fortunately, i've been doing this for quite a while! which helps me feel less guilty about all the other tasks i'm behind on for the cure...

Our "landing strip" is all in a jumble and needs some redesigning, so that we can actually use it properly. I think this will be rather relaxing actually, maybe some Cat Stevens is in order to get this task accomplished! This past weekend went well and we all enjoyed a lovely meal together.

I really wish there was a laundry organizing day! I need a system on how to keep on top it-

I have no entryway in my house. Our door opens directly into our kitchen. I do have a desk inside the door, which I'm trying to use as a landing strip, and a drip-mat for boots in the winter, but no where to hang coats! Also, I don't like coats in the kitchen because they seem to absorb the cooking smells. Does anyone else have a no-entryway house, or suggestions for dealing with it?

I really think a landing strip is a necessity. Before I had one, my kitchen counters would be covered in purses, scarves, baby supplies and junk mail. I made a glass door knob coat rack a while back (http://turningithome.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-hang-coats-on-glass-door-knobs.html). I have a bench with a basket under that to keep misc things (like things that need to be returned, toys that are easy to grab and bring on the road and an umbrella), another basket on the floor to hold shoes and a desk nearby with a mail holder. I don't know what I would do without my "landing strip"

My front door opens onto my hall, so it is narrow as soon as you step in. I could use the wall to the left of the door (behind the door when it is open), but I need a VERY slim table. About 4 inches wide. Anyone have any ideas?

My landing strip is in three places. The coat closet is in the back of the house, the shoe bin is at the front door with the mat, and purses, doggy things and other grab and go things are at the stair landing. I think I'm going to put a small bookcase at the front door to hold all the grab and go stuff, with a place for keys, mail, purses and doggy walking things. I can't do anything about the coats, but its not a big thing to head back there.

@vjm ... I would mount a skinny shelf behind the door. There are many options available for purchase, or you could diy one if you're the handy type.

I've been perfecting my landing strip recently and I think it's now in good, functional shape for me! I enter my apartment through a short hallway with the coat closet on the right wall, so I immediately hang up my coat on the way in. I also have hooks for scarves and my everyday bag just inside the door. A black leather bench/storage ottoman has a big tray for magazines and catalogs (junk mail gets thrown out in the recycling bin in the mail room downstairs) and is the home for my gym bag (so I can grab it easily on the way out the door in the morning). A dresser to the other side holds a small tray for sunglasses and mail and a bowl for my keys. I keep my Hunter rainboots by the door so they're always ready when I need them and put my other shoes away when I come in.

Hooray--something I'm already good at! I think that's because I literally collapse and can *never* find my keys if they don't have an assigned place. And I still need to work on a regular time to go through the important mail that piles up.

vjm, we got a shelf at Marshalls (I've seen them at Home Goods too) that looks like a piece of moulding. It's 3" or 4" deep. Hanging it meant hanging 2 screws for holes in the back of the shelves.

monet, what about those hooks you hang over the back of the door?

Buying an Ikea shoe holder six months back helped our entryway tons. Now to figure out what to do with husband's giant cooler and work bag which end up plopped inside. There is a coat closet but it's tiny. We'll have to think of something today!

Done! I already had a space for coats, boots and bags next to the door, now I've added a funky old wire umbrella stand for my canes and a vintage metal free standing shelf with some small baskets to hold shopping bags, library returns and other odds and ends under the window next to the door. Best of all it was stuff I already had lying around. I just knew I'd find a use for those things eventually. It only works because I got rid of a huge table that used to end up covered with piles of stuff and was only used for big dinners on rare occasions. Now I have a tiny table in a better spot and if there's a big dinner I can use a folding table stored away when not in use. It's amazing how much space and function are freed up by the change.

@TeaMaltese: My landing strip is also necessarily distributed around the house. Our coat closet is in the middle of the house, plus we have two entrances, and while we almost always come in one door, the mail comes in through the other. The one thing I really need is a consistent place to put my bag, so I like the bookcase idea, thanks!

Most of us who live in cities know that you never leave your wallet/purse (or your cell phone for that matter) near an entryway (where a burgler would find it easily) . . . . I have a two-story house, so my purse goes upstairs (to its hiding place) as soon as possible after I arrive home. You only have to be broken into and stolen from once to learn this lesson.

Also, I enter my home at the opposite end from where the mail does . . . so mail sorting happens at the front, whereas coat hanging, key hanging etc. at the back . . . so two "landing strips" . . . Just saying I agree with the concept, just want to emphasize the functionality aspect . . . it needs to work for where and how you live.

@monet 419, I also had this problem! I put hooks on the back of the door, like a bathrroom. All other coats live in the bedroom closets, and the ones we (family of four) are currently wearing go onto the hooks. We also don't have an exhaust fan/range hood in our kitchen, but since it's just our daily coats, which get washed roughly weekly or biweekly, the cooking smells don't really add up. someone gave me a tiny shoe rack that fits on our drip tray, and I put a basket on the top shelf for the misc. crap that needs to be sorted as we come in. Seems to be working?

This one is sort of done for me but part of it is going to be tough. I enter and exit through my laundry room because it connects to the garage. It's not wide enough with the washer and dryer to make a landing strip there. I don't have an entry way by the front door because it opens directly into the living room. The only other option would be in the dining room because I pass through there after leaving the laundry room. There is a coat closet right next to it that I already use for coats and some other storage. It's going to be the mail/purse/other items that will cause the big problem.

