books. There is a trash can right next to the spot. The computer is in that room also.
I have to have the house be functional first before beauty. I think people don't often have stations because they're buying furniture and arranging their rooms like a home decorator instead of a business manager. I 'work' at home so I organize for streamlining work. But I do have a relaxing station! I'm in it now with my feet up and my laptop on!

~