Do you have an entryway that is as organized as you want it to be? Whether you enter your home from the front or the back, the space where you enter can be important to your state of mind when you are coming and going. Here’s how to organize an entryway you’ll love coming home to.
How to Organize an Entryway
Dual Use
The key to entryway organization is honoring both the high-use items in each season and the need for storage. Pair hooks and open shelves with a closet or armoire to keep things easy-to-reach and yet hidden for neatness. The clever shoe stackers (affiliate link) shown in the photo above are life-savers if you have limited space. But don’t expect kids to use them, because they are a little fussy and geared more towards neat adults. Shoe cubbies like the ones below are more kid-friendly.
Relentless Editing
The key to keeping a picture-perfect entryway is keeping selections lean. Regularly remove and donate outerwear and items that your family no longer needs, like too-small coats, shoes, extra tote bags, and those pesky single gloves. If your entryway is just part of the living room, keeping selections slim is even more important than when you have a mudroom.
Puddle Proof
Boot trays are great to contain dirt and water, but there’s never enough room for the entire family of shoes. If you have enough room, place a boot tray (affiliate link) for today’s shoes, and install enough cubbies in the same area for each family member’s shoes. I prefer metal boot trays, which last longer than plastic, and they can be pretty, too.
Small Closet Storage
Make sure you can see into all the vertical storage. Use metal wire bins for upper shelves that let you peek at the contents from below. Add multiple hooks so you can see each item. Use hanging compartment bags (aka sweater shelves or their smaller cousins) to fold and store bulky scarves, hats and mittens. Keep the floor clear, which makes your closet feel bigger. Don’t want to see the mess? Use gift bags to stow out of season gear.
Before:
After:
Light it Up
It’s hard to organize what you can’t see. Add lamps to your entryway, and light fixtures to closet interiors. It’s amazing how this step alone leads to less rummaging and more putting away properly.
Manage the Small Stuff
Hangers are for more than just coats! If you are blessed with more rod space than you need, use sturdy wooden hangers (they are the best for heavier loads) to hang scarves, tote bags, and even tall boots (nicer hangers often have clips on the bottom).
Stylish Lockers
The grown up (and much quieter) version of lockers are built-in locker stations for each member of the family. Convert a wall inside your garage or just inside the house into open lockers. Each person gets a partition section with shelf or drawer at the bottom for shoes, a seat big enough for a backpack, at least three hooks (one on each side of the locker) and an upper section with a door for out-of-season gear or baskets.
Umbrella Stand
This essential gear seems like a vintage item, but a pretty umbrella stand like this (affiliate link) can help you stay organized. A bucket will do, but a properly-weighted umbrella stand, heavier on the bottom to prevent tipping over, can hold two umbrellas per household member. Having their favorite umbrella plus a spare anticipates inevitable loss.
Papers and Small Things
Doesn’t your entryway work hard enough without dealing with paper clutter, keys, and other small things? Immediately move incoming mail to your home office to keep things neat and organized. Add drawer dividers to nearby cabinets to keep cords and grab-and-go items organized.
An entryway is usually a small space, but you can see there are several important components to getting it and keeping it organized.
