Entryway Organizing Ideas

Too often, the entryway is where everyone in the family dumps their belongings when they come home. But you can make this space orderly and functional with our easy and stylish solutions.

Outfit your foyer closet with smart storage solutions so it's ready for every coat and accessory. To neatly store bags, mount hooks on the inside of the door. Then get double the amount of hanging space with a closet rod extender. Suspend longer coats on the upper level; use the bottom rod for shorter ones.

Stop grimy shoes in their tracks by setting a boot tray next to the front door. But go the extra mile for guests by offering everyone a pair of slippers. 

Don't let smaller items get lost in the shuffle. Organize your entryway closet by looping clear plastic bags around a hanger or two for easily lost items like gloves, hats, and scarves.

We coated three framed panels with write-on paint and leaned them on an entryway shelf, where they function as miniature chalkboards. To create a similar effect, measure and cut pieces of sanded plywood, and slip them into picture frames. Cover each panel, frame and all, with primer and chalkboard paint; our topcoat coordinates with the aqua-blue walls.

If your entryway has a windblown look -- kids' coats strewn on the floor, bags dropped willy-nilly -- mount a series of knobs at kid-friendly heights. These wooden hangers (actually, drawer knobs painted different colors) look modern and fresh, not childish, and their rounded edges make them safe for little noggins walking nearby.

If you want to brighten your entryway, create a “window” using basic bevel-edged mirrors. To start, prime and paint a floating shelf the same color as your walls to give it a seamless built-in effect; then install it three feet off the floor (standard height for a console). Add a grid of mirrors above, leaving about an inch around each to mimic windowpanes. For a flush, bracket-free look, attach the mirrors to the wall with construction adhesive made for mirrors.

The last time you had a locker, it may have held your algebra book and pictures of Shaun Cassidy ripped from Tiger Beat. These days, though, lockers can serve as catchalls at home for your kids’ mountains of stuff.

Make a boot tray by the door even better: Fill it with stones (found at garden centers). Ice and snow will melt and drain through the rocks to the bottom of the tray, so your boots won't stand in a puddle. Most of the moisture will evaporate, but you should clean out the tray regularly.

If sports equipment, bags, and shoes are constantly underfoot in your home, give everybody a separate space for such gear. Assign a sturdy metal storage bin to each member of the household; use magnets and a photo to mark who each one belongs to (don't forget the family dog). Slide the bins underneath a bench in the front hall, or line them up in a mudroom.

Recycling may save the planet, but it ruins the corner of your kitchen until collection day. An easy-to-make sorting station will help you get in order.

Transform an inexpensive flower bucket into a nice-looking umbrella stand by painting the bottom of the bucket with glossy oil-based enamel paint. In addition to providing color, the paint will help disguise any rust caused by dripping umbrellas. Mark the bottom third of a tall galvanized bucket (available at garden centers) with painters' tape; prime and paint this area and the bottom of the bucket. Let dry 24 hours before removing tape.

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.

Keeping clutter at bay starts the moment you walk through the door. A coordinated sorting station, with one color assigned to each family member, anchors household activities and the entryway's decor. Squares of Homasote fiberboard become vibrant pin boards when covered with linen fabric, which is secured with staples at the back. Personalized bins, made with linen-wrapped fiberboard that is slipped inside acrylic magazine files, help organize mail and paperwork.

Each family member gets a woven storage basket and a trio of Shaker-style pegs. Two sizes of wooden brackets support the long shelves. The top set, turned upside down, forms cubicles for the baskets; the larger bottom set frames four poplar boards fitted with the pegs.

Avoid mismatched gloves and misplaced scarves by keeping each family member's cold-weather gear in individual wire gym baskets.

Rather than clutter a single hook with several sets of keys, make a custom board that gives each set its own clearly labeled space. To make the board, have a piece of Homasote fiberboard cut to fit into a picture frame. Cover board with a piece of linen, and staple it at back. Tuck the board into the frame, then nail on labels and attach one screw hook for each set of keys.

With its air of propriety and sophistication, this elegant entryway dresses up the front hall. Cubbyholes and other catchalls keep belongings organized.

An accordion-style wine rack can double as a compact dryer for wet woolens.

Hang a sturdy, extra-large tote bag in a central location or by the back door and let it serve as a collection bin for clothes, housewares, toys, and other items that you decide to give away. When the bag is full, simply grab the handles and take the contents to a local charity.

The best place for messages is also ideal for keys. Attach a magnetic knife holder, available at kitchen-supply stores, along the bottom of an entryway bulletin board to keep important items -- keys, scissors, even an emergency flashlight -- within reach. Secure the magnetic strip with its accompanying hardware to the frame of the board.