7 Easy Entryway Ideas to Help You Survive Winter

Although our buddy Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring this year, our experience tells us his forecast can be lacking a bit of accuracy. Despite some recent temperature fluctuations, we are still in the middle of winter here in Rhode Island. Preparation is key when dealing with unpredictable and variable weather conditions. If you live around here, you’ve experienced the range of “polar vortex” to t-shirt weather just this past week!

Many of the homes I visit feature a mudroom-type entryway. In my opinion, this space in a home is key for getting and staying organized. Having a designated place for coats, boots, bags, and other daily essentials near the door supports both leaving and returning home in a more timely and efficient manner. When you arrive home, hanging up your coat, tossing your hat and mittens in a basket, and taking shoes off right by the door keeps these items from migrating all over the house. When it’s time to leave - you’ll know everything you need is conveniently waiting for you by the door and you’ll make it to your next destination on time. There’s no need to waste time searching every room for that missing mitten!

Even if your home doesn’t have a mudroom, it’s possible to get creative and carve out a functional solution. An entryway doesn’t have to be fancy, the goal is function and ease of use. The basics are:

• Hooks on the wall for coats in use
• A mat for wiping feet and temporarily holding wet footwear
• A nearby basket or drawer for scarves, gloves, and hats: don’t worry about folding them neatly, just toss them in! What matters is that these items are stored together. If each member of your household gets a basket or drawer, your arrival/departure routines will be that much easier.
• Enough floor space and clearance by the door to safely navigate​

Some extra items to take into consideration - especially if you live in a snowy area:

• A shovel or two: in my experience, this is the most convenient way to get out the front door - shovel your way out!
• A tool for cleaning your car off (opening your car door with a foot of snow on it to retrieve the snow brush never goes well for me)
• A supply of ice melt: Store small amounts in a 2-gallon bucket with a cast-off food container for scooping. That way, you won’t have to deal with the 40-pound bag all at once. These buckets can be found at the hardware store and come with a lid for keeping pets (and small children) out.

Because of space constraints, I don’t keep these “extras” out all the time, I pull them out of the basement and keep them by the front door when needed. If you have the space, I’d recommend keeping these items by the door all winter long to save time and effort.

Once you’ve figured out what you want and need to keep by the front door, it’s a matter of staying consistent with your limits and habits in order to stay organized and efficient. A few guidelines my clients and myself follow are:

• When you arrive home, immediately remove your coat, shoes, and other accessories and place them in their designated homes.
• Wet gear might need a spin in the dryer or space to air dry. Do your best to put it back when dry so you’ll be ready to leave again.
• Designate a hook for reusable shopping bags – this is a great way to remember to take them with you!

What sorts of solutions or ideas do you have for your entryway? Are you inspired to try out one or more of these ideas? Leave a comment below!