Think of your entry like a large closet. The difficulty with most entries is that your ?closet? is also used by everyone else in the house! Often your ?Entry Closet? has another smaller closet in it. Think of your front closet as just one large container within your larger ?Entry Closet?. Many make the mistake to try to fit everything in the closet instead of making use of the entire entry area.
In short, a closet?s function is to store your belongings for easy access. You must order your entry so your belongings can be easily located and grabbed when needed.
Here are essential steps to creating an ordered Entryway:
1) List items stored in your ?Entry Closet??
Sit down in the middle of your entryway and list everything you see. You may see boots, comb, camera, sports stuff, coat, backpack, socks. You get the idea. Here is an example Entryway List Step #1.
2) Remove the items that don?t belong. If these items often end up here then create routines to get them removed from the entry on a regular basis. Perhaps you can create and delegate this chore to someone to be done on a regular basis. Perhaps you just need a container so these items don?t end up with everything else so they can be easily removed.
Our natural inclinations are not to want to go to multiple locations to collect the needed items to get out the door. We tend to dump on the first horizontal surface as we come in. I believe it is out in the open and it is a subconscious effort to address the fear that I may forget something if I can?t see it.
3) Separate items according to how frequently they are used.If possible, it works to have all your stuff in once place. The other problem is that there are some items stored here that are used every day and other items that are used occasionally for example: rain coats, umbrellas, heavy coats on cold days, sports equipment that is used only on weekends. You want these items by the door but you don?t need them mixed up with your daily items. That just makes it harder to find the items you need everyday!
a) Create a take off zone. These are items you need to be completely ready to go out the door. Possible items that can be stored in your takeoff zone are: keys, wallet/purse, phone, errand items, coat. There are some items you aren?t going to forget like your coat on a freezing day. These type items don?t need to be in the takeoff zone as long as they are in your ?Entry Closet? and handy. The idea behind the takeoff zone is to have a place to put items so they can be easily grabbed upon leaving your home. Some items can be stored here like your phone and keys.
Other items may need to be placed here depending on the activity of the day. For example: You may keep a basket in your takeoff zone for items that need to be returned to friends. It seems like I am always borrowing something and needing to return it. Having it near the door helps me grab it on my way to see that person and not forget it. If I store items like my charity donations in another location, I want to have enough room in my takeoff zone to accommodate those items so I can put them down in preparation for leaving. Children?s backpacks are used in their study areas but should be placed in their own takeoff zone each evening so they, too, can be confident that they have everything they need as they head out the door. Ideally, everyone should have a takeoff zone near the door.
b) Make a plan- Write out a plan of where you will put everything in your ?Entry Closet?. This plan can be written before you move a single item! Plan it out so items are convenient.
Ask yourself habit questions like:
Will I really put my shoes in a shoe box?
Would a shoe cubby with open sides be better?
Maybe just a spot under the bench is good where I can just kick them off?
Could I limit myself to keeping only 1 pair of shoes in the entry?
Could I put up the other pairs in a cubby?
Do I really need all the coats here?
Is there another place I could store offseason coats?
Should I hang the coats I use regularly on hooks instead of hangers?
Can the children easily hang their own coats?
What seems to be the problem with ________ getting into its rightful place?
Put like things together
? By person
? By kind
Warning: Don?t make the mistake of making a plan and only considering places and containers that you already have. This is the time to think of ideals and in the next step we will create containers for them and make them fit. It is suprising how much you can fit in a closet or drawer if you have a plan.
Here is an example of a ?Entry Closet? Plan
c) Measure and buy the Containers you need.
As you can see in the above "Entry Closet" Plan you determine WHERE you are going to store the items AND THEN you measure the space and buy the appropriate containers.
d) Put everything away. After you have put everything in their new homes give yourself a pat on the back and tell yourself what a great job you did!
e) Maintain it!Talk to everybody in the house and explain your reasoning behind where you have put things. Make sure everything is labeled so everyone in the house can easily see where what belongs. Don't rely on the memories! Believe me, if it isn't marked and their is a free spot something will get dumped there. If the spot is full where you intended to put the "Extra gloves" box you will have the impulse to put the box somewhere else where something else belongs and gradually the entire area is messy again! Consider making the Entry area a weekly cleaning chore so it is cleaned up and put in order at least once a week.
