How to Organize Your Entryway

By Barb Eimer

Idea 2: Organize Your Entryway

For most people, the entrance is the mudroom or the front hallway.  There is something about first impressions and if yours is “Oh crap, my house is a disaster” then that feeling is hard to shake, even if other rooms are relatively clutter-free.

We have a miniscule entrance and I still have a cute metal envelope-style mailbox hanging on the wall for sunglasses, gloves, outgoing mail, etc. We also hang our keys on Command hooks, so they are immediately accessible.  Behind the door is a cute and functional wall mounted coat rack that serves as our coat closet.

Remember that the only hard and fast rule in organizing is that everything must have a home. That’s how The Container Store stays in business!  Everyone knows that things look better when gathered in a basket or a bin.  If you have a coat closet, use the shelf above the hanging rod for several stacks of bins.  Don’t put your kids’ things here because they won’t be able to reach them.  But they are great for your winter gear or extra purses or (if you don’t have a garage) sports equipment. 

Now, I will admit that you can still have chaos nestled in a pretty bin, so it isn’t the end-all, but I have been known to use the bin solution when I have stuff scattered all over and company is coming.  Just sayin’! 

If you have kids, your organizational system must work for them. If the hook for their backpack is too high, they won’t use it. If they need a stool to get to their cubby, it’s useless. Make it easy for your kids to participate even if the storage solutions you come up with aren’t magazine worthy. (True confessions: We had a giant laundry basket in our front hall closet when my kids were little.  It wasn’t beautiful, but everyone knew that’s where shoes belonged.  And it worked!)

Check back on the blog on June 23 for another simple idea for finding calm in the chaos…