Your entryway is often the first impression visitors have of your home, but it's also so much more than that. Your entryway is your point of exit. It’s the place where you grab those last-minute items as you walk out the door to face your day.  

If your entryway is disorganized, it can be difficult to find the things you need, whether you're struggling to find your shoes or looking for your keys. It can also contribute to your feeling of stress when you return home. If you're ready to make your entryway look and work better, we’ve got some great ideas for you. Try these organization strategies and tools to make the most of a space that you utilize every day.  

1. Invest in a Key Holder 

Most people are familiar with the key struggle. You're ready to walk out the door. You might even already be running late. You have your phone and emotional support water bottle in hand. You just need your keys, and they're nowhere to be found.  

An entryway key holder is a great solution. From wall-mounted entryway key hooks to bowls and other convenient key holders placed on furniture for easy access, you can find a tool that matches your decor and helps you find your keys when you need them.  

2. Use a Shoe Organizer 

If you're a shoes-off-in-the-house person, a shoe organizer can save your sanity. People often just leave their shoes where they fall when they take them off, and that can lead to missing shoes that complicate getting out the door in the morning. They can also become a tripping hazard.  

From cubes along the wall to bins for everyone's shoes, shoe organization options make it easier to keep shoes out of the walkway. Not only that, since they're always in the same location, you decrease the scramble to find them when you’re on your way out the door. Depending on how many family members you have and how many pairs of shoes they need, you may only want to keep your most-used shoes in this area. Still, just having a place for them to go can organize the entryway and make it easier to quickly choose the right option from multiple pairs of shoes.  

3. Add Wall Hooks 

Wall hooks are the perfect solution for keeping up with all those coats, bags, and other essential items that usually come off as you enter the house. They have a clear place to go, and you know where to find them when you need again once you're ready to leave.  

While wall hooks are often reserved for coats, you can also customize them your unique needs. For example: 

• Add hooks lower on the wall for backpacks, lunchboxes, and other school items. This organization system streamlines school mornings and helps the kids get out the door.  
• Add hooks for purses, umbrellas, and other items that you might need to grab when leaving the house. Just knowing that these items are within easy reach can make it easier to handle the morning rush.  
• Use baskets or bags for accessories, including hats and scarves. Baskets and similar containers are perfect for organizing small items for cold Kansas winters.  

Make sure your wall hooks are at the right height for the people using them. Eye-level is an ideal height for most people to find items with a quick glance. Opt for hooks held up by zero-damage adhesive strips with an appropriate weight limit based on the intended use.  

4. Take Advantage of Wall Space 

While wall hooks are a great way to organize coats, bags, and other hanging items, they aren't ideal for everything that gets left in the entryway. Those papers that have to go back to school tomorrow, the stack of mail you still need to sort, or the pile of gloves that seems to grow throughout the season can all pile up fast.  

Wall space can help you organize those items and come back to them when you need them. Try using wall organizers with divided shelves to help you sort out those important items. Adding baskets can make it easy to pull items down and look at them when you need to explore them more closely. Baskets also  prevent you from messing up your organization system every time you need to dig out a forgotten item.  

If the people you live with often find themselves losing small items, consider assigning each one a basket and placing the items that need to leave your home with them in the basket each evening. For example, a basket could hold a water bottle, phone charger, and wallet with plenty of room left over for any one-time items that need to go with you.  

5. Choose Decorative and Functional Items 

The size of your entryway, not to mention the location of the door and the direction it swings, can have a significant impact on the options you can choose from as you decorate and organize your entryway. However, there are several space-saving options that can help you maximize the area.  

Smart additions to your entryway could include:  

• Storage benches: Give yourself a place to sit down and put on your shoes while adding storage.  
• Tables: If you're going to use a table to help catch the clutter, try to make it functional, too. Drawers and open space or shelves all help add storage.  
• Cabinets: Premade cabinets are a great way to add hooks, shelves, and other organization solutions without hanging anything directly on the walls or potentially breaking apartment rules.  
• Over-the-door systems: There are door-hanging shoe organizers and similar tools to help optimize the use of your space and keep things close to your front door. 

Be mindful of your available space and measure first to maximize functionality within it, especially when adding furniture near the front door!

Find Your Next Apartment 

Adequate square footage and thoughtful design that help you maximize the use of your space when living in an apartment. We’re ready to help you discover how comfortable and organized living in an apartment can be!  

Are you looking for your next Topeka apartment? Check out Crown Colony. We offer one, two, and three-bedroom apartments already designed with the needs of their residents in mind, so you can maximize available space, functionality, and storage throughout.  Contact our team today to learn about what homes are available and to schedule an in-person tour!