How to Organize an Entertainment Center — 6 Ways to Streamline Your Space Before Your Next Game Night

I've always enjoyed hosting game nights. They're a great way to bring people together and have new friends bond with old ones. Plus, it's a treat for your inner child and a brilliant excuse to wind down from a long week. And with Friendsgiving quickly approaching, it's a good time to dust off the games in your entertainment closet and get them sorted for your guests' arrival.

Besides planning out your hors d'oeuvres, setting your table, and cheffing up a feast, organizing your entertainment closet should be at the top of your list. You don't want to be reaching for Catan, only to come out with a box filled with Cards Against Humanity. All you really need are a couple of easy home organization ideas to rein in the mess and find your preferred game at first glance.

To help you get your collection of games in order and your entertainment closet host-ready, we have some helpful tips that are sure to come in handy this festive season. From purging your closet to sectioning out the space, these expert tips will transform your entertainment center in no time.

1. Sort & Purge First

In conversation with Di Ter Avest, founder of Di Is Organized, she tells us that the first thing to do when dealing with your entertainment closet is to sort and purge before anything else.

Since living room storage is sometimes overtaken by games closet space, she tells us to start by taking everything out of the closet. This is a prime focal point of any home and having tattered cards and incomplete board game sets are the last thing you need to take up golden storage space.

"Get rid of games that no one plays, movies that you haven’t watched in years, and any broken items," she says. "Keep only what your family and friends actually enjoy as there's no point holding onto a board game that never leaves the shelf."

2. Group by Activity

Next, Di recommends grouping the inhabitants of your entertainment closet by activity. "Organize your stash by type: board games, card games, puzzles, movies, and tech accessories," she notes. "Having clear categories makes it easy to find what you need quickly."

Home organization expert Meaghan Kessman also finds categorizing your collection to be a great organizational tactic. "I suggest creating zones for games, puzzles, and party supplies for easy access," she says.

You can even sort your games by purpose, whether they cater to kids, to regular friend hang-outs, or even if they're drinking-specific.

3. Use Clear Bins for Loose Items

When in doubt, clear containers are always your inner organizer's best friend. Besides being easily available and fairly reasonable, they're also the ultimate storage concept since you can simply peer in without having to root through your closet, one space at a time.

"Store small items like dice, cards, and game pieces in clear, labeled bins," suggests Di. "This prevents them from getting lost and saves you from the frantic 'where’s the missing piece?' search right before guests arrive."

Built-in storage is brilliant but if your space is not blessed with it or if you're trying to be renter-friendly, you can't go wrong with labeled bins.

4. Maximize Vertical Space

There are plenty of ways to use vertical storage. When it comes to organizing your entertainment closet, this is the best space to experiment with any form-friendly vertical storage ideas for maximum tidiness and minimal clutter.

Instead of stacking games on top of each other, Di recommends storing them vertically like books. "This makes it easy to grab the game you want without causing a mess," she shares. "I have also transferred games from their original boxes into zipped pouches to save extra space."

If your entertainment closet has tall storage space that's unsegmented, another great idea to optimize this space is to introduce a couple of dividers or shelves to the mix.

5. Create a “Favorites” Section

When sorting through your entertainment closet, feel free to play favorites with your collection. In doing so, you'll be able to sort the space in such a way that items you frequent are within clear view.

Di suggests keeping your most-used games, movies, and supplies front and center. "Dedicate a small shelf or basket for the go-to items that you know you’ll reach for often," she adds. "This way, everything is ready when it’s time to entertain, and you can focus on having fun instead of searching for things."

This is the same concept we adopt for kitchen, bathroom, and pantry storage so why not put it in action in the entertainment space of your home as well?

6. Put Together a Party Caddy

Creating a party caddy is a great finishing touch to transform your entertainment closet into a space that is actually easy to navigate. Meaghan tells us that this is one of her favorite organizational tips that is sure to come in handy the next time you have guests over.

"Gather essentials like napkins and coasters in a portable bin for easy setup and cleanup," she says. This caddy will have a couple of hosting essentials that you can dip into at a moment's notice.

With the festive season in full swing, a party caddy is the perfect addition to the entertainment closet that home organizers swear by.

Whether you adopt all of these expert tips or even just a handful of them, you'll surely notice a difference in the layout of your entertainment closet. Aside from allowing you to easily reach in and find your games on the first try, tackling this space will also save you from buying duplicates of games that are simply hidden behind clutter.

And by maintaining an organized entertainment closet, you will also be able to allow your guests the chance to pick their game of choice, instead of hiding the mess away behind closed doors. So add this space to your to-do list and tidy it before your next get-together.