Mittens and snow pants and coats, oh my!
Summer is an easy time of year: no sweaters, hats and boots to worry about. As fall gets wetter and winter approaches, it’s time to think about making sure your entranceway can take the onslaught of ‘stuff’, to say nothing of the mud, slush and snow, that will be making their appearances.
Before Getting Your Entranceway Organized
Before you can be organized, you’ve got to sort what’s in your entranceway now!
As the colder weather approaches, it’s time to put the spring and fall clothes and accessories away —preferably stored in another closet or storage bin— and bring out the winter wear.
Once you know what you need to organize, you’ll find it easier to take care of.
Keeping Your Entranceway Organized
There are easy ways to keep all the extra clothes and accessories under control…
Let’s assume, for example, that there are two adults, two kids and one shaggy dog in your home.
Everyone has at least one winter coat (including the dog), possibly some snow pants, a pair of boots, as well as countless mittens, hats, gloves and scarves. How do you keep that all organized so that everyone can find what they need? Here are a few ideas:
- Hooks — Keeping essentials visible and handy make it more likely that everyone in the family will hang up their things instead of dropping them on the floor. Hooks for jackets, back packs, leashes and baseball caps are ideal.
- Shelving with baskets or drawers — If everyone has their own basket that’s been properly labeled, there’s no excuse for not dropping mittens and hats into the right one, which also makes it easier to find them the next morning. Even an accent table with drawers will help to get everyone organized. One of our buyers swears by the Burk Accent Table with drawers. It has old world charm and great functionality, with 12” wide drawers that will fit a lot of extras! One drawer for the dog leash and baggies, one drawer for her gloves and extras and one for her husband’s things. Perfect, right?
- A laundry basket — If space permits, this is a great extra to tuck into the corner of the closet or hang on the back of a closet door. Dirty mittens and hats get put there instead of back into the respective owner’s basket, so they can be dealt with when laundry day comes along.
- A console table — Adding a space to deposit keys and mail, as well as essential paperwork from school, can help ensure that it all gets properly sorted the moment everyone walks in the door. An ‘in basket’ for each person helps keep it tidy! A clean, modern addition to your entranceway would be something like the Harden Console Table. With two tiers and solid construction, there’s enough room for decoration and organization!
- A storage bench — Needing a place to put out-of-season accessories is often a key struggle to keeping the entranceway organized and clutter free. A bench with storage has the bonus of being a comfortable place to put on or take off shoes, while still providing that much needed place to put all the extras. The Vivian Storage Ottoman has an elegant design with a muted grey tone fabric, which will enhance and functionalize your entranceway. The deep storage compartment will keep those extras out of sight!
- A multi-function unit — When space is at a premium, a unit that combines several of the functions described above is ideal. A seating area, hooks, AND storage shelf, all in one elegant design. The Blaine Hallway Bench fits the bill. It’s a modern look, with all the function you need…
Keeping Your Entranceway Clean
Once you’re all organized, it’s a matter of getting everyone in the family to get into good habits and put their things where they belong. Add a few entrance mats to soak up any snow or splashes and a boot tray to make sure that any remaining snow stays away from the flooring and you’ve made your clean up time a lot faster and easier.
The entrance to your home is the first impression guests have, so make it a good one! And don’t forget to show us your chic – share your ideas with us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, using the hashtag #ThisIsMyChicHome.
