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As a professional home organizer, I usually start with the front of the house. With the often cluttered and disorganized entryway.
Without a proper organization framework, it’s simply too easy for this high-traffic area to devolve into chaos. If you don’t have a designated place for all the objects that enter and exit your home on a regular basis, you can end up with a jumbled pileup of hats, scarves, coats, umbrellas, bags, and documents by the door – who wants to deal with that? Or even look at it?
Here’s the good news: setting up an organized and functional entryway doesn’t take much effort and will make a major difference in your day, both in terms of how fast you can get everyone out of the door in the morning, and how you feel about coming home at night.
Simple Steps to An Organized Entryway
There are a few intentional clean-ups you should undertake before organizing your entry. Consider these first actions as laying the groundwork for the “don’t just drop that there” muscle memory we’re developing.
- Do the relocate shuffle
Taking a careful look at your entryway is the first step. Determine which items have lost their way and will need to go for a walk back to the place hey really belong. Gather the items that need to be relocated (toys, coffee cups, credit cards) in a bucket or basket, and spend a few minutes putting them back where they are supposed to be.
- Clarify your organized entryway goals
As a part of your entryway organization project, you’ll need to make sure you have clear and specific goals:
- If you want to create a better first impression of your home, your entryway should be free of junk and clutter. This will not only help you feel better about your home when guests arrive, but will also help you feel better about entering your home yourself. Clutter breeds stress, and if you are stressed as soon as you get home, things will only go downhill from there.
- If there’s a lot of housemates or family members making use of the entryway, you want to make sure there are clearly designated places for people to store their stuff.
- Maybe you just want to find your keys…
Whatever your entryway organization goals are, keeping them in mind – preferably written down where you can see them as you work, will help keep you on task during the hands-on work ahead.
- Cut the clutter
Now that you’ve defined your goals for the space, it’s time to cut down the clutter. Editing the volume of stuff that you own and store in your entryway will make it easier to maintain it. So, gather up the goods, and make sure to keep a donation bag close at hand. Sort into “keep” “toss” and “donate” piles, keeping only the items you use, love, and wear. Be realistic here. Don’t hang onto things you haven’t used in months ‘just in case’. That’s how clutter starts in the first place!
- Organize by category
Being able to see exactly what you own and want to store in your entryway will help clarify what systems you need to set up later. (Again, consider the items you’re commonly picking up or dropping off as you come and go. Is it convenient to store your dog leash and jacket by the front door?) If you’re staring at anything you don’t want to keep at your entryway, now’s the time to find another home for it.
Next, sort the items that made it into categories. The most common items are coats, bags, hats, scarfs, umbrellas, dog leashes, kid or baby gear, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, mail and bills, etc.
Knowing what you own and want to store in your entryway will help you figure out what systems you’ll need later. Again, think about the objects you frequently pick up or drop off when you come and go. Is it practical to keep your dog leash and coat near the front door? If you have anything in your foyer that you don’t want to keep, now is the time to find a new home for it.
Sort the items that made it into categories after that. Coats, backpacks, hats, scarves, umbrellas, dog leashes, kid or infant gear, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, mail and invoices are among the most common items that should actually be in an organized entryway and that you will be creating better storage for soon.
- Make a list, check it twice
Now that you’ve selected your categories, make a list of all the items that need to be stored right now. You can identify anything that needs a “home” by conducting an inventory of exactly what you need to store.
So, perhaps you’ll need a shoe shelf, jacket hooks, and multiple baskets for organizing stuff like keys, sunscreen, and mail. The extent of your sorting will likely be determined by the number of individuals in your household. In any case, each item you wish to maintain in the entry should have its own allocated landing area.
If you want your entryway to be as simple as possible or if you only have a small amount of room, rank the categories. Start by crossing the lowest priority items to keep at the entry if you want to pare down even more. Remember to think about how you can make your routine easier as you come and go.
- Set up shop
Next it’s time to create an assigned place near the front door for each item on your list. If you don’t have a mudroom or generous sized entry closet, you can still create a functional entry station.
- Hooks that are strong. Coats, dog leashes, and bags all benefit from these. Make sure the hooks for kid backpacks and jackets are within easy reach, so they can be responsible for their own belongings.
- Storage for shoes. Shoes can be stored in a storage credenza, free-standing shelves, cubbies, or labeled boxes or baskets. I advise my clients to keep the majority of their shoes in their closets in their bedrooms as far as possible though.
- Bowl / basket for “little stuff.” Toss keys, cell phones, and loose coins into a nice porcelain dish or little basket.
- Storage of paper. For storing mail and magazines, installing wall pockets or simply placing a huge, lovely basket on your front table are two of my favorite things to do.
- For kids and pets. To keep things tidy, utilize open containers or storage baskets if you have kid or pet gear or seasonal stuff. Setting up a labeled bucket or wall pocket for each child’s homework and school forms is also really beneficial.
Use what you have, and fill in any gaps by ordering what you need.
- The finishing touches
Your entryway is the first thing you see when you walk in the door after a busy day. It really pays off to create a pretty and functional space. Once you’ve organized and set up some simple systems, you can elevate your space with some easy decor details. Get creative and shop your own home: Hang a mirror or a favorite photo or piece of art. Add a potted plant or fresh flowers. A small rug or runner will create texture and warmth.
Ready to get organized in 2022? Let us help. Book an appointment with Just Organized by Taya here.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
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