Around the House: The Entryway

A homes entry is where quest arrive. It can be a place that becomes a drop all catch all place for family member items when they arrive home, and a place to store the items you grab daily on your way out the door. Whether the space is large or small it can be made more inviting for guest, be a more useful space for a family, and have a less messy look.

It can be something as simple as hooks, a shelf with hooks, a bench, or built in furniture. It wastes a lot of time in the morning walking around a home collecting things; shoes, backpacks, coats, lunches, phone, purse, hopefully not keys, and a lot of other things to gather up and find before you go out the door. Having most of the things you take with you every day near the door saves a lot of time.

Things to consider when redoing your entryway even a small space can hold a lot of organization storage. Think about what your family needs. Small children and pets in the home, then open storage may not work in your home. Children seem to have difficulty picking up shoes and putting them on a shelf. It is easier for children to take their shoes off and just slide them under a bench or shelf. If you use shelves and/or hooks in your entryway or closet keep the shelves and hooks at a height appreciate to all ages. Want to hide the clutter use doors or a space that is not visible from the entry door; although children do not remember often to close doors. Consider what works for your home and family.

A bench at the entrance to your home is a stylish touch with a minimal of visible clutter. It can be a bench to sit on to remove shoes and sit down items as you inter your home. A catch all indoor/outdoor bench set against a wall by the door for a spot to set down items you carry into your home and to act as a place to lay outdoor wear to contain the mess in one place. A floating bench with an added shoe rack underneath to make the entry tidy. A bench with baskets placed underneath to hold items such as hat and mittens or something as simple as a laundry basket placed under a bench to hold shoes and boots.

With entryway benches there are a lot of options to choose from. Benches can be found in many sizes and styles; long or short with a back or not. Wood and/or wrought iron, different finishes, different materials, drawers, wicker baskets, wire baskets, or laundry baskets underneath the bench. You can easily find a bench to fit your space and style.

Someone handy with tools can create a unique bench for their homes entryway. A bench for an entryway can be made, if you are a crafty person, with a trip to the hardware store to purchase plywood, 15″ legs (not 21" it's a bench not a table), fabric, batting, foam, staple gun, and stain can be a nice weekend project.

Label baskets to help remind family members where items go.

In a small space a lot of items can be kept in a home entryway and still
look neat and tidy. A place to put items you grab when going out the door in the morning and a place to put items when you return home.

Keeping items you take daily with you in one spot makes it less hectic when leaving your home. A solution with rods with coat hooks for coats and backpacks, cubbies, mini bins, and even a hook for keys can be a solution for a small space.

A table in an entryway can hold a lot of items. A place for mail, paper, purses, a small vacuum to clean up dirt that is tracked in. Create a smart drawer by mounting a power strip at the back of the drawer and drilling a hole in the back of the drawer for the cord.

Place a chair beside the table for a sitting area when entering your home. A vase of flowers on the table brightens up the area. A mirror hung above the table is helpful for a quick glance into before leaving your home.

Think outside the box when looking for furniture or built-ins for your entryway. There are a lot of 'space saving' size furniture made today and also look at furniture that is designed for a different room that may fit into an entryway. In the picture at the right, the cabinets below the mirror are "over-the-toilet" cabinets that are placed on the wall "upside-down" and work perfectly in that space.

Consider the size of the space, your budget, and other obstacles (plugs, light switches) and with a little creativity an entryway can be made into a space that is very warm and welcoming to family and guest.

Make your coat closet easier to use. Everything gets shoved into them and it is difficult to find anything. Install hooks on the inside of the closet door to hang items on; purses, backpacks, scarves. Place baskets on the shelf for each member of the family to store frequently used items; gloves, mittens, scarves. If the closet shelf is to high up for some household members to reach place a shelf at the bottom of the closet with baskets on it. A board with small boards for legs would work as a low shelf with baskets set on top and shoes can be slide under it.

If you have a small nook area near the entryway change it into a storage/catch all area. If you have a small closet or cupboard near the entryway that is under used remove the door and use it as a handy place for coats and odds and ends. Add a bench, hooks, and a basket. Hopefully the sign on the laundry basket will remind family members where the shoes go.

There are many ways to include built in storage near an entryway. A bench incorporated into stairs with storage for that days worn shoes. When heading upstairs to bed carry your shoes up with you. Hang a mirror horizontally and add hooks.

If you add a mirror with hooks, a board with hooks, shelf with hooks, or shelves with hooks in your foyer don't scrimp on hooks. When adding hooks think of all the things you could potentially hang on the hooks; winter gear, hats, keys, dog leaches, backpacks.

If you have space under a stairway consider using it for a bench and cubbies. Under a stairway is a great place for a bench with cubbies around the corner. The bench under the stairs would also make a great reading nook for a child.

Your homes entryway is the first impression made on your guest. It should be warm and welcoming. Many people neglect this area. It can be an empty space or a space of clutter. Take some time and take a good look at your entryway. Does it need something? Does it need less clutter and more order? Could you add some items to the space to make your morning easier in finding the things you grab when you leave your home. Transform a under decorated space into a great space.