Entryway Clutter: Seasonal Accessories

After I addressed the jacket and shoe clutter at my entryways, I turned my attention to seasonal accessories.  Until recently, we had been storing all seasonal stuff together in the closet at the garage entry.  I used old, plastic utility shelves and a combination of large plastic bins and baskets to store cleaning supplies, work rags, and seasonal gear out of sight.  It was functional, but not all all pretty.

Storage shelves used to hold all seasonal gear.

Last month, we completed the laundry room update.  I relocated many of the closet items into my new wall cabinets.  I further optimized my new storage by placing bins of off-season stuff atop the cabinets.

Off-season gear is stowed in bins above wall cabinets

Now I had a surplus of shelf space in the closet.  And, as I mentioned in my previous post, the over-the-door coat rack was no longer working for all our jackets.  I was able to ignore the closet for a couple of months or so after school started - we were not accessing swim gear or jackets!  And then, the temperature dropped.  Cooler weather forced me to act.  So, I removed the old, plastic shelving, put the coats on hangers and looked for a new storage solution for seasonal accessories.

Seasonal Accessories:
Seasonal sports/outdoor equipment and larger, bulky things are stored in our garage.  The seasonal accessories that I need to store in my entryway includes the following:

• Cold Weather Stuff:  Hats, mittens, scarves
• Hot Weather Stuff:  Swim suits, beach towels, bags, sunscreen, bug spray, goggles. 

Finding a Storage Solution:
I needed a storage solution that only took up half of the closet, so as to not crowd the jackets.   Becasue I could not shorten the existing plastic shelving, I placed two shelves above the existing wire mesh shelf (to extend vertical storage) and tossed the rest of the shelves in the garbage.

After taking careful measurements, I knew to look for a solution around 2' x 4' in size.    No heavy construction needed to solve this storage issue!  I ended up choosing a 6-cube organizer at a favorite store.  Once assembled, I filled it with six of my lined storage bins and topped it with a stackable plastic storage drawer.   Half of the storage  bins hold seasonal stuff.  The others hold rags, tennis towels, and pet supplies.

6-cube organizer replaces shelves.

This worked well enough, so I went about finding a new home for the beach towels.  My solution was to load them, and all the extra tote bags and backpacks into my storage bench.  This bench was emptied earlier in the week when I moved all the shoes into the shoe cabinet.

Bench serves as off-season storage for beach towels. 

Trust me, this past week felt a lot like musical chairs around here!  I switched winter gear for summer gear and lived with things this way for a few days.

After a few days, I re-evaluated the organizer placement.  I decided to give the jackets more breathing room, and allow for expansion, by flipping the organizer on its side.  The measurements showed it should fit.  But, because it was not flexible, I had to disassemble it and reassemble it in the closet.  Really?  This was not hard, but it sure was awkward.

Organizer placed, coats hung, seasonal gear switched.  Phew.

I'm so glad I took the extra effort.  Now, I have more breathing room and expansion space for additional jackets.  After replacing swimsuits and goggles and sunscreen with scarves and hats and mittens, the entryway is officially clutter-free and ready for fall and winter.

Back entryway clutter officially contained!  

Eventually, I'll sew some additional storage bin liners so they all match.  Right now, I am just happy this entryway clutter is contained!

Entryway Clutter: Shoes, Shoes, and More Shoes!

Cooler weather set me on a closet clean-up this past week.  After I tackled our jackets, I turned my attention to shoes.   As a mom, I spend far too much time thinking about shoes.  And I don't mean my shoes.  Growing kids equal growing feet.  And that leads to a growing collection of shoes, boots, sandals, etc. that still fit, fit well, and will fit soon.  And don't forget about the shoes that we love, that only mom loves, and only child loves.  All these shoes need to be stored so that no one trips over them and so that everyone can find the right pair of shoes when rushing out the door.  No problem, right?

