Entryway Essentials

• A trash can for recycling junk mail immediately
• A mirror, so you don’t have to run back to the bathroom after eating a seaweed snack
• Parking permits for friends when they visit
• Umbrellas

Entryway Extras
Do you have room for a cabinet with drawers? Include:

• Cash for delivery tips
• A lint roller (especially handy when you have pets that shed)
• A charging station

Hooks

It’s the first rule of organizing: All the items that clutter your surfaces (purses, bookbags, hats, coats, scarves) need a place to live. Solve the problem by installing hooks for hanging items. These days, you don’t even have to pull out a drill — check out this Command 3M hook in brushed nickel. It won’t damage your walls when you remove it, and it’s a cinch to mount.

Other things to hang on hooks include keys, reusable bags and dog leashes.

Purse Service

How many times have you gone to change a purse, only to have to empty its contents to wherever you happen to be standing? By breaking organizing rule numero uno, you are bound to misplace things and clutter your space fast. If you have extra room to store two small containers, try this:

• Container number one houses purse essentials (feminine care, pens, tissues, sunglasses, lip gloss and so on).
• Container number two starts out empty. Each time you need to swap a purse or empty its contents, use this bin as a receptacle.
• At the end of each week, return items from container number two to their appropriate homes.

Shoe Zone

Taking your shoes off at the door not only feels great — your floors will stay cleaner. Even if it’s nothing but a designated spot beyond the door, having a place to kick off your shoes is key. But if your entryway feels overrun with footwear, establish a system to keep the amount to a minimum.

• Put one to three pairs of shoes away each time you do a quick clean.
• Use a bin to corral them so they don’t overrun the space.
• Decide on a maximum number of shoes allowed and put away extras once the zone gets crowded.

In-box and Out-box

With the advent of online shopping, bulky boxes arrive regularly. Because these items are cumbersome, a traditional in- or out-box container just doesn’t cut it.

• Again, designate a spot by the door where these items should stay.
• Don’t let them linger for more than one to three days, to keep the space clear and ready for incoming and outgoing boxes and belongings.
• Store scissors and shipping tape close by.

Mail Drop

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to mail. I actually prefer to take mine right to the home office and open it there. Others might find that presorted mail slots work better. The system is up to you — just make sure to have one.

Favorite mail containers:
• Clear wall pockets found at any office supply store
• Pottery Barn’s Wire Mesh Wall-Mount Magazine Rack
• Lettro Wall-Mounted Organizer by Umbra

Keeping It Kid Friendly

If your entryway won’t allow for your stuff plus your kids’, by all means let them have it. It’s so important to teach kids from a young age to put their things away, and a great time to start is the second they get home — not to mention that you won’t have to go looking for field trip permission slips (and anything else they may lose).