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In-and-Out Organizing
Keys and letters and loose change, oh my! The little odds and ends you unload as you enter the house can add up to a big mess. Conquer the clutter with these streamlined systems designed by senior home editor Rebecca Robertson.
Solution No. 1: Modern Marvel
Vitra's iconic plastic organizer is the ultimate catchall. It's been tidying offices for decades but is tailor-made for foyers, too: The nooks and crannies will hold everything from gym locks to digicams. Uten.Silo, $360, vitra.com. Ikea PS cabinet, $100, ikea.com for stores. Letter holder by Blu Dot, $15, officepdx.com
Solution No. 2: Square It All Away
Which loose bits drive you to your wit's end? It varies by person, so Rebecca devised a customizable setup that works for someone with four sets of keys, five favorite gadgets, six magazine subscriptions -- or all three at once. A simple wire-screen panel holds smaller items, while a basket becomes your home's in/out box. The cubbyhole console keeps the larger stuff stowed -- at last, a proper place to stash your handbag!
Tools and Materials
Heavy-duty canvas stretcher bars, $5 each for 24-inch and $6 each for 32-inch, both utrechtart.com Handy Roll hardware cloth (wire screen), $9 per roll, hardwarestore.com
Cubbie console table, $1,590, mainecottage.com
Wire basket, $39, Moon River Chattel, 718-388-1121
Screen Organizer How-To
1. Buy four heavy-duty canvas stretchers at an art-supply store and a roll of wire screen. Assemble stretchers to form a frame. Staple screen along top face of frame. Repeat on bottom, pulling screen tight. Do the same with sides. Trim excess, overhanging screen to make even with frame edges. Spray paint or brush on semigloss latex. Cover small cans (mini paint tins work well) with contact paper and use an awl to punch holes near their rims. Hang with S-hooks. For keys, we painted the hooks and paired each with a medallion tied to the screen. Magnets keep notes and lists handy.
Solution No. 3: Kitchen Caboodle
Don't be afraid to steal ideas from other rooms -- a sleek stainless pot rack (above) relocated to the foyer proves adept at corralling clutter. The matching magnetic strip holds receipts and pretty postcards. Stacking bins can be labeled by family member or category (e.g., bills, catalogs).
Magnetic strip bulletin board and magnets by Three by Three Seattle, $20, plasticashop.com.
Utility shelf, $79, potterybarn.com
Aberdeen desk, $595, Wonk, 718-596-8026
Letter-tray baskets, $5 each, and basket spacers, $3 each, both containerstore.com for stores.
Patent bag by Maxx New York, $178, maxxnewyork.com
Another idea: Ceramic tagines (below) are great for couscous, but they're also an artful way to keep sundries contained and out of sight. "This area is the first thing you see when you walk in the door," Rebecca says, "so make it beautiful."
Moroccan tagines, $70 and $140, Global Table, 212-431-5839
Chunky console table, $299, westelm.com.
"Cherries on Pink" and "Bruised Peach" artwork by Raina Bajpai, $200 each, etsy.com
Try This
More tips and tricks for outsmarting your stuff:
1. Place a pretty trash can near the door so you can toss junk mail as soon as you enter. (We like trash cans by Magis, $42, hivemodern.com.)
2. If space permits, use a desk in lieu of a console. The added surface area will come in handy for paying bills, and drawers can hide pens, maps, etc.
3. Convert shoe cubbies into mail cubbies like those found in old hotels. (Try the six-cube modular storage system, $30, bedbathandbeyond.com.)
First Published: July/August 2007