Hurray! I knew my overzealousness last weekend would pay off on future "Cure" assignments! After doing my floors last weekend I set up a shelf in the front hall for my purse, the mail, my shoes ... I do still need to hang the mirror that is leaning against the wall next to the shelf and get a real waste basket so I can get rid of the plastic bag that's hanging from the shelf.

Almost halfway through the month and already the change in my apartment is amazing. I never thought I'd get through all of the kitchen work over the weekend and still manage to cook for and entertain my half dozen guests yesterday, but I did it! My pantry is a thing of beauty today, and my refrigerator is cleaner than the day I moved in! My tasks for today are to finish my landing strip and get my invitations out for February 3rd.

@monet419, I have the same problem, as my front door opens directly into my living room (with no space for a LS), and my back door opens directly into my kitchen, between the oven and fridge. So, instead of one landing strip that catches everything, I have "stations." Shoes come off immediately at either door, and I keep baskets near both doors to contain those that do not go into my closet later. Mail is sorted at my kitchen counter. At my front door, there are bowls for keys and a basket for sunglasses. In between my front and back door, there is the closet where we keep coats. The coat goes directly there, and my purse hangs on the doorknob. My husband is a bike commuter, so I have baskets and hooks to corral his gear as well.

The "landing strip" is more about having a method and routine for dealing with all of the stuff of life, so you just need to find what works for you, and it need not be one specific location for everything if that does not work in your house. In many older homes, there is just not enough space for that. You sound like you have everything else covered, so maybe find a great coat rack that you like looking at if there is a spot for it. Otherwise, just make heading to a closet part of your routine.

I already have the mirror, a small shelf for shoes, key hangers and use the top of my dresser (which is in the landing strip and holds all my folded clothes) as a mitten/hat/wallet area. Need to put a few nice bowls for change and misc items I carry around in my bag, but also need when I'm at home (aka lipstick...). I hang my coat in my built-in closet, which is also in the landing strip, and also holds my outbox. So this is pretty much done for me if I find a few nice bowls!

@monet419: I also don't have an entryway; opens up to the kitchen. I have a coat closet next to the door, so that takes care of the coats, but no other area for the designated 'landing strip' contents. Also looking for inspiration and ideas! Good luck.

To have a hallway of my own my last flat had a long hallway enough for a console table, plant and had its on small cupboard for coats, my current flat the so called hallway is as wide as a standard front door and is as long as a standard front door a perfect cube! It has no natural light and is completely depressing. There is a hallway to the building but that is the landlords responsibility so may well have to make space elsewhere.

I got rid of my microwave last fall (I hadn't used it in months) and now use that space as a landing strip. For me another must is an electrical outlet to plug in my phone because if my phone does not stay near my bag, I forget it and leave it at home. Also, I keep my netbook (and its carrying case) charging in the landing strip. I carry it out of the house often, and it makes sense for it to be there. One more thing. I keep my watch in a bowl there--if I put it with my jewelry, I tend to forget it on some days.

I would love for my coat to be nearby but there isn't any space for it in the kitchen, plus as mentioned by another person, I do not want it in there. I have a new coat tree that I plan to put together by this time next week, so that will at least help some. I live in a climate that can vary widely in temps. Our high yesterday was 70; the temp this morning it was 26 degrees outside! Last winter I barely needed a coat; the winter before it snowed more than it had in a decade or two, just one storm after another. I will put the coat tree in the entrance area, but I do not come and go that way (instead through the garage/kitchen).

This overlaps with my project for the month. At the moment, landing in my house works like this: Open door. Pick up post. Drop junk mail in out door recycling bin. Step into house. Shut door while clutching post in teeth. Take off shoes while clutching post in teeth. Take off and hang up bags and coat while clutching post in teeth. Put down chewed looking post.

I'll be adding somewhere to put post down that I can reach with shoes on and off just as soon as the builders have finished rebuilding the storm porch. Tonight will have to be research or one of next week's tasks.

I made myself a landing strip a while back, but the little basket has been so full of crap for the past year or so that it is basically not functional. My front door open directly to the living room. I have a small dresser on the left side and the keys/purse/stuff portion takes up part of the top of that. There is a chair to the right of the door where people can sit to take off shoes if necessary. My own shoes always just slip off. Shoes go in a neat line under the dresser. There is a mirror over the dresser. I can hang a coat on the back of the chair if necessary, but I usually keep it on until the house warms up a bit and just put it in my room. Today I will try employing a small folding table I keep around and putting a couple of baskets on it next to the little chair to see if that is pleasing or functional at all. My daughter is home sick, so I have some time to catch up on the kitchen project as well.

Yay! This was my project earlier this month. I've been hanging coats over my stair bannister but finally bought coat hooks last week. The rest of my landing strip involves a chair near the doorway for bags, the coffee table for magazines and a small shelf for important mail. So my landing strip is in three places, but my tiny house means that the separate elements are only three feet apart.

Hi Monet419. I don't have an entryway either, so I've got my system spread out in 3 places - a bowl for keys, wallets, etc, with a shelf for mail below. Purse in tv armoire across the room. Coats in closet in the next room. It works really well for me, though my husband still dumps his stuff on the dining room table and I put it away later. I told him he should spend some time today thinking through whether there is something else we should do to make the system work better for him. Fingers crossed!

