By Johnson 
Entryways can rapidly become a dumping ground for all kinds of things, from clothing to mail and maybe even empty grocery bags. Often being the first place a person walks into when they arrive home, it’s incredibly easy to set things down and continue going about your day, forgetting the items are even there.
A cluttered entryway can be quite stressful, as well as a trip hazard waiting to happen. But if you know where to start and have an understanding of how to declutter your home, you’ll be able to avoid a few mistakes later down the line and have an area that brings you peace.
I asked professional organizers to share their decluttering secrets to restore order to even the most cluttered entryway spaces and maintain that new sense of order. Here’s the magic they imparted.
1. Figure Out Why Your Entryway Gets Cluttered
(Image credit: alessandra smith design)
Decluttering with long-term results is more than just going around space and throwing away anything you don’t like or want anymore. It goes deeper into analyzing your lifestyle, thought processes, and home.
Are you someone who gets home from work late and is prone to setting your belongings down as soon as you enter the door? Or perhaps you’re someone (like myself) who gets easily stressed, and you may simply forget to tidy up while feeling those emotions. Maybe your kids leave their mucky shoes on the doormat… which in turn creates a mess you do not want.
As noted by Bo Hellberg, CMO of String Furniture, a Scandinavian furniture brand known worldwide: “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to entryways, but the entryway is usually grants the first impression of your home. It’s best kept simple and uncluttered for all.”
So, get clear on the reason behind your “why” for decluttering your entryway and the reason behind the chaotic clutter. Once you have a better picture of this, you’ll be better equipped to declutter your entryway mindfully, which is more likely to be maintained over time and fend off entryway feng shui mistakes.
2. Look for Items That Land and Stay Stagnant
(Image credit: Architect: Robert GomezPhotographer: Robert GomezSource: BowerBird)
Want to know how to declutter when you are overwhelmed? A good place to start in the decluttering process of your entryway is by standing in the doorway and observing the space.
Are there items that have stayed in a specific area for too long and were never there originally? These items have found a new home in your entryway, and you’re now so used to seeing them that you’ve become clutter blind.
Mindy Godding, certified professional organizer, owner of Abundance Organizing and president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), says, “It’s important to keep a critical eye open for anything that clogs up your entryway space. Entryways are dynamic spaces by definition, where things flow in and out, so you may not notice the ebb and flow of stuff.”
Start by removing items from the entryway that never belonged there and returning them to their original homes. If you’re struggling to find space or a home for an item elsewhere, stop to ask yourself whether you truly need it —before either creating a new home for it or placing it in a pile to donate.
3. Eliminate Surplus Mail and Packaging
(Image credit: alessandra smith design)
There are a few things people with uncluttered entryways do, the first being getting rid of surplus mail and packaging. Mail is one of the most common forms of clutter in an entryway, from flyers to empty cardboard boxes and discarded packaging materials.
Cheryl Arzewski and Jordan Marks, co-owners of It’s Organized, LLC, tell us, “Boxes make their way into this space, often get unpacked, and sometimes things get left there only adding to the clutter.”
It can be easy to let mail and packaging pile up on the floor or in a corner to take to the recycling center, so it’s important to implement a rule in your home to keep the amount lingering in the space in check. “For example, if you store the week’s mail there — come Sunday, have a reminder on your phone to open the mail and remove it from your entryway,” says Cheryl and Jordan.
Not having a designated area in your entryway to store mail, such as a large basket like the Better Homes & Gardens Extra Large Round Poly Rattan Storage Basket with Handles from Walmart, is definitely a mistake. You can tuck this into a corner of your entryway or sit a smaller version onto another piece of furniture and place your mail in there. Then, at the end of every week, empty it of the week’s worth of unaddressed mail.
This works to help keep you accountable and prevent mail from accumulating on the floor.
4. Remove anything from near or on the stairs
(Image credit: Tennille Joy Interiors)
Oftentimes in a home, a small entryway is located near a staircase, and although it can be very tempting to combat the limited space by hanging extra coats off of the banister — this should be avoided! The sooner you break this habit, the less cluttered your entryway will look.
