I always think it’s interesting to see which projects I feel compelled to tackle first when we move into a new space. While I certainly have my mind on prettier and more exciting decisions, time and time again I usually end up tackling the function and flow of a space first. And without fail, that usually means assembling some sort of “drop zone” somewhere in the house. I’m not sure if it’s just become habit when we move into a new home, or I simply find myself craving a way to tackle the piles of stuff that don’t yet have homes…but I’ve done it each and every time (check out our North Carolina and Kansas versions!) This time around, our “command center” looks a bit different, as it’s tailor made for Henry and his things!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

Usually our command centers are setup right inside the front door. In this home however, I’ve been craving less stuff out in the open, meaning more stuff is moved to their proper homes and we’re relying on less open storage systems. I have been using the main coat closet down on the main level to tackle most bags and shoes; however, it quickly became apparent that some of Henry’s stuff was having a hard time finding a good and proper home. So…I setup a little command center just for him in his room. Come on in and take a look!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

Henry has always done really, really well with hooks. We’ve had them in all of his bedrooms, and by the time we had moved out of our Kanas house, he was getting really good at hanging things up (jackets, bath towel, hats) rather than just throwing them on the floor. Without any hooks in his new room, things were ending up…you guessed it…right on the floor. Add to that the artwork coming home from school and the Lego creations that have been building up at rapid speed lately, and all his bedroom surfaces were cluttered. By re-purposing items we already had, I was able to make a super cute and functional kid-friendly command center to catch his things!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

Let me clear all the stuff off and show you what all we have here…

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

This mini command center is comprised of three items: a bulletin board, a picture ledge, and a set of hooks. The ledge was mounted directly under the bulletin board so it looked like a single piece, and the hooks were installed just below to complete the whole arrangement.

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

As I said, we already had everything you see here from previous homes. They were just given a new paint job and/or purpose to meet a new need in this home! Those of you that have been reading the blog for a while probably recognize all of the elements.

The dot bulletin board was one of the first projects I made in Kansas, and it hung in Henry’s room the entire year…

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

The hooks were a clearance find at IKEA last summer. In our last home, they were painted bright colors and hung in our entryway

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

To adapt them for this new space, I just removed all the colored pegs, spray painted them black, and re-assembled the whole piece!

Lastly, the picture ledge was from waaaaaay back in early versions of my North Carolina craft room where they held art and supplies…

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

And then held my mom’s artwork in our Kansas kitchen…

Simple updates and affordable accessories transform this bland and boring rental kitchen into a fun and functional space to dine, cook, and entertain!

To make it work with the bulletin board and hooks, we cut the 6 foot picture ledge down to size with a circular saw (the benefits of making things out of real wood!), sanded down the rough edges, and gave it a new coat of white paint!

Hung all together, we got some things out of the garage and created a great drop zone for Henry!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

Instead of dropping everything in our entryway each day, Henry and I head straight upstairs where we empty his backpack and hang up his latest schoolwork on the bulletin board. Any papers for me come back down and get placed in our Schoolwork and Activities Binder.

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

His rotation of hats, various bags for soccer, gymnastics, and school, and bath towel all get hung on the hooks. When temps get a little cooler, I hope sweatshirts and sweaters will land here too!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

Henry has been really, really into his Legos lately and has been wanting to display them after they are built. However, leaving them on his dressers meant they were often knocked off (and therefor broken) on a very regular basis. When I discovered most of his Lego vehicles fit the ledge perfectly, it became an obvious addition. He pulls these down to play with almost daily, but during clean up time, we now have a safe place to put them!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

I assembled this whole little setup while Henry was at school one day, and he was pretty excited when he walked into his room and saw it! Not only do I love that it gives us some dedicated places for the things that most often land on the floor, but also fills up this blank section of wall quite nicely!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

Oh!!! And for those of you who saw our awesome new DIY Chore Chart last week and were wondering where it ended up “for real,” here you go! After rotating it around the house for a week or so, we realized it was most convenient in his bedroom. After clearing off a shelf he could reach, I used some command strips to stick the frame to the bookcase to keep it from falling over. At bed each night, he can easily move up the magnets for any chores he’s completed; and on Sunday nights before we say prayers, we add up his magnets and pay him his allowance!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

This kid-friendly command center marks the first “project” I’ve tackled in our new home…I even got to pull out some paint and a paint brush…if only for a few minutes…and got back to one of my favorite hobbies (painting furniture). Here’s hoping it continues to be a functional and useful spot for Henry (and us!) as we continue to figure out how we use and live in this house!

A bulletin board, picture ledge, and set of hooks come together to make the perfect drop zone for any kid space!

I hope you guys are having a great week! My computer hard drive “crashed” yesterday, so I will be spending today at the Apple Genius Bar (hopefully) getting it fixed. Cross your fingers for me that it’s nothing too catastrophic (or expensive!), and I am able to get back to work without skipping a beat! Coming up next week: the next iteration of the Cricut Explore for Home Decor series and a “new” version of  my monthly recap! See you then!

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See You Soon!
Megan