Thankfully, I had created a landing strip a couple of years ago when I first read the book. It's a bit of a mess right now b/c my outboxes are piled up next to the table. I've successfully trained my kids to hang their coats & put their shoes in the right spots (they are 8 & 6), but it's my husband that hangs his coat on the closet door instead of in the closet. Or tosses his keys on the mantle, or keeps them in his pocket, or puts them on his dresser instead of hanging them on the hook in the closet. I'm still working on him :)

So today, I can work on the kitchen some more! My big project is to hang cabinets in the kitchen nook & re-organize all the cabinets. So it's taking longer than the weekend. My husband hung the upper cabs & put in the lower cab & counter top this weekend, so we are getting there. Today I've already filled the upper cabs & am working on the rest of the kitchen. Last week I oiled the counters, so I don't have too much deep cleaning to do, thankfully. These floors seriously need mopping. Glad tomorrow's the big project day.

I'll email the final photo later this week (fingers crossed). The before was so bad!

My door opens into my kitchen also, and the stove is right there (clearance of about 6"). Tight space - no room, but I do have a 4" shelf behind the door which helps. I'm trying to keep the floor entirely clear here so that I can have an unobstructed work triangle, which is more important to me.

i think an important thing to note here is to make sure you're getting all statements paperless if possible!! online statements can reduce a lot of clutter.

also for junk mail...i think this app does actually work because now that i think of it we do get less junk mail so check out paper karma https://www.paperkarma.com/ they get rid of junk mail for you, you just take a picture of it and they do the rest

I have parts of a landing strip, but am still in need of a few things, like a decent table right by my door. Am I the only who thinks putting this together in one day when you have a full time job is a bit much?

Oh, this is a good one. I've been meaning to reorganize the coat closet for a while to make room for the purse, laptop bag and dog supplies. Right now the closet is being used as storage, and there isn't enough room in it for all the landing stuff. Today is the day to move those stored things to another storage closet and put up a few more hooks. I might even take a before/after pic.

The mail sorting part is already settled with a small console cabinet, and the shoes stay on the porch under a bench (or are removed and put in the shoe closet).

Sweet, I already do this. Guess this becomes a catch-up day for me :)

We don't have an entry hall really as our apartment's front door opens right into our kitchen, but we have a set of hooks outside the door in the hallway for coats and spot for boots and wet umbrellas, along with a doormat. We have another set of hooks on the back of the door to keep jackets we use when it gets chilly inside. I have a little mail slot with a whiteboard hung inside the door and we use the little counter to the right of the door as a spot for the boyfriend's keys and wallet. A little tray a friend gave me for Christmas holds those and perks up the spot (along with one of my weekend assignment flowers!)

I think tonight though I'll give the doormat a good vacuum and cull the coats on the hooks, as they have a tendency to pile up. We tend to put our bags on the kitchen chairs, but I'm thinking we could try putting them on the hooks instead.

Ugh. Our front door opens directly into our living room. There's plenty of room in our back room for this, but we park in front and never go in our back door because the alarm is set to trigger instantly back there. That leaves us with a roughly 12" span of wall to the left of the front door, which is currently occupied by an end table. With the end table there, there's no way to hang anything. Without the end table, there's no surface, unless we mount a shelf, which won't be enough for mail. And to be honest, I don't want mail cluttering up our living room side table.

So right now, we bring mail into the kitchen and try our best to keep it culled as it comes in, and sort what we need to keep into a temporary mail sorter that sits on our kitchen counter. That's where our key/change/etc tray currently sits, as well.

We live in Florida, so there aren't a lot of coats around. The dog leash is currently in the kitchen junk drawer. My purse goes on the dining room chair. Could we benefit from a more cohesive setup? Sure. But like @ecandle96 said, with a full-time job, I don't really have a ton of time today to go shopping and set up a nice, functional, permanent, attractive landing strip.

I might pop into Target later and do my best.

I'd LOVE to have a landing strip, but our front door opens directly into our very small living room/dining room, so all of the clutter ends up deposited on our dining room table which is the closest surface and jackets are draped over the chair backs - all of which makes me nuts. We also have a pile of shoes in another corner. This is definitely going to take some creative thinking.

I found this previous post from AT re the 'no- entryway entryway' issue.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-the-most-of-typical-rental-features-the-no-entryway-entry-167233

Hopefully that, and the comments on there, can help us!

Oh, and a friend recently purchased this for her no-entryway entryway so that her elderly father could put his shoes on at the door. It has a small profile.

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/caden-nailhead-stool/?pkey=coccasional-chairs&cm_src=occasional-chairs||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-

Take the time - when you have it - to find a table (or whatever else you may need for a functioning landing strip) that you will actually enjoy using when you arrive home. You don't have to complete everything today! I added things to my projects list this weekend which will take months to complete, and that's OK.

Our condo is a split level- when you enter, you are between floors ( as in, Being John Malkovitch!). There is a small closet to the right as you enter, but literally 4 feet in front of the door, are stairs to the mail level. Or, you can turn right off the landing to go down to the lower level (a long hall with a bedroom, wine cellar, and cat room at the end). While we have in the past had a container for wet umbrellas in this area, there is no room for a landing strip of any kind. Plus we are not comfortable with the idea of hanging keys so close to the front door in an area that is not easily viewed from anywhere in our apartment.

So-- we need a landing zone at the top of the stairs, which is an open area exposed to the entire living area.. or perhaps down a hall in the office. Something to prevent dining table from being the de-factor landing zone, which it is most days.

