GET THE ENTRYWAY UNDER CONTROL
The foyer in your home will be the first impression of your home. This entry area of most homes is often neglected and can become a problem area. There are some daily items that need to be kept near the front door. It can be difficult to keep this heavily traffic area clear and neat.
Take a look at your entrance and figure out what your biggest problems are. It may be coats, umbrellas, backpacks, papers, pocket contents, and more. Coats are often a problem because you want to drop them as soon as you come in the house. If you don't have a closet nearby, then the problem can get worse very quickly.
To solve the problem with coats, you can install a hanging bar from the wall. You can create an attractive hanging area out of a dowel rod and two brackets or purchase a prefabricated hanging rod. You can finish and decorate this bar however you would like. Use decorative clothing hangers to keep the area from looking nice. Another option would be to use hooks. Make sure that you buy hooks large enough to hold your biggest coats. If you have tailored coats, they should be hung on wood hangers or coat hangers shaped to fit their design, or you may risk damage to the garment.
Another common problem in the entry area is mail and other papers. You probably enter the house with mail, paperwork or school work fairly often. A lot of these paper products can be put into the trash. Too often we simply lay the stack down to free up our hands for taking off coats, putting food away, or taking care of what is most important. You can take care of this clutter problem by using organizers designed for sorting, putting a trash receptacle near the door or even keeping a shredder nearby. Hide it in a cabinet so that it is not an added source of clutter for your foyer. When you enter the house, throw the most important items into one bin, things that you won't need until later in another, shred personal mail, and throw away what you can, all within a few seconds of opening the door.
Most of us empty our pockets when we come into the door. It is helpful to keep cell phones, wallets, keys, change, and purses near the entryway so that we can easily find them the next time we leave the house. Make sure that you have specific places for everything. Hooks for bags, a charging area for cell phones, and a container for change. When you're ready to leave the house, everything you need will be neatly contained instead of being lost in all of the clutter.
You can use hooks, a cabinet or desk, or whatever you need to help keep your foyer organized. When everything has a place to go, your entry area will run more smoothly and your home will become less cluttered.
About the Author: Jo Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for quality clothing hangers.