How to organise an entryway

Think about the most used part of your house – is it the kitchen? The living room? The deck? You probably didn’t even consider the entryway, but it can be one of the busiest and most overlooked spaces in a home.

Entryways can become the dumping ground for shoes, bags, keys, coats... and whatever else your family drops on the way through. With a little TLC and planning though, you can turn your front door area into a zone that’s functional and welcoming. 

Create space for bags and coats

The first thing you need to do when redesigning your entryway, is consider the available space. You may have the room for a hallstand that has hooks for your hats and coats, shelves for your bags and space for your shoes. A stand like this is an easy one-product-fits all solution to the clutter. 

If space is at a premium, you might only have space for hooks on the wall. A great idea here is to use decals to number each hook – it looks great and everyone knows where to hang their things. If room allows, put a bench under the hooks – under the bench tuck storage baskets for each member of your family. Select storage containers in keeping with your hallway in colour and style.

Organise the shoes

Nothing looks messier than a front door crowded with shoes. Come up with a shoe solution to keep the area neat and tidy. If there are just a couple of you, a storage bench that holds the shoes inside and doubles as a seat for putting them on is a great idea. To style the space when friends come over, add a couple of pillows to the benchtop.

For a bigger family, you might want to consider cube storage. Some models still have a seat on top but the open cubes make access easier for the kids.

Install shelves to clean up the clutter

Here’s how to not lose your keys: leave them in the same spot every time you walk in the door. Creating a zone for your keys – and other small items like wallets and sunglasses – will keep the area clutter free, too. A nice bowl on top of a hallway table might be enough for your family, but to get even more organised, think about a floating shelf with hooks underneath. The keys go on the hooks and the sunglasses go on top. Style the shelf with welcoming elements such as fresh flowers or a reed diffuser – citrus scents, like lemon, lime or grapefruit, make the house smell clean and inviting.

Check out ‘How to install floating shelves’ to find a style of shelf you like. For a more simplified approach, look at ‘How to create a wall key holder’. This is a better option for renters because it can hang on existing or temporary wall hooks.

Give kids their own cubby holes

They might be little but kids have a lot of stuff, which is why giving them each a hallway cubby hole is a great idea. Having doors on the cube storage is even better as the mess will stay hidden away. You can buy Clever Cubes that fit into any Clever Cube unit, which means you can tailor the solution to your space.

To create a more bespoke solution, make your own hallway storage cabinet and paint it whatever colour scheme works in your space.

Add mirrors to your hallway

Hallways can be tight spaces. A mirror will do double duty here: it will make the area feel bigger and you can check how you look as you walk out the door, too. The tip for incorporating a mirror into your entryway is to start redesigning the space with the mirror first. That way you’ll know if your storage solutions need to sit below the mirror or can take up one whole wall. 

Don’t forget the dog

Paw parents will get this – dogs sometimes have as much kit as your kids. Make a dedicated dog station at your door. Use the same keyholder design mentioned above and make a second hanging station for your pet. Paint it in chalkboard paint and write on your dog’s name. The hooks can be used for leads, collars, and even poo bags that come in those clip-on dispensers. If you’ve got the shelf space, decant your pooch’s favourite treat into a mason jar so it’s always handy for post-walk rewards.