Setting up a bin in the entryway for each member of the household is a good way to keep this busy space tidy. And with umbrellas, hats, and sunglasses near the door, leaving the house will no longer require last-minute searches. Use an existing wall-mounted coatrack to make this custom organizer. To start, drill a hole in the end of each of two 1-by-4-inch wooden rails to fit the coatrack pegs. Paint rails to match rack; let dry. Hang rails from pegs. Attach evenly spaced wire baskets using screw hooks.

Metal mailboxes offer a stylish way to organize a front hall or a mudroom. The magazine hooks provide a perfect perch for raincoats, scarves, and umbrellas; hats, gloves, and mittens fit nicely inside the box. Available inexpensively through online auction sites, these boxes get a crisp look when spray-painted white. A bonus: They're magnetic, so you can easily adhere favorite images and notes to them.

Short shower curtains look tidy and tailored, and they don't trap dust and moisture. To create the look in your bathroom, cut a fabric curtain 2 inches longer than the desired length, then fold and sew a 2-inch hem. Leave the plastic liner hanging full-length in the tub to contain water from the shower.

Storing baking sheets, cutting boards, and sturdy platters upright on kitchen shelves frees space and keeps you from having to lift a heavy stack when you need only one item. Create dividers for them using tension curtain rods. Buy rods to fit the space, and position pairs of them at intervals. Twist to tighten.

Keep laundry supplies tidy and out of sight with built-in shelves and a curtain that can be pulled across them when the laundry is done. Mothballs and cedar chips are stored in canning jars, and little bars of soap are kept in airtight containers. Towels for drying hand-washables are stacked on one shelf. Special stain remedies are kept together in a galvanized metal box; detergent is in a large plastic container with a scoop for easy measuring.