How to Organize Your Front Entry

The front entrance is the space that guests see first when they arrive—but it’s also the space where every family member throws their coat, shoes, hats, and anything else they are carrying when they walk into the house.Â
This is the space meant to keep dirt and mud from tracking further into the house and the space that is also meant to be welcoming to anyone coming in.  Here’s a few tips for achieving both order and comfort in your front entry.

Necessary Items Only

Take a look around your front entry and determine what needs to be there.  For example, try to remove seasonal wear with the change of each season.  Having only the necessary shoes and coats in the front entry will help reduce clutter.

Similarly, if you have more than one entrance, determine what needs to be at which door.  Do you usually go in and out through the garage?  Hang the key rack by that door and put a shoe holder there, keeping the front entrance less cluttered.

Shelves, Hooks, and Key Rings

A few hooks can make a big difference in any front entry.  Small hooks high on the wall can be used to hang keys (preventing that frenzied hunt for missing keys that ensues before you leave for the day).  Another hook rack could hold hats, purses, or backpacks, conveniently ready for whoever is dashing out the door.

Shelves also add a lot of space to a front entry, but consider what is going on the shelves.  Baskets or bins on the shelf can help organize hats and mitts, shoes, dog toys and leashes, etc.  Consider labeling a bin for each family member so that each person has a place to keep their stuff by the door.

Peg rails or hooks can come in plain or fancy variations.  The convenience of throwing your coat over a hook doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style in your front entrance.  Look for a hook rack or peg rail that suits your home.

Multi-Purpose Storage

If you have space by your door, benches with storage underneath or inside make a nice addition.  These can decorate a front entrance, provide a place to sit while putting on shoes, or offer a place to put down bags while taking off shoes and coats.  Some benches have shelves underneath for shoes or a short shoe rack could be placed underneath a simple bench.

No Closet?  No Problem

If you home doesn’t have a closet at the front entrance, there are a variety of other storage solutions that can help.  Jen’s front entry opened straight onto her living room, yet she found a shoe cabinet that helped keep that space organized.  You can also use coat trees or hat stands, add peg rails on the walls, place a wardrobe or armoire near the entrance for coats.

Front Entrances with Children

If you have children, encourage them from a young age to put their shoes and coats away.  Place hooks at your child’s level so that they can hang up their own coats or sweaters—and also get them down and put them on when you are ready to go.  If you don’t have many long coats in your closet, then the children’s coat rack could go directly underneath yours, allowing for more storage in the closet.

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