We have this, but it needs to be tidied up a bit. The key & change bowl has some receipts and other things (coupons, maybe?) that needs to get cleared out. I should also move some of the not-now coats into the back room, but the weather keeps changing, so it's hard to know what to keep out.

My problem is my work bag, which is too big and heavy to hang on the hooks, but doesn't have a home. We're rearranging some of our shelving this month as part of our project, so I'm thinking I need to carve out a permanent home for this bag.

I also want to buy a nice key bowl, but my husband has something particular in mind, and is keeping an eye out for that already, so it will have to wait!

What about a picture ledge like IKEA's Ribba für $10?
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20126065/

Does anyone have a suggestion for good looking doormat?

Also has anyone tried the Crate and Barrel teak doormat? Will it take dirt off shoes? Does it stain or mark the floor?
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/teak-18x30-doormat/s222898
Many thanks!

We have the same issue. I have been doing a lot of research online. It looks like there are a couple of solutions for people turning their garage into a "mudroom". Most of what I have seen, they place a bench and hooks on the garage wall right next to the door. I am working on redoing our entire wall just like that. I have the bench, now I just need the hooks for our coats/scarves/etc and somewhere to sort my mail and then I'll be set.

Woot! Something I'm already doing. It isn't in one space but is spread out because of the way our house is laid out and the fact that we don't have a front entry hall. But it works and it keeps us organized (although I'm bad about not hanging up my keys in the winter but rather leaving them in a coat pocket which produces a short mad scramble). I'm still working on convincing my husband to actually put his shoes away (IKEA Hemnes shoe cabinet) but at least I can generally get him to set them *under* the cabinet.

Now, to finish cleaning out the kitchen cabinets. I filled my outbox to overflowing but still didn't get all the cabinets cleaned out. (However, several lovely meals were made and enjoyed this weekend.)

This is such a brilliant idea. We actually have all of those things, but they are all in need of some serious cleaning. Too many unused coats on the coat rack; we need a new doormat, and our stack of mail is getting ridiculous.

VJM

How about a shelf instead of a table? It could hold the necessities and take up zero floor space. I recently bought a small shelf with ledge for displaying framed pictures from Ikea called RIBBA. They were fairly easy to install and were a great price. The come in 2 sizes.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20126065/

THE best door mat is the WaterHog at LL BEAN. It is not the cheapest priced mat, but you will not be replacing it in a couple years either. It holds a gallon of water depending on the size you get. Read the online reviews. They are very enthusiatic. I asked for one from my sister as a gift, she ended up buying 2 for herself and then another for my mom.

Notes: (1) If you are using it for outdoors, make sure you buy the outdoor type, i.e. water runs off the rug. If you are going to use it indoors, make sure you buy that type, i.e. water is retained in the rug with edges.
(2) The mat is a little deep, so make sure you have enough clearance to open your door over it.

doormat, one on the outside & one on the inside--check!
eames hang-it-all for my coats, purses, dog leashes--check!
grandmother's marble & wood shelf as my landing strip for my keys & mail--check!
grandmother's gilded mirror above said shelf--check, check!
boot tray from the container store underneath said shelf for winter boots--check!

at least ONE part of my life is on track ...

This has been on my to do list for some time. I love the "healthy home filter" analogy. It's so true. I have a kitchen island (scheduled for removal for additional reasons) that becomes clutter central at one end for the mail and pocket held gadgetry.

I was looking at doormats last week and was planning to pick something up this weekend so perfect timing.

I need to find a nice coat rack as my wall space for any wall hooks is roughly 1 foot wide. I'm tempted to squeeze in two hooks in said foot but it's right by the entry to my laundry room and I'd like to keep that limited space somewhat clear.

A side table for the keys, mail, wallet, cell phone, etc., has been on my list as well but I haven't found the right table yet. I think in my case smaller is better as the amount of mail in the past has occasionally expanded to fit the space available (kitchen island).

When guests are coming over this is the first thing they see. But as important (if not moreso), it's the first thing WE see when we go home. I don't know about anyone else, but stepping into the mire of chaos I've had at times is utterly depressing.

Sarajanie--
I did look at the LLBean Waterhog Everyspace. Functionally it seems great. But I'm not keen on any of the colors. What color do you have and do you like it?

Wow, I can nearly skip that one :D But only nearly... So up up and away :D

I did this about, I dunno, 7 years ago? When I started reading AT. (Somewhere on this site is a pic of my entryway, but I can't find it.) It is a GREAT idea....and it's been 7 years since I misplaced my keys! ;)

for the people who enter through the laundry room: what about a small tray that lives on top of your dryer? it can have small bowls to catch keys and pocket stuff, but the tray can be pushed back when it's time to fold laundry. either that or some small baskets mounted to the wall might work.

however, if you have an stacking washer/dryer, maybe some magnetic cups and hooks (like the kind kids use in their lockers) would work.

I need to buy a doormat.

My 'landing strip' is in several places.

Frequently used coats, etc on hooks in the hallway. Infrequently used coats, in the closet.
Wallet, keys, etc in bedside table, I empty my pockets as soon as I get in the house.
Snail mail, coffee table reviewed after dinner. Any trash is put in my bag to take to the shredding bins at the office. Anything urgent is dealt with at once. Anything not urgent goes in the 'review' box that I empty weekly and deal with the stuff in it.

