DIY Family Control Centre

Every family has some way to keep organized.

Our method is with a “family control centre” (FCC). It just a simple cork board where I keep the calendar, hockey schedules, school permission slips, coupons, the kids latest art project, etc.

Our FCC is incredibly vital to the every day workings of our family and is prime factor in keeping my sanity during the morning routine. I must have it … but it is SO UGLY!

Before we renovated our main level to open concept our FCC was easy to hide. But now it on our wall - right behind our dining room table for all to see.

I wanted to come up with a way to hide the clutter when people come over, or maybe just when I have had enough of the mess. So … here’s what I have come up with.

I purchased two inexpensive barn door tracks from my local hardware store and made the two doors out of free recycled palettes. I’m a big fan of Joanna Gains and her modern farmhouse style. To date I haven’t put anything in the house resembles modern country at all, rather everything is ikea cheap or hand-me-down cheaper.

Now with our big renovation complete, I finally can start decorating little by little … someday I hope to have a cohesive style in my house.

I am also a fan of the lettered signs … and this would be the first in our house. My boys chose the phrase (they are both big Beatles and chocolate fans) and the lettering is hand painted by me.

I dismantled the palettes and threw away the pieces that were just not suitable for use. I then cut the pieces down to size and assembled so that each door measures the size of half my bulletin board with an inch overhang. With alot of sanding I was able to achieve a cohesive look and smooth surface to paint on.

With the help of my inkjet printer, I printed the letters on top (“All you need is love … and”) in typewritter font, with the mirrored printing option. I was able to transfer some of the ink just by spraying down the paper and pressing with the end of a pen to get the letters on. From there I just freehanded the paint.

We were careful to measure before we hung up the doors. Because our FCC sticks out a little over an inch from the wall, we had to mount the track on a 1 inch board in order for the doors to operate without rubbing against the wall. We also mounted a roller guide on the bottom back side so the door wouldn’t swing ‘away’ from the wall as we slid along the tracks (also purchased at the local hardware store).

Let’s be honest … 99% of the time we have it open, to reveal all of it’s organizational messiness. I only ever close the doors when we have guests for dinner or the Queen over for tea.

Every morning I have to look at my FCC to see what activity or appointment is planned, what sports we have, or just what theme day it is at school.

At least I know that when the VIP’s arrive, all that messiness can be tucked away behind