Finding an organizational strategy for your entryway closet can be tricky. After all, there is a lot of demand placed on such a closet. Whether you're just getting settled in or deep cleaning and rethinking old organizational strategies, we've got the method for you. Just follow this easy how-to guide for help navigating your way to entry organization.
Personalizing your entryway to your family doesn't have to be a difficult task. Here are a few easy steps to get you on your way:
- Start by defining the space
- De-clutter, donate, and dispose
- Assess the space and decide what you need the easiest access to
- Add storage solutions
- Organize! Place the finishing touches to ensure that your hard work is maintained
If you want to know more about how to accomplish these steps, you're in the right place. We'll walk you through each step and provide you with some helpful products to accomplish the organization. Just keep reading!
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Organizing Your Entryway Closet
Follow along with these simple steps to transform your entryway closet in a breeze:
Define The Space
Decide what you want this space to do for you. Some families prefer to keep all the items that they need as they come and go in this closet while other families may reserve this closet solely for the purpose of storing the company's coats, shoes, and other accessories that are commonly set aside when being welcomed inside. Defining the space will help you to know where to start.
De-clutter, Donate, And Dispose
Remove the items from the closet as it is now. Go through each item and dispose of any items that are torn or damaged. Donate any items that you haven't used or haven't missed in the last 6 to 12 months. De-clutter all of the items that don't belong with your new space definition. For example, if you have a collection of cords tucked inside the closet, but you're not planning to store cords in this closet, then find a new home for them.
Add Storage Solutions
Take advantage of this time of the closet being empty to add some additional storage options into the closet if needed. Before you purchase any items, you'll want to make sure you take the time to prioritize the things going in the closet. This will ensure that items you need to reach frequently (like your purse, keys, or everyday jacket) are at an easy to reach location.
Making sure all of these everyday use things are easy to grab will help ensure that the space remains organized once you've completed the job. Consider the following storage solutions to keep your closet looking tidy:
Bins
Bins are a great storage solution to add here. They can store items such as hats, gloves, scarves, extra tote bags, or even slippers. Bins come in plenty of sizes, shapes, and styles, so you're guaranteed to find one that matches your aesthetic.
Click here to see more on Amazon.
Over The Door Storage
Over the door storage racks are another really awesome option. Adding this type of storage will allow you to take full advantage of all the unused space. There are many designs for over the door storage, so you can find the right storage solution for your needs.
Click here to see this shoe rack on Amazon.
Wall Hooks
Wall hooks can be a great tool to utilize more space at the same time as keeping it organized and easy to grab. Not to mention there are super chic options on the market.
Click here to see more on Amazon.
Umbrella Storage
Get an umbrella bucket (or a sports bucket). This is a fashionable way to use some precious floor space in a creative way. If you're not one to use umbrellas, maybe add a sports stick bucket instead, making it a great place to store hockey sticks or baseball bats!
Click here to see more on Amazon.
Organize!
Now that you've got the storage solutions installed into your closet space, it is time to start putting it back together.
Add Name Labels
Add name labels to coat hooks so there is always a place for everyone's coat, backpack, purse, or bag. This will ensure that everyone has a specific place to put their items as they walk in the door, making it easier to maintain this newly organized space.
Have A Space For Winter Gear
Have a space for winter gear and label it. Space like this could be a plastic bin that you've placed in the closet for storage of all winter gear, or it could be a designated hook for winter items.
Winter clothing can be cumbersome and take up a lot of space, so having a place for it will help keep it organized. It will also help you streamline the cleaning process as you're going around and picking up things that will inevitably be left around the house.
Organize Coats
Some prefer to organize by the season and others prefer to organize by the person. Make sure to leave a few extra hangers in the closet for guests' coats.
Organize Shoes
Use the over the door shoe rack, or if you prefer a standard shoe rack and you have the space, use that. Organized shoes look much better than a mess of shoes on the floor, and it's much more efficient when considering the ease of grabbing them for use.
You could also use a set of plastic drawers to organize the shoes into categories of their owners. This could be a helpful solution if you have children in the house and need to keep them separated.
Check out our article about how to organize shoes in your entryway!
What If You Don't Have Enough Space?
Having enough space is in the eye of the beholder. Try to get a little creative and rethink the traditional way to store things. For homes or apartments that are lacking in square footage for the entryway closet, extend your "entryway closet" out by adding a bench just outside with some drawers underneath.
You could choose to store hats, gloves, scarves, and ear muffs in these drawers to have an easy to access space just outside of your entryway closet, freeing up space in the closet itself, but still being close enough that it still feels like the storage space of your entryway.
Click here to see this Ashley Furniture bench on Amazon.
What If You Have Too Much Stuff?
Having too much stuff can hinder the organizational process since closets can easily become over-cluttered and therefore, overwhelming. Once you've followed step 2 above, perhaps you can also rethink the traditional way of storing the items you need to keep.
For example, instead of keeping all coats in the main coat closet, separate coats by the person. Have each family member store their extra coats in their own closets and only keep the most used coat for each person in the main closet.
The same concept can be applied to shoes and additional winter gear. A method like this will allow you to utilize your entryway closet for the most used items, but not require that you completely downsize on things that you would prefer to keep.
What Do You Put In An Entryway Closet?
Some people might feel overwhelmed in general about what to use their entryway closet for. The most common items that are put into entryways are coats, hats, gloves, umbrellas, sporting equipment, snow pants, boots, shoes, and slippers. Of course, everyone will have a different variation depending on the need for their family.
There really isn't a right or wrong when it comes to what to store in this closet. The purpose of a closet being positioned right in the entryway, generally, is to have immediate access to a place to set down items or take off the items you would naturally take off and set down as you walked into your home or a friend's house.
How Do You Organize Hats, Gloves, And Scarves In A Closet?
Organizing your hats, gloves, and scarves in a closet can seem tricky, but it really follows the same concepts as organizing the rest of the closet. One very simple route is to have a labeled bin for each item, neatly placed on an easy to access shelf or in a cubby.
Another super simple way to organize these items is to rethink tradition (once again) and use an over the door shoe rack. You can combine gloves, hats, and scarves by placing the gloves inside the hat, the hat inside the scarf, and rolling it up. Tuck into the pocket of the shoe organizer and now all of the items you need are available to you with one simple grab.
Scarves could also be easily stored on a single scarf hanger. Scarf hangers help scarves slide out of the hanger effortlessly and offer a very neat and organized look.
Click here to see this scarf hanger on Amazon.
In Closing
Although trying to figure out how to organize your entryway closet can seem overwhelming, hopefully, we've made the process seem a little easier with this simple to follow guide. One really important part is to make sure that you de-clutter, donate, and dispose of. This can make even the most challenging jobs manageable. Best of luck on your organizing journey!
Before you go, be sure to check out these other home decor guides that may be of interest to you: