Where to Hang your Organization Boards (Calendars, Chore charts, and more)
Choices choices, we know! When purchasing one of our custom tailored dry erase boards, you want to make sure it's going in a spot that not only makes the most sense, but also is visually the best spot.
Lighting. Lighting is really only applicable to our acrylic calendars since our framed dry-erase boards have a non-glare feature. So without further ado, whether it's a chore chart, weekly board, or monthly calendar layout...our acrylic boards look their best in an area that has less direct light on it. If you are ordering a frosted acrylic, you won't really need to think about direct lighting as much. Our clear acrylics look best in areas when they aren't in the direct path of light. For instance if you can see a distinct ring of light on the wall, especially from above... I'd recommend finding another place for your board or ordered a framed dry-erase board instead. Too close of a light and the shadow cast makes it slightly difficult to read your dry-erase board at night. In the example below, you can actually see where the light is (by the R), it's overhead and very close...which causes the shadow to be cast at a tricky angle. Luckily this only happens at night-time, so many customers might not even notice the issue. However, if you want to find the absolutely perfect spot in your home - try to find one that isn't so close to a light fixture!
Location Location Location. Circle and Square decor boards were created so you that can proudly display them. The reason why looks really do matter, is because an organizational board that's hidden in a food pantry or out in the garage...isn't helpful! You want your calendar, chore charts, or command centers to be in high traffic areas of your home. The more popular the area, the better because it's top of mind and continually in front of you. My rule of thumb is to have a calendar in an area of your home that is within eyesight at least 3 times an hour. If you can't have it in one of those areas, the second best place is by a popular entrance or exit. The reason for an entrance or exit not being the top spot is because you don't want to remember appointments and to dos as you are heading out the door. and already thinking of a million other things...it's stressful and you may forget about something until you're literally seeing your calendar as you are leaving. You want your appointments and your schedule to be top of mind and appearing to you when you aren't stressing out and have head space. My favorite spots are the kitchen, so you see it while you are eating, and the hallway...because you consistently see it as you walk by.
Wall Space. Having at least 2-4 inches of wall to the left and right, make the board fit the space best. You don't want it to look too crowded. The bigger the wall space...the more inclined I am to put a horizontal board rather than a vertical, otherwise the wall swallows up the board. If you are going to a command center for multiple pieces, space them at least 3 inches apart, but not more than 5 inches for a balanced look.
Command Center Combos! To get the most of an organization system, a lot of customers purchase multiple pieces! Specifically a separate chore chart for the kids and a family calendar. If you are a business, a quarterly with a weekly or a yearly with a monthly is a great combo for planning out details for the year! As for as size combos go, you'll also want to make sure that you purchase the right sizes to go next to each other. My favorite combinations are a 26x38 acrylic or 24x36 framed horizontal with a 14x38 acrylic or 14x36 framed vertical. Another good combo is a 24x36 framed vertical with a 18x24 horizontal below it (or vice versa with a 24x36 framed horizontal with a 18x24 vertical next to it).
Lastly, if you are a perfectionist like I am - my favorite way to plan out a command center area is to get a giant piece of butcher paper and measure out the sizes and cut them out of the paper. Then I configure them on my chosen wall the way that I want and stand across the room. I walk by it at different angles to see if it feels balanced to me. Visually hanging up mock sizes on your wall really makes a big difference for me as I was deciding what size, orientation, and number of pieces I wanted!
Hope this helps! As always, our design experts are on hand if you want helping choosing the perfect board for your home! Just click here to fill out the short questionnaire and we can help pick out some recommendations that work best for your family needs and wall space.