We didn't have room for a landing strip like a desk, but we did have a coat closet. I hung a cool shelf system on the door inside the closet, which is great because it provide tons of space, but can all be shut away so I don't have to look at it.

See it here, http://bonnieprojects.blogspot.com/2012/10/scary-spaces-landing-strip.html

I received one of these awesome Vinoture coat racks and it has helped my sanity with the front entry area. The reclaimed wood looks great too.
http://www.houzz.com/projects/67237/Coat-Racks
http://www.vinoture.com/#!coatracks-by-vinoture-whitefi/c1nnm

This is something I'm trying to figure out myself - our entry is a 2'x2' space & the one free wall without a doorway has the meter housed there in a built in cabinet with a tiny shelf. At least we have the shelf to work with, but the second you open the door and try to enter wearing a proper winter coat, there's only space for you!

Thanks for the link NavyYarder.

Does anyone have a good narrow mail organizer that can be hung on a wall? I need 3 slots for mail, mine, husband, joint. And it can't be more than 11" wide

I'm all set ... you walk right into my dining "room" when you enter the apartment. There's a closet right there and a nearby bookcase has a basket on top that I found at Pier 1 Imports that is my mail organizer. Other stuff goes on the table for later handling.

Yay! This is the first area I tackled when I moved in. The only thing I have left to do is hang up artwork which I am waiting for the 29th!

@toastercat - I was trying to think of the same thing and I wonder if a small wood box or crate (something like a photo storage box) mounted sideways on the wall would work. It wouldn't have to be very deep. It would be even better if it had dividers to break it up into the three slots you mention. It would also give a small surface to use as a shelf.

I can find a bunch of vintage mail orgainzers that fit the size requirements on etsy... but they're all super ugly :)

There's a ton of these type of monstrosities on there:
http://img3.etsystatic.com/003/0/6536404/il_fullxfull.376572395_dh2l.jpg

I have to be creative with this one. I am fortunate to have a generous nook next to my front door, BUT the rest of the house is upstairs and it would be a big pitb to be going up and down the stairs all the time to access things like school bags. Some hooks strategically places in the kitchen and/or laundry (both at the top of the stairs) will be part of my solution for bags. The rest will require more thought.

My front entrance is sort of in between floors as well (thanks for the reference to Being John Malkovich, that made laugh) - a flight of stairs leads to the main level and another flight of stairs leads down to the basement.

I enter the house via the garage - the garage door opens into the basement. So I tend to dump a lot of mess right here.
The main foyer behind the front door is small and it does not take much to mess it up. It does have a minidresser with a dish for the keys. I usually have at least one pair of shoes there and often I dump my purse and/or lunchbag and/or laptop bag on the stairs leading to the main floor. Lately, I am trying to be more conscious of it and sort stuff as I go.

Personally, I find hooks useless because once you start hanging clothes on them it looks very messy. I wish I had a coat closet but I don't - I have to take everything to the hallway closet on the main level which really should be broom/vacuum cleaner closet.

Already when house hunting for my 1st house I set a firm rule that I don't want to see any house that don't have any front foyer. My realtor took me once to see a house that I was very interested in seeing as everything seemed to right -price, location, back yard for the dogs, etc. but when she unlocked the front door we found out you stepped right into the living room. I refused to look at the house at that point - no matter how right it was, the front door leading straight into the LR was a definite no-no for me. It may work for somebody in Texas or in Florida but not in Ontario.

Thanks to everyone for suggestions for those like me without an entryway. I never thought of hooks on the back of the door--I'm thinking this might be perfect for visitor's coats instead of on chairs in the living room.

We usually enter through the back door, which leads into a laundry room just big enough for machines and hot water heater. Even though we have coat hooks on the door leading into the kitchen, bags--diaper bag, purse, and backpack--are a problem. We have a shoe rack in the kitchen. I'm thinking of putting hooks somewhere for our bags.

Mail isn't a problem since that is done through the front door, and it isn't checked until I'm ready to deal with it.

We are lucky in that our apartment has a wide entryway, with a full closet. Unfortunately (I live with my sister), we use the entryway closet, not only for coats, sweaters and shoes but also jackets (for outfits). To help with the clutter that can tend to pile up, I moved a four-dresser in the entryway, put command hooks on either side (to hang small purses), attached a small over-the door coat hanger on the door leading into the laundry (another wonderful luxury in our apartment), set down a rug in front of the closet for shoes.
It keeps the area neat and tidy, we have a place to set down keys, sort mail (the dresser holds all types of odds and ends that don't necessarily have a spot ~ dog sweaters, collar, leash, warranties for appliances, etc.) A small picture hung up and it helps set the tone for the whole house....

This is a huge issue for me. When we enter the house, we walk into a tiny vestibule, with a radiator on one side and a closet on the other. You have to walk in, shut the door, and then when you open the closet, the opening faces the door, so it's kind of awkward to use (and impossible to use while ushering small children inside!).

From there, you go into a foyer, but there is a door that opens from the vestibule into the foyer, so the corner behind that is not convenient to use for anything like coats or a landing strip. The walls are open to the living and dining rooms, plus a staircase, which leaves a shallow little nook next to the stairs. We do have a key hanger there, where we hang keys and leashes, but nothing else is organized in that area. I have been thinking about putting up a shelf and hanging some low hooks, so my daughters could hang their coats (which usually are the biggest problem), and maybe add some baskets on the shelf for organizing hats and mittens? But I don't know. That still doesn't leave a good spot for mail (which always ends up on the dining room table on its way to the desk in the kitchen).

