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a home + living guide for the post-college, pre-parenthood, quasi-adult generation

02.05.2007

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easy entryway organizing
fight the front hall chaos
by Yee-Fan Sun | 1 2 3
continued from page 1

4 Shoe-in.Yes, I know: shoes are one of life’s great pleasures, and wearing the same footwear day in and day out sure would get mighty dull. But let’s face it, that mountain of fab, funky footwear can add a lot of clutter to an already tight front entryway space. Keep the chaos at least somewhat at bay by getting yourself a shoe rack or cabinet. Look for one that’s sturdy and offers good support for your shoes; make sure the rack or cabinet will accommodate things like heels (if you wear them) and boots (ditto). If you go with a rack rather than a cabinet, it’s also a good idea to slide an easy-to-clean mat underneath, to catch any wetness or gunk that falls off the bottom of shoes. And speaking of gunk…

5 Double the doormats. In snowy winter and rainy spring especially, shoes have a pesky tendency to get caked with salt, snow or mud. All this can leave your front hall a major mess. Unless you want to be mopping up constantly, throw down a couple of doormats on either side of the door – one on the outside, and a second indoors. Of course, you’ll want to make certain that whatever mat you buy is thin enough that you can still easily open your door; check the clearance on your front door before you head off to buy your doormats.

6 Sit, boy, sit! Unless you actually like the challenge of balancing awkwardly in an attempt to lace your shoes while standing up, you should really have some convenient place to sit in your entryway. If you happen to live in a multi-story nest with stairs right by the front door, you might be all set. Otherwise, try popping a spare dining chair or low stool by the door. Seating that does double duty as storage is even better – look for storage cubes, ottomans, stools or benches that allow you to stash things in the base. Alternatively, find containers that will slide under your chair or stool.

7 Mount that bike. I’m all for bicycling as a cheap and environmentally-friendly alternative for hauling one’s butt around town. Unfortunately, many apartments don’t offer anywhere to safely store one’s bike – except in the already snug confines of one’s apartment itself. Free up some valuable floor space with a bike rack. You can find relatively inexpensive ones that simply screw into your wall (do make sure to use the appropriate hardware for your specific wall type); alternatively, if you’re worried that your landlord might freak out if you start hanging heavy objects from the wall, there are clever no-holes-necessary styles that wedge a vertical bar between floor and ceiling, and let you hang up your bike along the bar.

don't stop: more this way

 

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