Your Family Home's Guide to a Well-Organised Entrance
Use these clever entryway sorting and storage ideas for keeping your family on track to getting in and out the house each day
There are times in even the best-run household when it feels like you’ll never get out the door on time. This problem is only compounded when you add in kids and the various accoutrements that need to go out the door with them. Often the biggest culprit is that essential item that’s gone into hiding when you have exactly three minutes to get out the door. Perhaps it’s the library book that MUST go back today, finding out exactly where that other shoe has disappeared to, or suddenly remembering that, yes, today is the school sports carnival and you haven’t seen your child’s sports bag since the last carnival months ago.
It’s in these moments that a well-organised entrance hall can be a saviour. A few hooks beside the front door for everyday items, or even a designated mud room for those with space to spare, can help keep family chaos to a minimum. Here are a few of my favourite family-friendly solutions.
It’s in these moments that a well-organised entrance hall can be a saviour. A few hooks beside the front door for everyday items, or even a designated mud room for those with space to spare, can help keep family chaos to a minimum. Here are a few of my favourite family-friendly solutions.
Make space for a mud room
It’s worthwhile investing in a dedicated area for hanging up wet coats or leaving muddy boots. If you’re not short on space, a mud room could take on the proportions of a large bedroom, or it could be as understated as this simple mud alcove stationed beside a side door.
How to create a mudroom
It’s worthwhile investing in a dedicated area for hanging up wet coats or leaving muddy boots. If you’re not short on space, a mud room could take on the proportions of a large bedroom, or it could be as understated as this simple mud alcove stationed beside a side door.
How to create a mudroom
Hide it away
Even the most organised entry spaces don’t need to be out for public viewing. This sliding barn door not only keeps the kids’ things out of sight, but also adds an interesting architectural feature to the hallway.
Bring barn doors inside
Even the most organised entry spaces don’t need to be out for public viewing. This sliding barn door not only keeps the kids’ things out of sight, but also adds an interesting architectural feature to the hallway.
Bring barn doors inside
Utilise all available space
In this hard-working entryway, storage has been cleverly built into the treads of the stairs. It’s a fantastic solution for narrow corridors and is a great place to keep shoes and last-minute items that you need to grab as you’re heading out.
In this hard-working entryway, storage has been cleverly built into the treads of the stairs. It’s a fantastic solution for narrow corridors and is a great place to keep shoes and last-minute items that you need to grab as you’re heading out.
Make it yours and mine
To streamline the process even more, allocate a designated drop-off spot for each family member. The beauty of the above arrangement is its proximity to the laundry, so dirty sports clothes and stained uniforms can go straight into the wash.
To streamline the process even more, allocate a designated drop-off spot for each family member. The beauty of the above arrangement is its proximity to the laundry, so dirty sports clothes and stained uniforms can go straight into the wash.
Look to small-space solutions
Although it would be heavenly, you don’t need to allocate an entire room to getting organised in the morning. For those that need every square metre of space to work for them, a simple coat rack and a spot for a little person to pop on a pair of shoes is all it takes.
Although it would be heavenly, you don’t need to allocate an entire room to getting organised in the morning. For those that need every square metre of space to work for them, a simple coat rack and a spot for a little person to pop on a pair of shoes is all it takes.
Set a benchmark
This corridor between the internal garage and the rest of the house is an ideal location for a drop-off zone for coats and muddy boots. If you’re a multiple-car family, this can be even more relevant, as items that need to move between cars, such as picnic blankets and prams, can be left here out of the way.
This corridor between the internal garage and the rest of the house is an ideal location for a drop-off zone for coats and muddy boots. If you’re a multiple-car family, this can be even more relevant, as items that need to move between cars, such as picnic blankets and prams, can be left here out of the way.
Have a shoe organiser
This is indispensable for keeping lost footwear to a minimum. Neatly pigeon hole your family’s shoes so you’re not always on a quest to find matching soles. If you can’t find a storage system that meets your specific needs, why not think outside the box and repurpose something else, such as this original find?
More shoe storage ideas
This is indispensable for keeping lost footwear to a minimum. Neatly pigeon hole your family’s shoes so you’re not always on a quest to find matching soles. If you can’t find a storage system that meets your specific needs, why not think outside the box and repurpose something else, such as this original find?
More shoe storage ideas
Install a wall calendar
Stay on top of the week to come with a changeable wall calendar by the front door. This one shows a month at a glance so you can prepare for next week’s cake stall, know who’s going where and when, and even allocate some time to deal with your own life admin.
Calendar ideas for an organised home
Stay on top of the week to come with a changeable wall calendar by the front door. This one shows a month at a glance so you can prepare for next week’s cake stall, know who’s going where and when, and even allocate some time to deal with your own life admin.
Calendar ideas for an organised home
Utilise a basket system
Keep a series of baskets by the front door for things on the way out. It’s a great place to leave items that are destined for the op shop, for instance, or for the magazines you want to pass on to your mum.
Keep a series of baskets by the front door for things on the way out. It’s a great place to leave items that are destined for the op shop, for instance, or for the magazines you want to pass on to your mum.
Add a display area
Kids love collecting interesting ‘finds’, whether it’s a handful of rocks or seashells, a piece of driftwood or flowers picked on the walk home from school. Including a shelf or table to your front hall to display their collections is like having an ever-changing, curated exhibition at home.
Kids love collecting interesting ‘finds’, whether it’s a handful of rocks or seashells, a piece of driftwood or flowers picked on the walk home from school. Including a shelf or table to your front hall to display their collections is like having an ever-changing, curated exhibition at home.
Take time to reflect
Consider hanging a mirror near to wherever you leave the house from. Busy people often rush out the door without doing a final check on how they look. This is the perfect time to make sure your shirt isn’t inside out and the kids haven’t flicked food into your hair.
TELL US
What tricks have you used to keep your family on track to get out the door?
MORE
Making an Entrance: 10 Hallways With Heart
De-Stress Your Kids by Organising Your Home
Designs for Living: Entrances Set Up to Serve You
Consider hanging a mirror near to wherever you leave the house from. Busy people often rush out the door without doing a final check on how they look. This is the perfect time to make sure your shirt isn’t inside out and the kids haven’t flicked food into your hair.
TELL US
What tricks have you used to keep your family on track to get out the door?
MORE
Making an Entrance: 10 Hallways With Heart
De-Stress Your Kids by Organising Your Home
Designs for Living: Entrances Set Up to Serve You
A well-placed bench is all that’s really needed to keep things in order. It makes an ideal spot for putting on shoes; leaving school bags, handbags or shopping bags; and tossing that ‘remind-me-not-to-forget-this’ item you need for the next day.