I feel like I might like a piece of furniture in the little "nook" area, but I haven't found anything yet that seems like it will work.

Here is a picture I snapped during the last cure, right after we moved in (three years ago!). The table and mirror are gone, and the area is just sitting there empty. Any ideas? http://www.flickr.com/photos/48219099@N02/4487253578/in/photostream

I'm also going to deal with the three bags of clothes that have been sitting in the entry waiting to go to Goodwill, since I can't remember when.

Like so many others, my landing strip is also in two places. My back door is where we come in, since we park the cars in the driveway behind the house. That goes right into my kitchen. So on one side of my door, I got a great big old wood free standing closet that I found in a thrift store. Coats and some shoes go in there. On the other side of the door, where there is no space for any real furniture because of the door, I have a key rack, and two ikea skar units side by side (they're only 7.5" deep so fit behind the door when it opens!). All the other shoes go in there, and ontop of the skar goes any miscellaneous items.

My front door, where the mailbox is, oddly enough opens into my dining room and not my living room, so I am looking for a narrow mail organizer to hang on the wall next to the front door and to put the mail in. Right now it ends up on the buffet in the dining room or on the dining room table, which is no good.

Oh and with the closed storage for my coats and shoes, my coats and shoes don't end up smelling like whatever I cooked for dinner last night!

My hallway isn't too bad, I already have a coat rack up. Only problem is my hall is tiny and pretty much opens straight onto the staircase so no room to put any table or shelves. I use a little table by the door of my living room for keys, wallets etc. Only problem we have is post as anything we leave lying around is at risk if being chewed up by the cats! So I ordered a slim wall-mounted key and post holder from Amazon this evening. I also put up a little mirror I bought in Marrkech that's just been sitting around so nice to get that on the wall.

In our super tiny one bed flat our landing strip is:
- coats and shoes in the wardrobe
- keys in the dining table drawer
- bags in the bedroom
- mail either in recycling, filed in important document filing box and to do in the drawer on top of it
As the flat is so tiny it's no effort to walk the 5 metres to the bedroom from the front door!

i'm so fortunate that the previous owners redesigned the kitchen and created a separate mud room. & it's totally functional, off the drive, hooks, mat, mirror, nooks and a door to close it from the rest of my space. i always wanted a mud room.

well, then. what's my problem?!?! having a mud room didn't do a lick to rid me of my bad HABIT of scattering stuff somewhat randomly, no chaotically, no where even close to the that room.

and the mail. i hate going through mail. piles everywhere. & not just one room, all over. it's maddening. help.

i'm exhausted thinking about it.
must sit down.
deep breathe.

this is actually my big project for this month. so can i procrastinate a bit longer?
...please :)

(i did do the weekend's kitchen project. so darn clean and shiny. sweetness!)

Landing strip already in use. Washed living and dining room floors. Still working on the kitchen. LOTS of items now in outbox.

I also have a multi-stage system that works very well. Enclosed front porch with hooks for coats & hats, rack for shoes, huge rubber door mat that doubles as boot tray (it's a stall mat, meant for a horse trailer or stall), shelves & hooks for dog stuff (lots--replacing plastic shelving with chromeis on The List), trash can for junk mail & envelopes & inserts from non-junk mail, recycling for anything recyclable. Open door, step directly into LR. On your left, bookcase, with a tin box my grandmother gave me, which holds wallet & glasses, & change jar. Hung on wall above is an old match safe for keys & work badge. Library books--top shelf of bookcase. When I come in from work I put my book bag, dinner bag & wallet on porch bench, come in, let dogs out, bring stuff in & sort it on kitchen island while the dogs are out--take books from bag, hang bag on hook inside doogroom door. Unpack dinner bag, put dishes in undersink dishpan, ice pack in freezer, bag in cupboard. When I get up in the afternoon I check the mailbox, sort the mail on the porch, & put the keepers on a small mail-sorter on a shelf just inside the dogroom (aka my home office) which I can reach without removing puppy gate.
Reassemble stuff in evening for work--just a matter of reversing the process. Leaving for anything else--keys, wallet, & glasses are right by the door.
I love the idea of the filter--that's how I think of it. Keep the c*** out of the house. And it works--no clutter here.

UK bear - can you hang an organizer (clear pockets?) on the back of the door or would that look just awful from inside? At least you don't/can't linger in the space - maybe a mirror would brighten it up - across from that hang a picture you love - dual images to cheer you as you enter! It'd be really fun if the picture was enhanced by the head/person passing by.

This is actually my task for the month (creating a functional entry-space in my entryway-less living room). There are plans for a mail catch, front rug that actually works, the art I'm hanging on the 29th and a few hooks for everyday coats.
That's an awful lot for a monday evening, though, so today (and in the days to come until I get a chance to work on my ATJC project) I tried to focus on truly using our current, multi-stationed landing strips (i.e. putting shoes and winter wrappings IN the closet instead of in front/on the chair, taking lunchbox TO the kitchen instead of just putting on the chair, hanging purse from dining room chair instead of putting it on the chair - sensing a theme?)

