Creating an inviting and clutter-free hallway can make all the difference in welcoming you home at the end of a long day. However, entrance halls can easily become a magnet for clutter, becoming a temporary home for items that have just come into the house or those that haven't quite made it upstairs. In this blog, I'll share some practical tips to help you get a handle on the chaos and keep your entranceway looking tidy and welcoming.
1. Declutter first
There’s no point in organising and storing items you no longer need or don’t belong in the hallway.
I’d go one step further than this and say that you should only keep items you regularly use in your entrance hall, along with a few photos or fresh plants to personalise the space.
I recommend doing a season switch to ensure any coats and shoes are for the current season (you don’t want winter coats cluttering up the space in the summer).
There’s no space for outgrown items in a narrow hallway.
Old wellies and trainers are common clutter culprits, along with coats that no longer fit hiding underneath overstacked coat hooks.
It’s a good idea to regularly check to see if children’s coats and shoes still fit and to remove any that aren't needed - pass them on to charity or, if you are saving them for a younger child, store them away from your everyday living space.
2. Find a home for everyone’s things
Decide what items should live in your hallway, like coats, shoes, bags and umbrellas. Once you’ve decided, allocate a specific place for each item. This will help you find things more easily when you need them, and make it more convenient to put them away again when you return home.
A hallway storage unit with baskets for each family member is a great idea, even better if it doubles up as somewhere to sit when you are putting on your shoes (IKEA Kallax work great like this). In my family we use this unit below – everyone has a couple of baskets (the spare one is used for the dog towels and leads). It was great when the kids were younger it made it easy for them to put things away when they got in from school. This system helps keep narrow hallways tidy and eliminates the morning panic of searching for lost school shoes or bags, making leaving the house less stressful.
Top clutter-free tip
Avoid using a large catch-all container as these easily become clutter magnets. Have smaller specific containers, and don’t leave your keys near the front door!
3. Shoe Storage Ideas
If you don’t have room for a larger storage unit consider buying a shoe cabinet or narrow shoe rack to keep your show organised and prevent them from cluttering the hallway. Make sure the storage solution you buy is the right size for what you keep in the hall – overflowing storage isn’t a welcoming sight. Only keep shoes you wear every week in the hallway and store any additional pairs in a cupboard or wardrobe elsewhere in your home.
4. Use hangers on coat hooks
There is such a thing as too many hooks in a hallway – it will tempt you to keep more coats than you need in the space, leaving it cluttered and cramped. It's best to avoid overloading the hooks with multiple coats as this can create a bulky mess.
A good tip is to hang any large coats on coat hangers and hang these on the hooks. Then hang lighter or smaller coats on the hooks on top of them. This will make the space feel more organised and easier to grab the coat you need.
Hooks can also keep bags off the floor if you don’t have room for a storage unit. Keeping the floor clear will help the space feel bigger and less cluttered.
5. Hallway cupboard organisation - adding storage under the stairs
The space under the stars can often go unused but with a little planning, you can transform this area from a cluttered mess into a useful storage space. Adding a simple storage unit or shelves to this under-the-stairs hallway cupboard turned it from a dumping ground into a functional utility storage area.
If funds allow, bespoke pull-out storage drawers that follow the line of the stairs are great – you can use these for shoes, one of my clients used cleverclosets.co.uk for theirs.
6. Designate a place for your post
Have a basket or letter holder for the post to be put in when it arrives – this stops it from spreading around the house and potentially getting misplaced.
Keeping on top of dealing with your post is another thing and paperwork is an issue in many of the homes I visit.
I recommend opening your post when it arrives to check whether it’s something you need to action. If not urgent, file it away (if you have an organised system) or put it into a designated basket which you regularly empty.
Any unwanted direct mail can be recycled straight away.
For a step-by-step guide on managing your paperwork read my 5 simple steps to help you organise your paperwork once and for all.
7. Return things to their home every evening
Get into the habit of checking your hallway before going to bed every evening. Take anything that needs to go upstairs and put it away. Do the same for things that live in the kitchen or living room. Once your hallway is organised, a quick 5-minute tidy each evening will help to maintain the calm, welcoming space you’ve created.
By following these tips, you can transform your hallway from a cluttered mess into an organized, welcoming space. A tidy hallway will set the tone for the rest of your home and make coming home a pleasant experience.
If you liked this blog please let me know in the comments below & share it with someone who'll find it useful!
Hi! I’m Sue, a professional home organiser and KonMari Consultant based in Hampshire, UK. I had the privilege of training with Marie Kondo, and by using her methods, I help growing families and empty nesters rightsize their homes.
We declutter and organise to clear space and time so they can get on with the important job of enjoying life.
Are you ready to start living A Life More Organised?
For a no-obligation chat about how I can help, please get in touch.
m: 07740 782575 www.alifemoreorganised.co.uk
I'd love to keep in touch - why not follow me on Instagram or join in the conversation in my Facebook group
.jpg){kind=small}
