Raise your hand if you are tired of jackets, shoes and backpacks strewn all over your home! In the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, many homes are over 100 years old and were built with limited storage and without an entry closet. This makes it especially challenging since you are often entering directly into the living room.
A simple, stylish solution is to mount two rows of hooks, one at arm’s reach for your little ones and one high enough so that hanging items won’t overlap. You can even create easy faux molding by mounting 2x4s to support the hooks and painting them white like the photo below.
I encourage adults to place shoes beneath the hooks and put back in the master closet each night to avoid a pile up. I use pretty baskets for kids to drop their shoes by the door. Muddy boots can stay on the porch or on a boot tray to avoid tracking dirt into the house. As always, it’s important to limit the volume of stuff you own so you don’t end up with a mountain of shoes and coats by the door.
Do you have a challenging entry situation? How does your family set up shop to prevent a cluttered home?
credit: vivian johnson photography