It's been great to read everyone's trials and triumphs. We're all doing great! (or at least we're doing which, I don't know about you, is more than I was doing before)

I had gotten a bit behind, but yea!, caught up this weekend. My landing strip is a bit of a mess, so it needs to be re-conceptualized. And I think some of the strips functions actually will be resolve by my January project. At least that is what I am telling myself. :>)

looking forward to some new tours soon, this is getting a bit old...just sayin.

i was just thinking about trying using a music stand for the "table," but i've loaned mine out. found something else for myself but if you have access to one, the music stand could be worth a shot.

Our door opens right into the living/dining area. We have a boot tray right by the door and a bench where J puts his briefcase every evening when he comes home from work. We also have a separate coat closet that is mere feet away from the door, so no hooks are needed for coats, etc. In our kitchen, which is also near the front door, I've created a landing strip next to the refrigerator for mail, receipts, notes for school, coupons, take out menus, my purse, etc. So far this system has worked well for us. Last weekend, I completely re-desiged the landing strip in the kitchen, so I'm a little ahead of schedule on that one.

My landing strip is a chair just inside the door. My all purpose bag goes on the seat. I hang coats, scarves and hats and purse on the posts. My shoes go under the chair. It's simple. It works. Just like many others I live in a small house with limited closets. I know where my things are waiting for me every morning and that makes the whole day start smoothly. Love my landing pad!

I love all the different landing strips and systems everyone is using. Just goes to show this kind of thing is totally personal. We change ours all the time, but I'm hoping that by the end of this month we have it down pat!

http://shoesoffplease.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/landing-strip-who-named-it-that/

We use our back sliding door to come into the house. The dining room table is directly in front of the door. The kitchen counter is just inside the door to the left. The laundry room door is just to the right. There is a coat rack my husband made in the laundry room with coats on it.
My husband uses the dining room table as his landing strip. He drops his notebook, keys, gloves and paper stuff and hangs his coat on the back of one of the dining chairs... then leaves it all there. I drop my gym bag on the floor and hang my purse on a chair. I go through my gym bag and prep for the following day, so it doesn't live there.
I would like to create an area that will work better for us, but space is limited. I'm thinking of hanging a small shelf just inside the door for him to place his keys and such. Maybe a couple of hooks below for keys and such. Then add a small mirror... That should work :)
We do have an entry way at our front door. It has a shoe rack/bench combo from Ikea and I'm going to pick up some decorative coat hooks for the wall. Thank you for the ideas!!

Love to hear about paperkarma, that is brilliant! I was curious about the Stop Junk Mail Campaign from nyc.org/greenyc on bus stops.

Got a lot done today - re-did the landing strip, as assigned. We'll see how it functions in the coming days. Cleaned the fronts of all the kitchen cabinets and top of the fridge. Installed "caulk strip" around the bathtub (has anyone ever used this stuff? I am a bit skeptical). Got an estimate for getting rid of a beehive in my wall (yes, you read that right) and scheduled the work for Saturday, then did some heavy pruning of a shrub that is in the way so that they can do their work. I have SO MUCH MORE to do to get ready for the appraisal, but I am feeling really good about what I have accomplished so far!

What about making a narrow shelf the exact size that works for the space ? :)

My front door opens right into the living room. To the left is a narrow hallway and that is where I hang our coats and the kids leave their bags and shoes. I really need to organize it a bit better though ... gets too jumbled. Any ideas more so for their bags that we tend to trip over !

as I made my pot of coffee this AM, i challenged myself to create a landing strip for my mail...right as i walk into my kitchen off the mud room on the end of the counter. i added a lovely large tray (for now). hopefully as the month proceeds i'll establish a new habit and in next year's JC 'dealing with my mail' won't be on 'the project list.'

I have an Eames Hang It All in black & walnut, which has transformed my entry area (which is probably 3ftx3ft). I absolutely love it. I used to keep a shredder near the entrance to my apartment, which was efficient (I have a terrible habit of letting junk mail pile up on the dining table) but not aesthetically pleasing. Maybe I can figure out a way to conceal it.

I also have this vintage dachshund mail rack by the door for urgent mail (and outgoing mail).

http://instagram.com/p/OtQs_ykJkS/

Oooohh. I already have a landing strip of sorts!

My old house only has 2 (bedroom) closets - no coat closet, so like other PPs, my landing strip is spread out. In our entryway behind the front door, I hung 4 hooks for our everyday coats and my purse with keys (I must be the only women in the world who uses the same purse everyday and only has 1 pair of sunglasses....). I also have a narrow (8") demi-lune table on an opposite wall with a basket underneath for mail, which gets dealt with daily when I feed my dog. Paperless billing means we hardly get any mail except for flyers, which are promptly recycled.

Further down the hallway, I recently installed Ikea's Hemnes Shoe Cabinet that's only 9" deep. Winter woolens and our dog's items (booties, poop bags, leash, harness, towel for wiping feet, etc) are stored there.

I hung 3 of Ikea's Trones Storage Cabinets on the staircase down to my basement to hold shoes, umbrellas, and rarely used hats. Boots don't fit so stay in the entry. Other coats are hung along the basement staircase, as well.

One issue is that I need to figure out where/how to store my husband's laptop bag who telecommutes a lot. Oh, and I STILL haven't bought flowers!

We installed a key holder a month ago and it has changed our lives, but we really need interior door mats. Thanks to whoever suggested the LL Bean mats - I just ordered one for the back door and if I like it, will get one for the front. Another good nudge!

