HG Openhouse Blog

Backpacks, lunch boxes, purses, briefcases, dog leash, umbrellas, sports equipment, dance bag, mail, papers, etc. is enough.  But adding coats, gloves, hats, scarves, boots, OH MY!  You get the picture.  It can put you over the edge!   

Where do you keep it all?  Check out this Pottery Barn entryway arrangement.  I love it!  But let’s face it…its not as easy as they make it look!  Especially if you live with other people!  But the concept is right on…you just need to be realistic.

So before your entryway gets away from you, come up with a plan.  If you have an entryway or mud room, great!  If not, is there an under-utilized room in your home that could be transformed into an entryway?  It could be a living room, dining room, home office, section of a hallway, foyer, laundry room, etc.  You can even split it up into two areas: one downstairs for stuff that may be wet or dirty, and one upstairs for backpacks, papers, etc.  Do what works best for you! 

Now, here are some tips to help you manage all this stuff: 

• Assign a “locker” to each family member (don’t forget the family pet).  The important thing is to assign each family member a place for their very own stuff!  No room for lockers?  Use wall hooks with names assigned to each.
• If you have kids, move the backpacks to their respective rooms for the winter season to make room for coats, etc.
• Add wall hooks for guest coats, umbrellas, etc.  
• Add a shoe rack for wet or dirty shoes. Place vinyl placemats underneath to protect your floor.  In the fall and winter, I add a large basket at the bottom of the stairs for wayward shoes (that aren’t wet).  Then I just bring the basket upstairs once per week and everyone claims their shoes.
• Create a mail box for each member of the family to control mail flow.  Great for school papers, reminders, or even little love notes!   Clean them out weekly.
• Add a credenza or file cabinet to file all that mysterious paperwork that wanders into the house.  At minimum, have a prominent “to file” pile, and then actually file weekly.  The fewer times you touch something, the easier it is to manage.
• Create a family message center by painting a wall (or part of a wall) with magnetic and/or chalkboard paint. Make it “pop” by framing it with a large empty gold leaf frame!  Post the family calendar where everyone will see it.  I added a magnetic strip by the back door, and regularly post the family calendar (printed out from Google on a weekly basis).
• Add a colorful rug. Rather than get one large rug, opt for a couple smaller rugs that are machine washable (for obvious reasons!)
• If you have the room, how about a small drop-leaf table and a couple chairs for small projects, or for putting boots on?

Now that you have a plan, it’s time for a reality check to put it in perspective.  The people you live with will have great intentions, but will not necessarily keep everything organized on their own.  Therefore, come up with a FEW simple rules to follow, and keep your expectations realistic.  A planned weekly purging will probably motivate the troops.

Need more ideas?  Check out these other Pottery Barn entryway arrangements below.  You’ll notice that they don’t take up a lot of room in a hall or entry way, and there are lots of decorative goodies throughout.  So get inspired, then get organized!