In my case, there actually isn't much clutter just inside the door. No one would trip on anything left on the floor. How does yours look? Do you have things left by the door to leave or give to someone? If so, get those items gone. Is there too much furniture? Can you find a new space for some of it, or should it leave your home? Do you feel okay with how the space is? If so, leave it. Those are just questions to ponder?
Part of your entry may be a place to remove/store shoes, or hang/store coats. If may be visible or behind a door, but it would be best to take a look at the space. Is there space for guests to set their shoes? Do you have space and hangers for guests? If not, could you make room, even if that means moving some items to another space? What is in your closet that you might not want guests to see? What just doesn't belong?
In our case, the coat closet has plenty of space, but only ONE extra hanger! Not quite right. I don't really want guests to see the broom, but I'm sure not ashamed of them. They are part of life, right? We do have some items in the closet that could be moved: the shoe box, iron and ironing board and maybe that big manual on the shelf.
Look at all coats, gloves, hats and boots. Check for rips, stains, tears and fit. Get rid of any that you don't like or won't wear anymore. Check with other members of your household. Make note of any needs, too. Doesn't hurt to know you will need to buy a new coat for a child that has outgrown theirs before colder weather arrives. Many people don't even have one coat. So considering donating those you don't need so that someone else can benefit from your extras.
Since I have a uncluttered entry way I will show you where the book bag ends up most days. If company were coming today, I would have this moved to the coat closet above, or to my daughter's room. This just happens to be her drop zone for most days!
Good luck tackling the your front entry, hall/guest closet, winter gear, or all three! It's a big job sometimes. Don't get upset if this is an area that takes more than one day. The little bits of time add up if you keep at it. And I expect you will find these areas well worth the effort in the coming months.
I see the foyer as the Departure Zone. We keep clutter away from our front entrance so we’re not annoyed or distressed—the second we return home. As I see it, this space expresses who you are to strangers. It speaks volumes to people at the door. With neighbours, enumerators, solicitations, delivery, religious proselytizers, medical care, I make a effort to keep it intriguing and welcoming.
ReplyDeleteI like having a seat to remove boots, a basket for umbrellas, gloves, hats, scarves plus a dedicated spot for keys handbag, incoming mail and a bin for flyers. Our entry is small with a series of doors so I've hung a full length mirror over the door to the lower level and I am considering using a ‘peg rack’ bolted to the wall.
We've a wonderful deep closet for outerwear, very important here with such crazy winters. A big rack in the closet for shoes helps keep the place cleaner and we use a large, wet tray for boots.
Stairwell plants, pathos, peace lily, dieffenbachia, fichus are rotated thru. A key rack on the wall eliminates searching for keys when departing and a Dog Box holds leash, jackets, poo pick-up rolled bags. We used to have a box in the hall to hold electronics which needed to be re charged.