Get a siftsort account and send your statements there. Way more secure than regular ol' email. https://www.siftsort.com/zooley/jsp/account/login.jsp to organize your important documents VERY SECURELY!

We have a landing strip, but it's turned into the black hole of our house. We need to be better about cleaning it up and keeping items moving through that space, rather than getting lost there. I've been meaning to clean it out, but filing our mail away is a task I'm just not ready for. This is a good nudge to get going.

Me too! I think I might buy a small shredder for underneath my entry table because all the ads and junk mail are overwhelming.

I'm telling myself that I would remember to use it and shred all of our sensitive materials instead of just forgetting it is under the table and letting the mess pile up again like I usually do :-/ haha

Phew, this is one I've already got set up! It can always use some tidying though...

Does anyone else have a pushchair (stroller)? The wheels on mine are always wet/muddy. My hall is long and narrow so nowhere to leave a pushchair and still get past. Currently I have a cheap washable rug which I roll backwards and forwards over to get the worst of the dirt off. It stops me tracking dirt through the house but a muddy rug isn't a great look. Does anyone have any better ideas?

Like a lot of people here, I have little stations around my place instead of one central location for a landing trip. I have a simple hook by the door for keeping keys. We have a doormat, and an additional small mat we use to line up our shoes when we walk in the door. We don't wear shoes in the house, so when guests come, it can be a little chaotic on the shoe mat. I'd love to get one of those ikea shoe storage cabinets, and use the surface for leaving mail and things. It would be difficult for me to squeeze it by the door without making the area too cluttered. I hope I can pull it off! About 15 feet from the entry way, there is a large closet we use to hold our coats, and hooks and a shelf for umbrellas, hats, scarves. Its definitely a jumble, so I'm planning on getting some woven baskets to organize those things. The closet also doubles as our liquor cabinet/utility closet/dog food pantry. Hehe

Peg M -

I agree with the colors, they are not very interesting. I don't like the patterns that much either. I bet LL Bean would be totally open to ideas... especially if they thought it meant more sales.

The one I got is brown and maybe a repeating square pattern.. kinda forget. The idea behind the color was more to hide the dirt. I do like it, but it shows light colored cat hair. It is easy to clean... I vacuum it or if its really dirty, I scrub it down in the tub with dishwashing liquid and hot water. It is too heavy/thick for a washing machine.

For this purpose, function outweighs style since it saves me from having to track mud & other crap everywhere or having to mop the floor. I got the waterhog for my first winter with a big dog (and no yard, i.e. all trips outside are supervised, in ALL weather). It kept the salt, ice, snow, leaves, paint, dirt, poop, ... everything! from being tracked much further into my home. It gave my dog (RIP!) a stopping point so I could dry her off. Her feet would slip and slide on the floor, so the mat helped with that too. I think any mat would do that but this one is more durable IMO.

Definitely shop around and buy what you love.

Here's my before and after.

http://talkandsleep.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/january-cure-a-landing-strip/

Our front door opens directly into the living room, but I was able to create a little "entry area" & the "landing strip" always seemed to be working out okay. Hook for the keys. check! Hooks for the every day coats. check! Wire basket for holding gloves, hats, scarves. check! A bowl for pocket stuff. check! Tray for hold wet boots & shoes. check! Mirror with shelf by the door. check! But the old fashioned telephone table that we had by the door (complete with black antique telephone on white lace doily- so cute!) to sit down & take off/put on our boots & shoes always seemed too confined. I'm not a large person, but sitting down on that little table with bags in my arms, etc just didn't fully do it for me. I always felt cramped & had to drop all my bags on the floor while I sat down to take off boots. Also, hubby & I couldn't sit down together when we came in so he had a tendency to just let me sit to take off my muddy boots while he tried to tip toe across the floor- instead of leaving full boot prints he would leave tip-toe prints! A few days after reading this post I was driving past a used furniture store that specializes in Mexican wood furniture. Lo & behold, sitting right out front was the VERY 10' solid wood bench I imagined that would solve my landing strip dilemma!!! And it was only $100! And it fits PERFECTLY along the wall by the door & under the big front window. So, along with the fact that there is ample room for both our bums to sit side by side, the wire basket is now off the floor & on the 8" wide shelf that runs under the length of the bench AND my hubby was able to take his 3 potted plants that sat on over turned wire crates under the window & place them at the other end of the bench! We have a cute black hand painted Mexican pillow (with blue peacocks) that we decided would be cute propped against the wall on the bench (hubby said I can now remove my muddy boots AND rest my weary back at the same time!). The whole deal is not only immensely functional, but LOOKS awesome as part of the living room. Now...where to put that telephone table....

I love this idea!! Now comes the challenge: after divorcing I moved to a tiny studio (yes, I know: studios are already small so "tiny studio" defines my spaces which is more like a shoebox. Cute, though. I picked up a little chest of drawers that will be painted and put it next to the entrance: et voila.... My landingsstrip. Works perfectly: a vase with flowers that says "welcome home," when I return...my Indian bowl holding keys and-what-other-little-stuff-I-might-need on my way out and even a small pile of books just in case I end up @ a coffee place and want to read..... What a great idea, thanks!!!

I just finished this task today. I ordered a post a key holder from Amazon which my husband put up on the wall next to our cost rack. I also re-purposed a decorative bowl that had been languishing in a box which is on the table by the phone for change and other bits and pieces. Hopefully this system will work!