I've got a pretty good handle on shoe storage within bedroom closets.  It's the entryways that can cause the most heartburn.  Through the years, I've used the following methods to store shoes in and around the entryways to our house(s) - with varying levels of success:

• Shoe Baskets
• Shoe Bench
• Shoe Cubby Organizer
• Shoe Rack
• Shoe Cabinet

This past week, I reshuffled the storage options yet again to solve my current storage dilemma   Keep reading to see how I've used each storage solution, individually and in combination through the years:

Shoe Baskets:  When our first-born became a toddler, we realized we needed to toddler-proof our shoe storage in addition to everything else in the house.  We had far less time to spend locating shoes as we headed out the door.  Often, a shoe we thought we placed in one location had been carted away to another, less obvious location.  We bought large, woven baskets and placed them under our front hall bench.  The baskets were attractive, yet unobtrusive,  and kept shoes neatly out of sight of busy, curious toddlers who enjoyed toting shoes.

Felt pads on bottom of basket protect floor.

This solution worked very well for our small family and we relied on it for many years.  However, once our family grew and we moved into a new house, the number of shoes we needed to store were more than those three baskets could handle.

Baskets under a bench in entry hall contain shoes.

Shoe Bench:  We took the baskets with us to our new house, but searched for a larger space in which to store them and the growing collection of shoes.  We liked the idea of an entry hall storage bench and, ultimately, opted to re-purpose our old toy box.  

What was once a toy box...

The toy box started out as a vintage hope chest, painted a buttery yellow color, when we bought it at a flea market.  To use as a toy box, we painted it green, added a cushion to the top, and affixed wooden letters to the front.   We knew we would need to update it again to use as a shoe bench - the scalloped edge was not the look I was after.  So, we removed the scalloped trim along the bottom using a jig saw, painted it black, and added a new seat cushion.

...became an entry hall bench  that stored shoes.

Paired with the pub mirror, which had hooks for jackets, leashes, hats, etc., the bench was a fabulous solution.  Form and function at its best.

Shoe Cubby Organizer:  Although the shoe bench worked really well for the entry way, we often used the garage entrance.  A pile of shoes and sandals began infringing on the tight doorways - we needed a way to neatly store shoes there as well.   A shoe cubby organizer turned out to be the answer for us.

Shoe Cubby Organizer in laundry room/garage entry.

We set up an inexpensive (yet highly effective) cubby shoe organizer in the laundry room, near the garage entry.  Shoes, sandals, cleats, etc. were neatly organized and visible at kid level.  Perfect!

In our current house, we continue to use the cubby shoe organizer at the garage entry.  In this house, the organizer is positioned on the garage-side of the entry:

Shoe Cubby storage in garage

It is still very effective for shoes, boots, cleats, etc.  To add vertical storage to the organizer, I stacked the it on top of a coordinating shelf.  These both sit atop of my old milk crates.  However, the kids don't like to the cubby organizer now that it's in the garage - they are afraid spiders will make a home inside their shoes and bite them.  So, it's useful for their sandals and flip-flops, but not everyday kids' shoes.

Shoe Rack:  Because the kids were not using the cubby organizer, shoes began to pile up in the front hall.  While the shoes were contained to one basic area, they still created a mountain of shoes that was not the overall design statement I was going for.  My solution was to place a three-tiered shoe rack in the lower half of the front-hall closet.

Three-tiered shoe rack helps contain shoe clutter

This shoe rack was mere steps from the mountain of shoes, but it was concealed behind a door.  I loved it.  My kids did not.  I needed to come up with a new plan that worked for them.

Shoe Cabinet:  What I came up with was a shoe cabinet.  Well, really, I came up with redefining a built-in family room cabinet as a shoe cabinet.

Built-in cabinet used for shoe storage

Our shoe bench was already placed against the family room wall adjacent to the cabinet, though it no longer stores shoes.  I borrowed that 10' x 3' slice of the family room, annexed it to the utility closet/laundry room and created a pseudo mud room using all three areas.  The cleared-out lower cabinet, closest to the bench, is now the new shoe cabinet.  A mat sits in front of the cabinet to catch dirt, and the old pub mirror, placed above the bench, holds hats/visors.

Back entry and 10' x 3' slice of family room comprises my pseudo mud room.

