An entryway sets the tone for your home. It’s the first thing you see when you enter and the last thing you see when you leave. After a few months of letting my entryway become a vortex of piles of shoes, I decided I was sick of the clutter. My take-out essentials were always lost,
An entryway sets the tone for your home. It’s the first thing you see when you enter and the last thing you see when you leave. After a few months of letting my entryway become a vortex of piles of shoes, I decided I was sick of the clutter. My take-out essentials were always lost, and it didn’t help that I was met with chaos every time I entered my apartment.
So, I got out my tape measure and got to work turning my four-foot-wide hallway into an organized space that maximizes storage and makes my life easier. I live in a studio in New York, so every square inch matters, from the kitchen to the entryway. I’m sharing all the products I’ve used to transform my entryway from a dead space to a functional mudroom.
Space Saving Retractable Wall Hooks
Writer Remi Rosmarin’s organized entryway features a wall shelf for storing coats and bags. Remi Rosmarin
When it came time to redo my entryway, wall hooks were at the top of my list. Even though I have a closet at the end of the entryway, I always end up placing jackets on the door handle or on my desk chair. I knew I needed a place for the jackets and bags I wore frequently, and this mounted coat rack more than delivered.
I spent some time looking at different options, but when I saw this one in my friend’s apartment, I knew it was perfect. It’s stylish and has five sturdy metal hooks that can hold up to 25 pounds. The retractable hooks fold away when not in use, which is a plus in a small space. You will need a drill to mount it, but the process took less than 5 minutes and I feel good knowing that the rack is very secure. I love having a designated place to hang my jacket, bag, and hat. It also makes leaving the house much easier since my frequently used items are always outside.
An expandable shoe rack
Hidden beneath floating glass shelves is an expandable shoe rack that holds several pairs of boots and shoes. Remi Rosmarin
Since shoes were the main culprit in my entryway chaos, a shoe rack was essential. My entryway already has a small nook that is perfect for storing shoes, but most regular shoe racks either didn’t fit the space or blocked the front door.
After measuring and confirming that the dimensions were Well, I found this simple expandable shoe rack on Amazon. It’s affordable, easy to assemble, and holds between 6 and 12 pairs of shoes. It’s a great use of vertical space with three levels. I appreciate that it is expandable because I know I will also be able to use it in other spaces in the future.
If your space allows it, a narrow shoe rack is also a great addition. It stores many shoes and keeps them hidden for a more organized look, plus the top is a great place to store small essentials and decorative items.
Trays to keep essential items close at hand
Remi’s floating entryway glass shelves hold hand sanitizer, a home fragrance diffuser, and baskets and trinket trays for your wallet, keys, and other everyday items. Remi Rosmarin
As someone who has a tendency to misplace items, giving essentials their own trinket tray has been a game-changer. My apartment has built-in shelves in the entryway, which is a great addition for storage, but things always got misplaced before the trays were brought in.
I always leave my keys and wallet in the same place (or at least I try to) so I know where they are when I rush out of the house. Keeping a designated tray for one item may seem a little excessive, but it helps me stay organized. It looks nice too, so I added a few more trays to store more decorative items and other things. I have a surplus of trinket trays that have been given to me over the years, so I pulled some out. If you’re looking to buy something new, Anthropologie has a lot of cute options.
Soft storage baskets keep clutter hidden
Woven and soft storage baskets are great for hiding small clutter, like receipts and beauty products. Remi Rosmarin
These fabric containers from The Container Store have been with me in five apartments, from New York City to Los Angeles and back again. They are that good. Since the containers are made of cotton, they are durable but at the same time very soft and malleable. This combination makes them much more versatile than wicker bins: they can fit into tighter spaces and you never have to worry about the bins snagging your clothes.
The little Laguna container has become my purse container: a viral concept on TikTok where you dump the contents of your bag into a container at the end of the day, so that the next day when you use a new bag, you have everything easily accessible to refill. This concept may have changed my life and this container is the perfect vessel. At just over 4 inches tall, it fits many on-the-go items and the fabric hides clutter, making things look much less cluttered.
A mirror to illuminate the space and get the last looks
Remi accented her entryway wall with a round mirror, making the space appear larger and providing an opportunity to take one last look before heading out the door. Remi Rosmarin
Too much beige wall space made the already narrow hallway look drab, so I added a wall mirror to my entryway. A wall mirror was an easy choice. Not only does it add some dimension and sparkle to the already small space, but it’s also very useful for those last looks before leaving the house.
While I used a wall mirror I already had, you can also find many mirrors with hooks or shelves for added functionality. This one from the West Elm x Emma Chamberlain collection is so fun and functional thanks to the extra storage. It serves triple duty as a mirror, wall shelf and hooks.
Floating shelves that take advantage of vertical space.
Floating shelves are a great way to add extra storage without taking up a lot of space. Remi Rosmarin
While my apartment has two built-in shelves in the entryway, you don’t need pre-existing shelves to achieve this look. Floating shelves are an affordable, easy-to-rent upgrade that gives wall space a purpose. These shelves are easy to install and assemble for durability.
If you’re worried about poking holes in the wall, opt for a Command adhesive border, which can hold up to 5 pounds.
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