Using Mirrors as Dry Erase Boards to Organize Our Home Office
In our previous office we discovered a simple trick that helped us stay organized: hanging a mirror. It wasn’t just useful for quick mirror checks before guests arrived — it doubled as a dry erase surface where we could jot down to-dos, reminders, and even a cheerful greeting for friends or family staying in the room. That setup made it easy to track tasks and keep our heads clear.
After we moved, I missed that erasable surface. At first I taped a tiny scrap of paper to the wall and scribbled a few items, but the list quickly grew into two columns on either side of a large doorway: the left titled “Posts To Write” and the right labeled “Projects To Do.” With a long master list of ideas and tasks for the house, choosing ten or so priorities at a time helps us stay focused, estimate supplies we’ll need, and decide what to tackle next. It also cuts down on the time between finishing a project and writing about it — which had been a weak point for us.
Not having an erasable surface was surprisingly detrimental to our update rhythm. For example, items like “limb up the magnolia” remained on the list even after the work was completed, because crossing them off or erasing them wasn’t convenient. That made it harder to track what was already done and what still needed attention, which in turn slowed down our blogging and project planning.
To solve the problem I rummaged through the playroom — which is where many extra frames, mirrors, and other bits of decor end up — and pulled two mirrors that were close in size. I asked John to hang them for me (nursing the baby gave me a perfect excuse to supervise from the couch). Once they were up, the mirrors instantly became practical dry erase boards for tracking both “Projects To Do” and “Posts To Write.”
The result is cleaner and more visible than the previously taped notebook pages, and it’s much easier to update throughout the day. The mirrors aren’t identical matches, but they work together well and make the doorway feel purposeful rather than cluttered. (Full disclosure: I pushed the dining chairs against the wall to vacuum and never pushed them back — proof that real life still happens around these idealized photos.)
If everything on the boards were complete, the space would look blissfully minimalist — one of those rare moments when the to-do list is shorter than your free time. In reality, the mirrors are filled with projects and post ideas that keep us moving forward and remind us of what’s already been finished.
One small practical detail: we keep a blue dry erase marker resting on top of the right-hand mirror because that frame is deep enough to hold it. That convenience makes updating quick and painless. Eventually we might look for a better matching pair of mirrors for a more balanced aesthetic, but for now the system is functional and pleasant to use.
If you’re considering something similar for a home office or workspace, a few simple tips can help:
– Choose smooth, non-porous glass or mirrored surfaces so dry erase markers wipe clean.
– Keep a dedicated marker nearby and test a small corner first to ensure it erases easily.
– Use one mirror for short-term, high-priority tasks and another for longer-term projects or content ideas to avoid clutter.
– Hang the mirrors where they’re easily visible from your main work area so updating them becomes a habit.
The satisfaction of crossing items off a list is universal, and using a dry erase marker on a mirror makes that satisfaction immediate. It’s a small change that can improve focus, reduce forgetfulness, and help bridge the gap between doing a project and documenting it. We’re glad to have this simple organizational trick back in our new space — it’s already helping us stay on top of both projects and posts.