Looking or budget-friendly organizing and storage ideas.

Pamela Wilkins
by Pamela Wilkins
16x10 very crowded back entry w laundry, water heater, closeted furnace, outside entrance door and inside entrance door
This view form the outer door
This view from the inner. Pantry overflow, tools outer wear and craft stuff all in here. Unfortunately, cash strapped. Need storage, organizing ideas.
  12 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 17, 2018

    https://www.hometalk.com/categories/organize/storage-solutions

  • Rymea Rymea on Mar 17, 2018

    You could add storage between the hot water heater and the washer dryer where there are two very shallow storage units that could be replaced with deeper shelves, with doors if possible. Also you could run a shelf all around the top of the room above the entry doors that could be for items you don't use very often.

    • Pat Russell Pat Russell on Mar 17, 2018

      Shelves above the doors around the room - yes! We did this in our kitchen years ago to show off some items not often used. You can save boxes from various deliveries which are the size to fit on the high shelf, cover with paper or Contact, or paint since the boxes will be corrugated cardboard. Put "pulls" which can be as simple as leather strips (from craft store, cheap) and use as baskets on the shelf.

  • Emily Emily on Mar 17, 2018

    1)You could have a shelving unit beside the back door that goes to the ceiling. It need not be deep but should be as wide as the space. (I don't know what the sunglass looking thing is or the yellow long thing, so they might impede this advice)

    2) instead of using a bar and hangers for the coats, you could use staggered hooks and utilize all the the wall space and maybe less than the floor space.

    3) I suggest measuring each of the appliances that must stay. Heater, washer, dryer. Then get graph paper and section off to represent the wall spaces and floor spaces. Lay all flat with floor in the middle. Now cut the appliances out of graph paper and place where they would be. . . on the graph paper. What is left over is the space you have for storage.


    Your entry is 76 more square feet than my kitchen. Check that out to see how I make every square inch count. Good luck.

  • Pamela Wilkins Pamela Wilkins on Mar 17, 2018

    I like the idea of a high shelf. Unfortunately my electrical panel is between the water heater and washer

  • Julie  McCuiston Julie McCuiston on Mar 17, 2018

    There are so many cool ideas here. Some cheap and some not....Dollar tree and thrift stores will be your best friend.....https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Organizing%20a%20laundry%20and%20mudroom&rs=typed&term_meta[]=Organizing%20a%20laundry%20and%20mudroom%7Ctyped

  • Julie  McCuiston Julie McCuiston on Mar 17, 2018

    Here are some cool ways to mask the elephant in the room....that water heater ;)

    https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=How%20to%20screen%20a%20hot%20water%20heater&rs=typed&term_meta[]=How%20to%20screen%20a%20hot%20water%20heater%7Ctyped


  • Julie  McCuiston Julie McCuiston on Mar 17, 2018

    Make sure you paint all your storage pieces the same color to help bring it all together.

  • Joy30150932 Joy30150932 on Mar 17, 2018

    Hooks and shelving may be the answer to your problem. Shelf above the washer and dryer and hooks for the other things at the end of the room.

  • Geew Geew on Mar 17, 2018

    De-clutter first, toss anything you haven't used in a year, then whittle it down to items you know you don't need. Then see what you have to work with.

  • Robin Fournier Robin Fournier on May 06, 2018

    FIRST: Get rid of what you haven't used in one year....second, buy used pretty wicker/weaved/wooden baskets (approximately 12inches in diameter so not too heavy to take down when needed) and put items you don't use daily in these baskets above your cabinet open space. Still need more space? My go to: Dollar store clear plastic Sterlite shoe boxes to organize cabinets (I use small clear storage bins also to organize spices because they are so expensive you don't want duplicates plus they expire so you want to use up what you have rather than have multiples.) You can also use slotted plate holders and turn them vertically/horizontal whichever works best and store frying pans and lids. Metal magazine racks also work well for smaller lids like plastic tupperware lids or disposable paper plates,cups and utensils . With a small kitchen you probably should not have a Costco Sam's club card due to you have no place to put extra dry goods! If you can't live without stocking up on a good deal or hate run out of things then if you have a garage, you can store large,bulky, non-food items(like toilet paper or paper towels) in larger clear containers so you can see and find it easily....if you don't have a storage shed or garage than when you are almost out of something, put that item on a shopping list.

  • Chas' Crazy Creations Chas' Crazy Creations on Oct 01, 2022

    I have several organizing posts that might help you https://chascrazycreations.com/diys/how-tos/organizing/