Entry/foyer

We lost our small foyer closet to hvac needs. I understand this situation. We placed a handmade coat rack with hooks on the wall by the door and it helps immensely. If you have building skills building a tall hall tree with hooks and seated bin storage would be another idea.

The space in front of the window does look big enough to add a large closet there. You can hand a rack on the wall or even a stand up coat rack. Maybe even limit the amount of coats you keep down stairs.

all about maximizing visible storage and giving the foyer good flow, while making the space work for your family's needs in an intuitive, easy way.

would make the wall to the left of your window coat central. i'd put a mudroom-wall, w storage to the ceiling and everyone getting their own cubbies, or have a lot of hooks at various heights all over that wall. if doing hooks, i'd also look at having one of those cube shelves below the hooks, and assingning everyone a box or two to store all their random cold weather gear and other going-outside accessories in. also makes it a lot easier when it's time to clean up. implement a "it has to fit in your cubbies" rule to keep clutter at bay.

definitely put a bench slash/some sort storage (maybe more of that cube storage?) underneath the window, so you've got a spot to sit when you're taking your shoes off.

shoe-storage: think floating shelves & maximizing wall space. i could see either floating shelves or a small bookshelf to the right of the window that'd be perfect for shoe storage. would put floating shelves across the whole wall above the fire place, or on either side of the mirror. you've got some real nice kicks, so having them up on these shelves is both a way to display them while storing them. handbags also look real nice stacked on shelves.

maybe put some storage (more of those damn cube cabinets) on the backside of your sofa, to maximize that space.

also seems like you might need a vanity/lady-stuff area. i'd put that long side table under the window and use that as a vanity/charging station/mail-drop/etc spot. would take the space in front on the fire place and put a short bookshelf or shoe rack there.

you might also really like a lighter paint color, or new curtains in a lighter color.

hope this helps

Hello there,

My first thought is to fit out your whole room with storage.

Left hand side of the window floor to ceiling cabinet. Run under the window with a seat storage for shoes. Floor to ceiling cupboard Right side of window. Remove the white fire? surround. and replace with a long cabinet with drawers above (Vanity/Sideboard). Hope that helps! Should give you clear floor area.

Hi Carmine, have you checked out IKEA? You will be amazed with what you can do with the space to add storage ideas. let go of that window, and you could put a large tall closet right there all along that wall. that would give you a ton of space. You might have to purchase 2-3 closet bureaus and put them together you will have to see what they offer and the sizes. It looks like you aren't using the window anyway now that you have coat rack there. something to think about and you will feel so much better. Also before the closet goes up, make sure to do a purge on things you really NEED.

The first thing I would do is take any out of season shoes, coats, etc and pack them away in totes. The easiest way to deal with the coats and handbags is to attach a a rack with hooks to the wall. For the shoes, a bench with storage underneath is a great solution.

How about a freestanding closet where the table is? (Far left of your photo).

I would utilize the wall with the fireplace surround to make clothes racks and containers for shoes and gloves. Use bifold doors to enclose it or make it look like separate lockers with each door on hinges. Move the table that has the shoes on it to under the window to hold keys, mail etc. If you still feel you need more storage space, incorporate storage window seats under the smaller windows. Make sure it does not hinder the traffic pattern. Noticed you have plastic on the windows and that you are blocking the baseboard heat with clothes. Put an area rug in the room to catch snow, dirt. It is a nice room with a lot of space to work with. Definitely unclutter it.

Carmine: since you're not "using" the window, you could stack storage cubes in that area. (Be sure to secure them, so they don't fall over.). I've used these, with good success in both my closet and foyer. (The canvas bins hide a multitude of "sins" -- just assign family members their space!)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-6-Cube-Storage-Organizer-Multiple-Colors/373304232

The coat rack has to go! It is practical and probably was a good idea at the time, but is just clutter now. Wash an dry any out of season garments, put them away if in good shape.

