A large part of decluttering, organizing and planning storage for the entryway is first knowing what to store in the entry. This is a space that wears many different hats, so let’s go though common entryway items and decide which make sense to have in this space, and which can be moved elsewhere.
Outerwear
Frequently used clothing items like everyday coats need to be closet at hand in the entryway, and less-used items like raincoats and boots make sense to store here as well.
- Coats
- Hats
- Gloves
- Scarves
Shoes and Boots
I store my everyday shoes and boots right by the door. You can read more about this in Where to Store Shoes.
- Everyday walking shoes
- Gym sneakers
- Rain boots
Bags
Specialty bags likes formal clutches and travel bags like suitcases may be stored elsewhere, but if you have the room, store the bags you use frequently—and by frequently I mean at least once a month—in the entryway.
- Handbags
- Gym bags
- Laptop bags
- School bags
Keys
Store your keys right by the door. This makes sense for two reasons
- You will get in the habit of putting them down immediately when you walk in, rather than going further into your home and forgetting where you put them.
- If you need to quickly run out to the car, garage, or corner store, they’re right there.
Gadgets
Although I admit to sleeping with my iPhone right next to me on my night table, it’s a better idea to leave your electronic gadgets in the entryway. Again, this way you know where they are, and you establish a habit of leaving them in one spot and you’re not tempted to play Words with Friends when you should be spending time with your family.
Rain Gear
You may not be using your rain gear that frequently, but it’s critical to have a spot for your umbrellas. I’m constantly surprised when I wake up to rain, even if I watched the weather forecast the night before. Have a designated spot for your rain gear so you’re not running around in a panic at 7:30 a.m. when you were supposed to leave the house at 7:15 a.m.
- Umbrellas
- Rain boots
- Rain coat
Mail
Unless you have a good setup for mail deeper into your home, it makes sense to have a spot to process your mail right in the entryway. This is important for two reasons:
- It cuts down on clutter -- unopened mail tends to pile up if it’s not dealt with quickly!
- It establishes a go-to spot for any paperwork that needs to be seen and acted on, like school papers, car registrations, etc.
Get in the bait of dealing with paperwork as soon as you walk in the door. All you need is an inbox. When you’re ready to open and sort your mail, carry the inbox to you’re mail center and sort, file and shred.
An “Outbox”
As I wrote in Help Me Organize My Time, I made a habit of putting everything I needed to bring to work with me the next day directly in front of my door so I would stop forgetting things. I was the Queen of leaving my apartment without important items like my cell phone, my gym bag and often my notebook. That worked and now I use a more refined process: I designated a space in my entryway—I call it my “launch pad”—where I place anything that I need to bring with me.
The entryway is also the “outway,” So it’s imperative you have an outbox or bin for a big reason:
- It gets you in the habit of putting things to you need outside of the house in one place—not random places like the kitchen or the coffee table.
I use a tray to organize my launch pad. You can follow suit, or use a console table, cubby, or even an over the door shoe rack in your hall closet if you’d like to keep you launch pad out of site.
Entryways 101
All about entryways, include storage, organization, tips and ideas to organize your entryways.
How to Store Everything
How to store everything in your home, office, and storage spaces.
