Entryway Organization Ideas For Busy Families

Are you looking for entryway organization ideas to stop the piles from forming in front of your door? Let’s face it, if there isn’t a system in place, our beautiful family members will kick off their shoes, toss their coats, and leave everything they once had in their hands right where they walk in. Let’s get real and fix this problem together!

I don’t know about you, but I want to walk into my house and feel peace, and to feel that I need to have things organized. Shoes thrown on the floor and backpacks in the walkway destroy that feeling for me. To get my entryway to look like this I had to face a few realities that I want to share with you.

If you’re ready to reclaim your house from clutter and chaos, then let’s get started with your entryway organization and get the freaking shoes off the floor! Let’s talk about ideas, furniture, function, and what to keep and what not to keep in this prime area.

This post is all about my tips and tricks to help you get some entryway organization ideas for your home.

Let’s Start With A Reality Check

Remember those “naturally smart” kids in school? And, remember the claims everyone always made that they just knew everything and they NEVER studied? Ummm, I hope you still don’t believe that. Because the reality is that YES we all have gifts and we all have things that come easier to us, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work at it.

I’m telling you this because if you have a disorganized entryway or even a disorganized home that doesn’t mean you’re missing an organization gene. It only means you need to put some thought and work into it. And because I love to organize I will walk you through what I do to keep this problem area from becoming a full-on drop zone.

Tip #1: Declutter Every Single Thing

Unfortunately, real organization doesn’t begin and end at the Container Store. You have to pull everything out of the space and evaluate every item. You should ask yourself the following questions:

Is this item needed?
Does this item belong in the entryway?
Is this item seasonal and needs to be stored until next year?
Does this item need to be cleaned?

Or maybe you need to ask… WTH is this?

Grab yourself a bag and keep weird things that you find but haven’t a clue as to what they are. You don’t want to toss something important just because you aren’t sure what it is in this decluttering frenzy. (Shhhh… I may have made this mistake before.) After a set time, toss the weird things you haven’t used.

After sorting everything, you need to make a list of things you need to add or buy to make the space more functional. (Yes, at some point you might be able to visit the Container Store.)

Here is the most important thing to know about decluttering… It has to be done often. At least every season you need to pull everything out and declutter the space. Organized people declutter all the time! Their houses are not magically neat just like that smart kid in school didn’t actually just know everything!

Tip#2: Clean The Space

There is always that one person who tends to STUFF everything into their space and can’t seem to find anything. (Hint: in my house, it’s not me… or my kids) Not only was this space completely disorganized, it was honestly dirty. See for yourself:

Also, know that most coats are washable – be sure to read the labels. If they aren’t machine washable, send them off to the dry cleaners so they are ready for next season. Did you know you can wash backpacks? I put all of ours in the wash a few times a year and they look brand new! Wash everything you can, but especially scrub down your entryway furniture.

Get Washable Rugs!!!

How did I ever live without them? I am slowly switching all of my rugs to Ruggable Rugs and it was the best decision for our family. This rug system has allowed me to simply toss my entryway rug into the washer once a week to keep my space looking clean and beautiful. Do you want to change your decor? No problem. You can simply keep your rug pad and buy a new top layer to match your new space. The choices are unlimited. And, now they have a Ruggable Doormat! It’s on my wishlist.

Oh and my mom taught me this one: Your entryway floor will only be as clean as what’s on the other side of it. Is your garage floor a dusty, grimy mess? If your answer is yes, then eventually that will track right into your house. If you haven’t swept your front porch in weeks and it’s covered in leaves, then those leaves and dirt will make it onto your entryway rug. Take some time to evaluate what your outdoor spaces look like and clean them up. Just a few minutes with a leaf blower can be a game-changer!

My favorite cleaning products for this cubby:

The Pink Stuff Multi-Purpose Cleaner ($5.97 on Amazon.com)
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original Cleaning Pads ($5.29 for 6 on Amazon.com)
Ruggable Rugs

Tip #3: Design A Functional Space

Let me start by saying that pretty isn’t always functional. We all want a beautiful space, but you can have a huge mess behind a beautiful door. (Just look at the pile of mess that was lurking behind one of my cubby doors).

So, start with what you need and then pick beautiful FUNCTIONAL pieces. Make things easy to put away – use hooks instead of hangers when you can and baskets or bins for gloves, hats, or sports stuff. The less effort it takes people to put things away, the more likely they will follow your system. Keep this in mind!

Tip #4: Let’s Talk Shoes.

Shoes might be the most frustrating item to deal with when it comes to entryway organization. Your dreams of having everyone line up their shoes on the cutest shoe rack can quickly turn into a toss-and-go nightmare. I have tried pretty much every shoe solution out there. In the end, I invented my own! Here are a few ideas you can try:

Get a basket for each member of your family and label it. This is a great solution to try. It will at least keep the shoes contained and sorted by family members. It’s a great place to start!
Only keep seasonal shoes in your entryway. If it’s summertime, you should not have winter boots cluttering up your space. And, dress shoes that you’re not wearing often should move out of this zone as well.
Use the one-in, one-out rule for shoes. Shoes should be decluttered every time you want to add a new pair. Did the kids grow out of their sneakers? Time to try on every pair and get rid of all the shoes that don’t fit. Are your summer sneakers from last year too dingy to wear this year? As soon as the new ones arrive, donate the old pair. Keep your numbers down to more easily manage your mess.
Get ideas from people who have a similar-looking space as you. Browse Pinterest, peek at how your organized friends are dealing with their entryway, comment HERE, and ask me anything! Getting a fresh perspective on your space can work wonders.

My Shoe Solution:

After years of dealing with piles of shoes, I found what worked for our family. I thought the new built-in would magically make everything better and it did to an extent. But honestly, everyone would just pull the drawer and toss their shoes into a hidden pile. It didn’t solve the problem of the ability to quickly find what you need to get out the door. I came up with the idea to line my drawer with a shoe organizer and it works! CLICK HERE to see the exact one I bought. If this one doesn’t fit, keep trying to find what works!

My Before And After

Verses

The old system had some great bones and It worked for a while, but I knew we could do better. So, after we were in the home for about 3 years, I drew up plans for the new system.

Keep in mind that where you start doesn’t have to be what you keep.
Use clutter and messes as clues for problems that need solutions.
Understand that even the most organized people are not “just organized.” They work on their clutter often and come up with new ideas to solve them.
Remember that your family is unique and will need unique storage solutions.

Entryway Organization Ideas For Busy Families