The first thing you see when you come home is your entryway. No one wants to go back to a cluttered house, and organizing your entry is the first step. The challenge though is that because it is the first place you land, it becomes where everything else falls too. It’s the catch-all for the mail and magazines, homework, receipts from your shopping trip, and even those door hanger coupons you’re saving for date night.
You’ve read that heading straight to the office with your mail is best. But even on your best day, you come in the door with both hands full, looking for a place to drop the keys before you drop the eggs. The simplest solution is to set up a landing table in the entry that you can place items to go over later. Check out these ideas to see what might work best for you.
Drawers
If your entry table has drawers, the important stuff can be shoved out of sight. So, slip your wallet and keys into a drawer before heading into the rest of the house. Larger drawers are great for winter gloves, sunglasses, and other items you need to grab on your way out.
Shelves
A large shelf at the bottom of the table legs makes the perfect spot for covered baskets. Use these to toss boots and shoes, backpacks and homework. Or, organize your recycling, so the trip to the curb is just a short step.
Above the table surface, narrow cubbies and shelves make the perfect spot to sort the mail. Set up one cubby for the advertising circulars you want to get back to. Another works well for take-out menus. Finally, have a cubby for important mail that needs sorting. That way, when you have a moment to go through it, you’ll find it all in one place and not on random surfaces throughout the house.
Décor
Of course, everyone wants to arrange the perfect collection of vases, photographs, vintage glass and artful books on their entry table. Just remember that when you do, you’re going for form over function. Having decorative items on the table surface takes away your place to set things to relieve your overfull arms coming in the door. Instead, hang a decorative floating shelf above the surface to hold all the decorative items while the tabletop is available to capture what you might otherwise drop.
If your entry doesn’t have room for a table, now might be the time to think about purchasing a home that more adequately meets your needs. Talk to your real estate pro about a new home today.
