This Clever Organizer Is the Perfect Storage Solution for My Entryway Clutter (It’s So Versatile!)

I live in a moderately sized Brooklyn apartment with my husband and our dog. Although this apartment has more closet space than any other place we’ve ever lived in, it’s still been challenging to find the right “zones” to organize all of our stuff. One of our biggest issues is not having a designated entryway to put a console table to gather all the things we need before heading out. Our door opens right up into our dining and living room, making it impossible to have anything here. So we bought a small, dinky mail organizer to hang our keys, but as time went by, that organizer wasn’t holding up to what we needed.

That’s why I was so relieved to get a chance to road-test a storage solution for my entryway problem. As part of Apartment Therapy’s 2024 Organization Awards program, I got to try the Umbra Estique Shelf with Hooks (which won best mail and key holder in the entryway category) and as it turns out, it was exactly what we needed.

Before installing the Umbra Estique Shelf with Hooks, we would store our wallets on the other side of our dining room on a corner shelving unit, which made absolutely no sense from an organizational standpoint. But now, we can finally store our wallets in the same place as our keys. As someone who has a habit of forgetting both on my way out the door (I once had to climb over my neighbor’s deck and through my own window to get back in my home), having them right next to each other is a huge win. 

Beyond that, this handy organizer has added more storage to our entryway overall. Now, it holds onto all our essentials. In addition to our wallets and keys, we keep our dog waste bags, sunglasses, hats, and even gum here. The top tier of hooks are smaller and great for storing keys, while the bottom tier is larger and great for longer, heavier items, like purses and dog leashes.

Although a little pricey, the $44 organizer is much cheaper than the cost of buying an entire console table and bowls to hold your entryway items. Its solid construction of renewable wood and steel means it will stand the test of time.

Plus, it solves our biggest small-space storage problem as Brooklyn apartment dwellers. Not only does our entryway door enter right into a high-traffic living space, but our dining space is also connected to our living space, meaning that there’s traffic from two rooms passing right by the entrance to our apartment, all the time.

Even if we wanted to get an expensive and aesthetically pleasing console table for our keys, there’s no way we wouldn’t bump into it constantly, and it would take up precious square footage. The product is just over a foot long and wide (12.25”x12.15”, to be exact), and is hooked into the wall, secure and out of the way.

And even though we see this as the perfect organizer in our entryway, it’s not hard to see that it could be used in any room. With a 40-pound weight limit, you could use it in your bathroom to hang towels and face towels and store beauty products, or in your laundry room (if you’re lucky enough to have one) to organize detergents, laundry sheets, and more. 

Buy: Umbra Estique Shelf with Hooks, $44

Want to see more award-winning products? Explore our 2024 Organization Awards for our top picks.