Shoes that are not stowed in the cubby organizer on the way into the house can be stored in the shoe cabinet.  If we enter from the front door, we can stow shoes on the shoe rack in the front hall closet.

Problem solved?  for now, they appear to be in check.  Keeping on top of organization and storage is an ongoing pursuit.  As the family grows and changes, so do our organization needs. Hopefully, I've shared some tips that you can use to contain shoes in your home.  Have other ideas?  I'd love to hear them!

Check back with me and my closet clutter projects.  Now that jackets and shoes are controlled, I need to address seasonal gear storage.

Entryway Clutter: Jacket Hang-ups

It's finally cooling off in Atlanta.  And that means it's time for the sweaters, jackets, and coats. So, I set about my annual purge and purchase of kids' coats.  You know - out with the old and in with the new.  I also addressed the coat storage situation.  Sounds simple enough.  However, this turned into a full-blown reorganization project for me this week - a long over-due reorganization project.  Keep reading to see how I optimized storage in my closet and made order out of seasonal chaos.

How to Contain Coat Clutter?

Based on what we saw during our house hunt, coat closets are rare among newer homes in Atlanta.  It's as if someone thinks we don't wear coats in the south!  Trust me - we wear lots of coats in Atlanta.  You do not often see a mud room in homes down here, so we often make do and get creative with stowing stuff in various locations.  For example, many homeowners hang coats in the garage, in the basement stair landing, etc.

Closets:  A proper coat closet was high up on my must-have list for a new home.  I am amazed at the number of homes we viewed that lacked a proper coat closet!  I guess they assume we all want to buy an armoire or use a coat tree?  Our house not only features a front hall closet, but also a closet off the garage, adjacent to the laundry room.

A coat closet in the front hall...

And, one for the back entry.  I reorganized the closet this week.

Over-the-Door Coat Racks:  In addition to hangers, we also use an over-the-door coat rack in the front hall closet.  Why?  Even though we own plenty of hangers, experience has proven that my people are far more likely to hang a coat up if it's easy.  Coat racks are much easier than hangers.  Of course, hanging the coat up as one enters the house via the garage is even easier than walking all the way to the front hall.  So, I added another over-the-door coat rack to the back closet.

Over the hanger coat rack was over-used!

It got so much use last year that it began to bend from the weight of all the jackets.  And, jackets that  hung closer to the door hinge were constantly getting caught when we closed the door.  Every week or so during the winter and spring, I moved a stack of jackets to the front hall closet (properly hung on hangers, of course).  I decided not to repeat this extra work this fall, so I removed the coat rack and re-purposed it this past week.  Now, it holds brooms and bags in the closet.  Here's how I did it:

• I asked my husband to remove the hanger part (using a hack saw): 

Removing the hanger from coat rack.

• Then, we hung it inside the closet using small electrical cable wire clamps, nailed into the studs, to hold the rack in place.

the coat hooks are attached at the studs for stability. 

• My steam mop, brooms, and reusable, canvas shopping bags hang from the hooks.  

Project Re purpose Coat Rack Complete!

Wall-mounted Coat Racks:  When we lived in Savannah, I hung two coat racks on the wall at the garage entry.  One for adults and one for kids.  These racks got lots of use

Two wall-mounted coat racks hung by garage door in our old house.

I initially thought the over-the-door coat rack would work for my youngest child in this house.  However, he is still a bit to short to reach.  And, because he still has trouble with hangers, I decided to hang a coat rack in the adjacent laundry room  (behind the door) for his jackets.  I also store aprons and laundry bags here. 

The rack was re purposed from the garage - it originally held rakes, shovels, etc.  I spray painted it white and attached it to the wall studs behind the door.

Coat rack in laundry room for younger child's jackets.

When door is open, only a small portion of the coat rack is visible. 

If anyone is entering the house via the basement, they can hang a jacket or hat on the wall-mounted coat rack next to that door.

Wall-mounted coat rack by basement entry

Phew.  Coat clutter has been conquered.  One week into the fall and I can honestly say the system is a success.  Check back with me and my closet clutter projects.  I came up with some good ideas for containing shoes and other seasonal footwear.