It’s Day 28 of The 30 Day Home Refresh. Today’s focus is on creating a drop zone in your entryway. How do you and your family enter your house? Is it through the front door? Side door? Garage? Wherever you enter your home, that’s the area we are focusing on today. Often times, the area that we use to come in and out of our home might not be all that spacious, so we’re going to look at ways to maximize what little space you might have. Think about what your family needs as they’re running out the door or what they need to put down as soon as they come in the house – jackets, phones, purses, backpacks, shoes, the mail, etc.
The floor is a great place to add extra storage and function to your entryway. If space allows, a small bench is a perfect addition to an entryway. It gives a place to sit and get shoes on or it could be a drop zone for bulky backpacks. Be sure to get a bench that gives you storage below – either bins or drawers for hats and gloves, or open shelving for shoes.
Bench + Shelf from West Elm
If you have an overflow of shoes by the door, add a shoe rack to keep them organized. In a rainy or snowy area, add an absorbent mat below the shoes and jackets for drip drying.
Shoe rack from Urban Outfitters
A coat rack is a great solution if you don’t have a lot of wall space to back a bench up to the hooks above. Look for a coat rack with a wide, stable base so it doesn’t tip over.
In a home without a large footprint in the entryway, consider maximizing the vertical space in the room. Wall-mounted hooks are perfect for housing jackets, backpacks and purses.
Hooks from Pottery Barn
Narrow shelves are great for cellphone charging stations and keys. If you need a mail inbox/outbox, look for an organizer that combines hooks, shelves, and mail storage.
Organizer from Wayfair
The entryway is a space that needs to be ultra-functional, a mirror is helpful to have in this area but a mirror with hooks is even better. Don’t waste this precious wall space on decorative items, find functional items that also look nice.
Mirror, bench, coat rack from West Elm
If you are short on wall space, install hooks or pegs on the back of your door to hang smaller items such as jackets and purses.
Door hooks from Burke Decor