5 Surprising Secrets to a Functional, Clutter-Free Entryway (Get Out the Door Faster!)

When it comes to hardworking rooms in the house, I almost always think of the kitchen. However, when it comes to getting in and out of the house, a transition that happens multiple times a day, there’s another ubiquitous but often-overlooked hardworking space: the entryway. 

Not only does it send us off into the world and welcome us home, but it sets the tone for all our comings and goings. This threshold deserves more attention. 

Especially for families who have children to get out the door in the mornings or, frankly any time of the day (IYKYK), an entryway that’s thoughtfully set up to support smooth transitions has the power to keep everyone more calm during some of the most stressful parts of the day. 

I spoke to organizing expert and mother Jessica Litman of The Organized Mama, who specializes in helping families implement “thoughtfully designed routines and spaces” about setting up a functional entry space. Here’s what she had to say about how to pair your entryway with your routine so the space works for you any time you’re rushing out of the house.

A functional entryway means less frenzied mornings and more getting out the door smoothly. Litman’s number one tip is to create zones in your entryway that support your routine. “Think of grouping items that go together and zoning them off in your entryway,” she says. 

For example, “All work documents/supplies can be stored together in a bin so you can grab what you need and go. Then when you get home, empty those work items into the same bin. This allows things to make it from work to home without placing it in different areas,” Litman explains. Having zones means you know the exact location of the items you need to bring with you out the door, which means no scrambling to find things when you’re under a time crunch. (Talk about stressful!) 

It’s also important to designate a zone for the things you need to grab every time you head out. “Store car keys, sunglasses, wallet/purse in another zone like a bin or on a hook.” Litman details that “this helps keep everything together while still looking good for any guests who come by.” She loves using bins to quickly create zones: “You can use an entryway table to line up bins with specific purposes. This helps keep things looking tidy but also functional!”

Kids’ school stuff, as any parent knows, is a whole category of items that includes backpacks, lunch boxes, sports equipment, shoes, water bottles, and jackets. Litman loves using laundry baskets to corral them. “Everything gets dumped into the laundry basket,” she explains. “Then everything stays together in one place and the kids don’t have to think about putting their stuff in multiple locations because that never works!” Litman emphasizes that “keeping things simple is the way to go.” 

In addition to the items adults and children need to bring with them out the door, Litman proposes something unexpected: a refill spot. “Other than the obvious, like everything you need for the following day, I recommend having a refill spot. This spot is specifically for things like extra hand sanitizer, Band-Aids, chapstick, Kleenex, etc., the things that may need to be refilled in your purse, backpack, car, or bag.” 

A refill station leads to smoother transitions. “When you keep them in a location close to your entryway, you can grab them because you know you are going to remember as you’re walking out the door!” she explains. 

When asked about how to keep a clutter-free entryway, Litman offers another surprising solution. “This may be controversial, but shoe organizers [and] racks completely clutter the entryway,” she says. “No one puts their shoes on the organizer, they take up space, and just look cluttered.” Rather than using the entryway as shoe storage, Litman suggests only keeping the shoes you’re currently using in the space. That said, Litman isn’t against shoe racks; she just prefers them to be inside a closet instead of out. 

The same goes for jackets. “Also storing all the jackets at your entryway makes it too cluttered,” she states. “Only store the jacket you plan to use. Then keep the extra jackets in a different location.” 

Keeping extra shoes and jackets put away doesn’t only minimize physical clutter, it reduces mental clutter and eliminates decision fatigue, making mornings far less frantic. Litman puts it this way: “Limit clutter and decisions when trying to get out the door in the morning. The fewer decisions to be made in the morning, the easier it is to get out the door. So limit the options by removing anything that doesn’t need to be there.”

“An optimal entryway is one that helps you get out the door without forgetting things,” says Litman, pointing out that “there isn’t one perfect setup that will help you not feel like a hot mess getting out the door.” She emphasizes, “You just need to find the easiest solution for your family and the setup of your home.” 

She adds that the best station for getting in and out of the house might not even be the actual entryway. “Some families work well with a hall closet as their dumping ground for all the things while others use their dining room as their station for getting out the door,” she says. “Find something that works for you and go with that.”

Your kids may benefit from some extra support to remind them of what needs to be done. “For young children, having a checklist or visual chart to help them take ownership of things can be so helpful,” says Litman. “Older kids can easily use a checklist or flowchart for getting their stuff together in the morning.” Litman shares, “I also like using sticky notes to remind me of things I need to do. I will number them and follow the order of each task I write on each note so I don’t have to remember all the things in the morning.”

This post originally appeared on Cubby. See it there: 5 Surprising Secrets to a Functional, Clutter-Free Entryway (Get Out the Door Faster!)