Remove the white fireplace mantle-surround and the bench under it.

Hang wall hooks on multiple levels to the left of the side window (dark curtains) with a wall protector of some sort so the zippers do not scratch the wall.

The bins & boxes, is there something you really need to store in them in this room? Or at all?

I would get a stand alone closet (armoire) and a cute bench with storage to hide things and hang coats in

Hi, Carmine! What I see from your pictures are several challenges. 1. Improvised storage. 2. A messy looking area. 3. What MUST be stuff that isn't often used hanging out with everything else.

So, first the coats, jackets, shoes, boxes and do-dads need to be put where they belong or thrown away. If they are not in use, they should go into the proper person's closet or whatever room they belong in. Nail polish doesn't need to be near the front door! (this collecting-at-the-door issue happens in every home.) That will downsize the clutter. Then take a look at what's left. Find or make a shoe rack (boards placed between storage cubes works really well) and assign a shelf for each individual. Also assign the storage box or cube to that person.

Next, the coats. Again, determining what ones are used the most will really help. I see the heater along the floor, so a wardrobe type of furniture will not help. Can you establish a coat rack??? Take another board (like the one holding the handbags) and place it right across the window from one end of the wall to the other. Secure it to as many studs as you can find. Screw on as many coat hooks as needed. Coats and jackets can be hung on the hooks or hangars. The shoe rack storage area can go beneath this.

Finally, if this area still looks messy, consider hanging a rod at the height of your door molding from one wall to the other and hang shower curtains from it to perk up the whole wall and hide everything. These are just suggestions to get you thinking. Hope it helps!

Remove the mirror and mantle. Then you could have a bench with storage beneath for shoes, maybe a basket per person. Add hooks on the wall for coats.

You could also put lockers for the same type storage.

I would define space and limit number of items per person.

Thank you all for your suggestions/ideas is something that I really need to work on it, We don’t use this entrance much,house has small bedrooms W small closet that a hanger doesn’t fit straight and small bathrooms you don’t realize that when you buy first home and don’t think about it. After this pandemic thing settles down I’ll go out and put your ideas to work. Thanks and stay safe!

Get a large wardrobe to hang the coats and store shoes. Then add more storage shelves etc for anything else you need.

Hi Carmine, I was thinking, you can build a few of these wardrobes for your self, for each room, you can put doors on if you like, but it would sure tidy things up for you, hope this helps, good luck, also i know you can purchase different styles of wardrobes as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2QrmA4h_c

Would love to see the finished entry, please be sure to post the after picture.

You are so lucky to have this room, bet it will be beautiful when you are organized.

Ikea has nice wardrobes and small closets. ou may try that avenue. This way you would not have to build from scratch.

Hi! I love hooks and racks, but, when they get filled with stuff, it just gets messy looking. Try to limit family members to just what they are using/wearing for hanging up coats and jackets. Limit the footwear to what fits in a boot tray. Keep hats and gloves either in a basket or in coat pockets. This is one area you want less, not more stored there. Good luck and stay well!

I would suggest that you designate one half of the room as a defined foyer/ entrance. Take the pictures off the wall, so that the wall space can be used more efficiently than it is now. Have a dedicated place for each different type of item, for example, all the shoes in one place, all the purses in another, etc.

Here are a few of floor-space-saving ideas for recessed storage. They could be incorporated into the design of a closet if one were to be built.

I would go with built in cabinets all around the window in white or off white, whichever color is on the door and window frames now. Go floor to ceiling. If you want, add a closet rod. Go lighter color paint on the walls, to match. You can easily trim it out with crown moulding to make it look like built-in cabinetry. Stay away from curtains unless you absolutely must have them for privacy. Overall, I would make all this space light and bright. It will look clean and cheerful and may, just maybe, encourage family members to hang up and put away their items. If you need decor ideas, maybe some slogans, like "We are family...where everyone hangs together". You know, cute, meaningful and a pun!

How about an armoire?