“Often, if the stairs are near the entry, we leave things there to bring upstairs,” say Cheryl and Jordan.” To combat this, the experts “recommend investing in a stair basket like the 14 inch wicker staircase basket with handles from Amazon to contain these items to one place and help prevent clutter.”
Once your basket is full, take time to return all of the items in there to their original homes. You could set a timer to see how much you can tidy away before it ends. The options are endless. Just don’t leave it there to become an ever-daunting pile of clutter in the space.
5. Relocate Off-Season Items
(Image credit: SIKORA INTERIORS Japandi interior)
The great thing about entryways is they tend to store all of the things we need when we’re about to go out: hats, coats, gloves, bags, keys, etc. But if you have a smaller entryway, having all of this stuff in the space year-round may make it feel cramped and, in turn, cluttered.
Relocating your seasonal items when not in use is an efficient way to combat clutter. It also helps make your entryway more useful, giving your entryway an injection of breathability and making it far easier to find everything you need before hopping out the door. Do your best to keep the items that remain in there tidy, though. Otherwise, you’ll struggle to find them, and the space will still feel cluttered.
“Most of what comes into the entryway are things you will use the following day, such as coats, bags, keys, and sunglasses,” say Cheryl and Jordan. “If you put them back where they belong and utilize the right storage products, you will have a decluttered entry and be ready for the next day.”
The Container Store sells a vast range of storage totes ideal for stashing away your off-season goods. These include Our Long Under Bed Box with Wheels and the Grey 16-compartment Under Bed Shoe Organizer, which doesn’t have to be stored under the bed. These containers will keep your items dust-free and ready to enjoy in the warmer months.
6. Think About Items That Will Help Maintain Order
(Image credit: H&M)
Organizing and decluttering are not considered to be the same thing, but they often go hand in hand. If you fail to organize your entryway space or do not have a clear decluttering method at hand, your space can be cluttered quite quickly.
Think about what practical and stylish storage pieces you can add that will help boost the practicality and functionality of your entryway space without making your entryway look smaller. The prime choices of furniture for a little entryway are narrow and optimized ways to use vertical storage instead of placing things on the floor, which is limited.
The Friesen polyester blend upholstered storage bench from Wayfair, for instance, is a great entryway seating idea, and it is relatively small and will double up while only taking up the floor space of one piece of furniture.
Along a similar thread of thought, if you have storage in your entryway space already that isn’t being used, ask yourself if it’s the correct piece to meet your family’s needs. There’s likely a reason why you aren’t using it, so items instead accumulate as clutter in your entryway.
How Often Should You Declutter an Entryway?
(Image credit: Architect: Palette Architecture PLLCPhotographer: Jody KivortSource: BowerBird)
Mindy Godding, certified professional organizer, owner of Abundance Organizing and president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), recommends carving out time to give your entryway a deep decluttering seasonally.
“Entryways should be decluttered at least once a season, including at the beginning and end of the school year or any time that you notice clutter building up,” explains Mindy. “Because your entry is the launching point for everyone’s day, you want this space to be efficient and clutter-free.”
However, as noted by Cheryl Arzewski and Jordan Marks, co-owners of It’s Organized, LLC, it’s good practice to keep on top of your decluttering day-to-day to the best of your ability. “If you take the time to declutter your entryway as you go with that little bit of daily time, you will probably start the next day off in a more efficient manner.”
FAQs
How can I make my entryway more welcoming?
If you want to make your entryway feel more welcoming, keeping the space tidy and inserting some decor or furniture pieces with character will warm up the space, cultivating an inviting, cozy feel.
“Incorporate fun decorative details that evoke the spirit of the season and make you smile,” says Mindy. “Add wall-mounted items like a mirror or art to liven up your entryway, or perhaps natural elements like plants to make the space more inviting.”
Cheryl and Jordan suggested the following product recommendations to add an elevated decorative touch and extra storage space for guests’ possessions to make your entryway irresistible: