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It’s astonishing how quickly your entryway can go from clean to chaos — and that chaos can make trying to get out the door an ordeal. Think of all that time wasted hunting for your keys or digging through a pile of coats in a desperate bid to find your buried purse. Five minutes spent rifling through your endless piles of stuff each morning becomes 35 minutes a week, or more than 30 hours a year!
Reclaim that crucial morning time but with the right mindset and a few clever tricks, your entryway can actually help you get out of the house on time. Here, we’ve rounded up six entryway storage solutions.
How do those hats and gloves end up all over the entryway? Half the time, it happens when someone tosses them aside while searching for their own stuff. That’s why separating each person’s storage space is so ingenious.
Assigning space and responsibility to each individual family member saves you time digging through other people’s belongings.
You don’t need a huge closet to do this — even little baskets in an inexpensive Ikea shelving unit can do the trick.
PERSONALIZE BUCKETS
tip 1
RECLAIM YOUR ENTRYWAY
WITH FLAIR
Digging through a forest of coats to find the right purse for your outfit is a hassle. It’s also not great to shove your bags onto a cluttered closet shelf or pile them on the floor. So hang your bags from the closet rod using S-hooks instead. Lacking a closet? If your walls are less than five feet apart, you can install a tension rod between them. Or, choose a decorative wall shelf with hooks.
No matter how you hang them, do a purse purge first to avoid creating a handbag jungle. Keep those bags you only pull out for special occasions tucked out of the way.
GET YOUR BAGS IN ORDER
tip 2
Papers can be pernicious devils, accumulating in ugly piles, blocking surfaces, and creating stress. Head the problem off at the pass with an information station, starting with a customized paper organizer on the wall, as shown above. The process is simple enough for even the newest DIYer. You can create a simple organizer by combining painted wood, fabric, a few small hooks, and a $15 wall magazine rack from Ikea.
However, not all paper needs to be saved, and mail-sorting procrastination is the stuff cluttered entryways are made of. Setting up your recycling center near your entryway — in the closet or a free corner — can turn paper sorting into a quick, easy to-do task every time you walk in the door. If you have the space, add a shredder into the mix or add a whiteboard for reminders.
CREATE AN INFORMATION STATION
tip 3
Step into any big box home store, and you’ll find dozens of shoe storage options — from stackable organizers to hanging canvas cubbies. The perfect option for you is a matter of taste and space, but let’s be serious: However many shoe cubbies you think your family should need, the truth is probably three times that amount.
You can create your own spacious shoe paradise by converting a bookshelf or cabinet, bundling cut PVC piping into handmade cubbies, or buying a large shoe cubby. The bright side: a larger unit will be harder to miss, making it a great reminder to remove your shoes.
PROVIDE AMPLE SHOE STORAGE
tip 4
Industrial-style decor is in — take advantage of the trend in your entryway by installing lockers.
While not ideal for a super-small entryway, lockers can instantly triple your storage space if you have the room, as each one has hooks on three surfaces, as well as shelving. Even better, install short tension rods and use S-hooks for even more hanging storage.
And they provide plenty of room for creative decoration. You can paint them to match a variety of decor styles.
ASSIGN LOCKERS
tip 5
Your entryway is always one of the first victims of nasty weather. Is it a rainy autumn? Say hello to a puddle of dirty leaves. Winter? Snow boots can leave the entire room soaking and soiled.
Weather-safe storage solutions can be the key difference between an unorganized mess and a pristine entryway. While a mat can go a long way toward preserving the cleanliness of your entrance, you’ll need to develop a plan for storing boots without them dripping everywhere.
Try this DIY solution: Line the bottom of a chest with a mud tray, and then fill the tray with a layer of river rocks. The rocks allow the water to drain away from the soggy boots so they’ll be ready to use the next morning — and the whole process is hidden away inside the chest.
ESTABLISH WEATHER-SAFE STORAGE
tip 6