apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

well it certainly doesn't have crocs...and if it did, they'd never be lined up that neatly, unfortunately!

our 'closet' hides behind the open front door. We usually kick our shoes off into the closet and hang up our coats. Our landing strip has decided to take up home on my sideboard in the living room which just creates another clutter zone. If I had more room, I'd be more organized.
I love the cakestand idea though! We get so many flyers in the mail that I need to set up a basket for them to go straight into and recycle. What a waste!

My entry way looks like the picture, except w/o all the stuff! I kind of like a clean look when I walk in-- I think too much stuff at the entry would stress me out when I got home. I have a narrow console table with a small drawer for extra keys and sunglasses, with a piece of art above. I do need to get a small tray to keep on it, for everyone's regularly-used keys. I also have a small wooden statute of Ganesh-ji, and often a small vase with flowers.

We use a small dresser - the drawers hide tons of stuff! I think a mirror is essential in an entryway, and a nice little lamp to welcome you home.

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fresh photography for hip homes
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I am fortunate the my 500ish sq ft apartment has a rather large foyer.
I have a (Jacob by Arhaus) tall shelf with 8 open blocks--the block closest to the door holds a small basket that keeps my phone, sunglasses, etc. There is a bowl and ashtray for coins (to collect the quarters we need for the laundry room). The upper blocks hold books or objects and the lower ones hold large baskets for shoes.
A table holds some decorative objects and a wooden box for my husband's papers. A colorful collapsible bag beneath holds bags for the farmer's market and groceries.
A fabric shelf ("big eye garderobe" by Reisenthel) holds bike helmets and other supplies and has hooks below for keys, jackets, or bags.
There is also a multi-hook rack over the closet door for bags and jackets, but the coat closet mainly opens in winter unless I'm getting the vacuum or laundry supplies out.
I carry mail straight to the kitchen, where I toss, sort, and recycle. (my recycling system and bill storage system are there).
It's all working pretty well, but I put a tray on husband's dresser because he wears a suit and everything from his pockets ends up making it past the foyer.
My last need is the Ikea Sandnes shoe cabinet, because I have a shoe problem!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90111895

My entryway is modest. I put a bench along the one short but full wall and we put our shoes on and off there. DH wants me to make a quilt to put on the wall. It's a project that I hope to do this summer. Other than the bench, there's only a small carpet and a doorstop (made from a Lotta Jansdotter pattern) so the whole look is rather spare but clean.

Whereas the house pictured above has nothing more than a few Crocs, in Montreal entryways usually contain: down coats, snow pants, snow shoes, boots, house slippers (for when people take off their boots), hats, scarves, gloves, dog booties, towels (to wipe off dirty dog paws), and a snow shovel to be able to clear the front stoop.

We scoff at the supposed difficulties of maintaining a dish for keys and change, and a tray for mail.

A tall narrow bookshelf has turned out to be the perfect solution. Shoes on the bottom shelf. The small space forces us to actually put some of our shoes away in the bedrooms instead of letting htem all accumulate here. Bags on the next shelf up. Third shelf up is stuff on its way in/out. Again, the narrowness of the shelf keeps it under control. Fourth shelf is landing strip - keys, sunglasses, mail, loose change plus some decorative items. Top is all decorative. This is the first system I've had in my life that actually worked. Oh and there are coat hooks at adult and kid heights.