A front entry should be an area that invites you in and provides comfort from the outside world, but if it's overrun with coats, boots and shoes, pet leashes, mail and backpacks, it's will seem more chaotic than comforting. If you want to redecorate your foyer to make it more visually appealing, the first thing you need to do is control clutter.

Storage Boxes Baskets

First, Evaluate and Relegate

Storage Boxes Baskets

Before you think about colors and beautiful accessories, think about how you and your family use your foyer. First consider whether you even need to use it everyday as you come and go. Would the back entry or an entry off the garage into a mud room or laundry make life a little easier by containing the mess before it enters the house? If so, you may want to change your family's habit of using the front door. We'll talk a little later about how to control clutter at the back entry.

If your family really must use your front entrance everyday, then you need to add storage that makes the space more functional. If you have a closet in or near the entry, empty it and reorganize it so that it can better accommodate all the coats and outdoor gear that is constantly coming and going. If there is no closet with convenient access, a bench with storage above and below can help get things organized. Some come with cubbies that offer storage for everything from hats to book bags. Decorative wall hooks can provide a spot for jackets, bags, and leashes and a table in the entry can be used with lidded baskets for handy yet discreet storage. Choose a table with drawers for even more storage space. A table also provides a convenient place to drop keys and mail each day. If shoes must stay in the front entry, a boot tray can help keep muddy messes from traveling beyond the front hall.

Back Door Solutions

Back entries can become dumping grounds for garden and pet supplies as well as toys, sport gear and outdoor wear. Your first line of defense is to store items elsewhere when possible: You really don't need your garden tools at the ready in the middle of February, so can they go to the garage or tool shed until spring? Surfboards in December and snow skis in July add to the feeling of disorganization, so switch and store elsewhere whenever possible.

A good size boot tray and wall hooks or bench and storage system are essential for keeping coats, scarves, bags and pet leashes close at hand but still neat and tidy. Pet food and garden supplies can be stored in stackable bins and shoes can be tucked on shelves inside a closet. Seasonal items, such as garden hand tools, can be kept in a bucket so that you can pick them up and go whenever you're ready. Wall shelves are an excellent way to corral small items in metal, wood or wicker boxes or to make a display of utilitarian items, such as vases, doggie biscuit canisters, or your fishing tackle box.

How to Contain & Control Clutter in the Front Entry

Storage Boxes Baskets

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