Scott McGillivray’s Crafty Organizing Ideas for Busy Families

For the mudroom, both Scott and Sabrina knew they wanted to be able to have some things on display for easy access but that it was equally important to have lots of storage space to store off-season gear.

It’s always easier to have a bench to sit on when tying shoes, zipping up boots or waiting for your significant other to get ready. Adding bonus storage underneath is just genius.

On the other side, large panels hide coats and give extra closet space in order to keep the room neat and tidy. The result? A sleek entrance that feels cool, calm and collected.

Of course adding a couple of extra baskets to hold scarfs, mittens or hats never hurt in keeping a place tidy either.

There’s no better place to hoist your command centre than in the mudroom — after all, it’s the one area you’ll be sure to look at on your way out the door each and every day.

Upstairs, having a spacious and fully functional laundry room was an absolute must. When you have kids, everything seems to get dirty real fast. Add in Scott’s flannel shirts, and we imagine there’s always laundry to attend to.

Not only are front-loading washers and dryers easier to navigate, but they tend to hold more. Bonus points to this set, which opens opposite ways. Now the McGillivrays won’t have to grapple with awkward doors ever again when transferring their laundry.

What’s a laundry room without a little decor and a table on which to help sort and fold all of those clothes? No more hauling it all into the bedroom first.

Meanwhile the brilliant island design features cubbies with labelled baskets to make sorting and separating a breeze.

Sure, you could just keep all of your detergent in the original boxes, but doesn’t it look so much prettier when placed in matching jars? This way you can always seen when you’re running low on an item, too.

A fold-out ironing board is not only a genius way to hide the awkward thing when it’s not in use, but it also makes it a heck of a lot easier to set up when you do need to use it.

These kitchen cabinets are actually brilliant in the laundry room. They add instant storage in the sleekest way possible, while also adding certain character to the room.

Forget the giant and awkward oversized laundry tub; this sleeker version is still perfect for any extra scrubbing or rinsing, but it actually looks nice too.

No one wants their kids’ toys messing up the living room; that’s why Scott and Sabrina designated a separate space for all their daughters’ things.

Each of the corners feature a different activity for the girls to do, meaning that there’s actual organization to where their things go as they jump from activity to activity.

Lots of cubbies and storage space ensure that even though the girls will probably pull everything out, there are always spots for those things to go back into.

When the girls are a bit older they can certainly do some homework here; for now we just love that there’s rolling paper so they can colour whenever they want.

Slender shelves mounted on the wall are the perfect solution to traditional, bulky bookshelves, but they also double as fun displays of art.

Speaking of art, we love how Sabrina framed some of the girls’ original artwork and then decorated their space with it. Personal and cost-effective — who doesn’t love that?

The colour scheme was inspired by the giant painting one of the girls made with her friends at her birthday party. Meanwhile the sofa is a great spot for mom and dad to hang out while they watch their kids play. And after all, isn’t it always about getting in quality family time?