They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression — and your entryway, be it a sweeping stair hall or a humble alcove, is the first impression visitors will get of your home. It's also the first place you'll land when coming home after a day at work or a long weekend away, and a sort of waystation for all the random accumulated stuff of life. So get inspired by these entry halls from our 2012 house tours. More

We haven't yet seen our first snow day here in Chicago but, it being the beginning of December, it's only a matter of time. A boot tray is a winter essential for any home. It gives you a place to put your dripping, snow covered, salt crusted boots when you come home. And, as the snow melts, the lip of the tray collects the water and prevents messy puddles. Check out these ten boot trays, in different styles and price points. More

Ever since my husband and I moved into our 1997 split level, we've been slowly working at removing the builder grade finishes to really make it reflect our taste. A couple of weeks ago I finally finished making over the entryway. More

As the main entrance of the house, as well as being in eyesight from the kitchen, Sarah's mudroom was her dirty little secret that she wasn't really able to keep a secret. But after 5 years living with her entryway as an eyesore, she finally decided to tackle the project. Since she lives close to the water, it wasn't a stretch that she decided on a nautical theme for the room. More

We've talked about asking party guests to remove their shoes at the door before. In fact, it's been touched upon here, here, and here. The topic never comes up without a lively debate ensuing. But this post is for those who have decided, for whatever reason, that they'd like guests to remove their shoes. Maybe it's an intimate gathering of close friends only, maybe it's just family, or maybe you're comfortable with asking even a large gathering of guests to go shoe-less. Whatever the circumstances, we recommend ample storage right at the door: More

One day this week I looked in my coat closet and realized it had become a mess. Knowing layering season is closing in on us East Coast-ers, I got to work organizing. Now my closet has a place for coats, warm accessories, and all the other things from shoes to brooms. More

It wasn't exactly intentional, but I noticed the other day that I have a lot of orange in my home's entryway. Maybe it all started with the gray front door — I've always loved orange and gray together. However it happened, I find myself with quite a few orange accessories right where one walks into my house. All that orange makes for a warm, cheery welcome. More

Creating an organized way to enter your home can help keep outside clutter from overtaking your space. Today's One Minute Tip comes from Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy. More

Where do you stow your umbrella when not in use? Stuffed in the coat closet? Some other place that's less than convenient? Silly, that's why umbrella stands were invented! We looked around the web and rounded up our favorite umbrella holders — from simple vessels to more unique stands. More

Jacket, bag, keys ... there's a lot of stuff that you want to ditch the minute you walk in the door. Rather than tempt the clutter monster by dumping it all on the floor, a wall mounted hook can keep all your gear organized and accessible. Luckily there are a lot of options out there — these 10 are our favorites. More