Post-KonMari: How to Organize Your Keys, Mail and More
Keep your entryway neat and clutter-free with these must-haves and nice-to-have options
Laura Gaskill
February 4, 2018
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Decluttering course + discount for Houzzers: https://www.lauragaskill.com/welcome-houzzers
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Once you’ve pared back the paper piles and purged the junk drawer, think of organizing as the final step of completion to your decluttering project. By taking the time to arrange what’s left in a way that is pleasing to the eye and functional in your daily life, you can more easily maintain a tidy, clutter-free space. To help bring order to the entryway, we’ll look at the storage and organizing tools that are really crucial in maintaining a tidy space, plus a few optional nice-to-have extras.
Must-Haves
Recycling bin. You’ve gotten rid of the paper piles, but keeping up with new incoming paper is key if you want to keep your space clutter-free. Place a roomy recycling basket as near the front door as you can, and drop the junk mail, catalogs and envelopes right in.
An attractive woven basket (like the one shown here) means you can proudly keep it front and center instead of trying to hide it away — and end up neglecting to use it.
‘Tidying Up’ Author Marie Kondo Tells How to ‘Spark Joy’ at Home
Recycling bin. You’ve gotten rid of the paper piles, but keeping up with new incoming paper is key if you want to keep your space clutter-free. Place a roomy recycling basket as near the front door as you can, and drop the junk mail, catalogs and envelopes right in.
An attractive woven basket (like the one shown here) means you can proudly keep it front and center instead of trying to hide it away — and end up neglecting to use it.
‘Tidying Up’ Author Marie Kondo Tells How to ‘Spark Joy’ at Home
Drop zones for incoming and outgoing mail. Once the junk mail and envelopes have been weeded out, you need to have a clear place to put the remaining paper that comes in your door. A pair of incoming and outgoing mail baskets is a simple way to keep all the paper that enters your home in one place, so you know exactly where that bill or wedding invitation is when you need it.
Wall hooks or pegs. Having an easy spot to hang up coats and bags keeps piles of stuff from accumulating on the floor (and every other open surface). Choose big, sturdy pegs or hooks that can hold a heavy winter coat or school bag without letting it slip off.
If you have young children in the house, be sure to include a few lower hooks as well.
If you have young children in the house, be sure to include a few lower hooks as well.
A definitive place to put your keys. Whether you opt for hooks, a dish or a tray, the important thing is to use the same place consistently. Installing small wall hooks beside the door (like the ones shown here) is a convenient way to sneak in a spot for keys in a small entryway.
If you have a more spacious entry, a drop bowl on a console table works well. Just keep it small; otherwise, you’ll be tempted to toss in other things too.
If you have a more spacious entry, a drop bowl on a console table works well. Just keep it small; otherwise, you’ll be tempted to toss in other things too.
A place for shoes. Shoes, like coats and bags, also tend to pile up near the door. A boot tray can help keep shoes neat and your floor clean. If you need space for more shoes, consider a closed cabinet with shoe storage inside. It will hold a lot while keeping visual clutter to a minimum.
Sasquatch Books
A drawer (or basket) of essentials. The drawer or shelf nearest your door is prime real estate, so use this space wisely and fill it only with essentials. What counts as “essential” completely depends on you. Perhaps you would find it helpful to keep an extra hairbrush, a Sharpie for marking kids’ clothes and lunches, or stamps for mailing bills here. Or it could be a good place for the dog’s leash, a lint roller and hand towels for wiping muddy paws.
What doesn’t belong here? Anything you do not reach for regularly on your way into or out of the house.
What doesn’t belong here? Anything you do not reach for regularly on your way into or out of the house.
Nice Additions
A more precise mail sorting system. If there are a lot of people in your household or you’re in a busy phase of life, you may do better with a more comprehensive mail-sorting system. For example, you could assign a (clearly labeled) mail slot to each person, dedicate a separate mail slot to bills and devote another to school papers that need attention.
Just remember, complex is not always better, so err on the side of too few categories rather than too many. If you can’t figure out where to put a paper within a few seconds, the system needs to be simplified.
A more precise mail sorting system. If there are a lot of people in your household or you’re in a busy phase of life, you may do better with a more comprehensive mail-sorting system. For example, you could assign a (clearly labeled) mail slot to each person, dedicate a separate mail slot to bills and devote another to school papers that need attention.
Just remember, complex is not always better, so err on the side of too few categories rather than too many. If you can’t figure out where to put a paper within a few seconds, the system needs to be simplified.
Quick-access files. If you tend to let piles of mail build up in the entryway because it’s too much effort to bring them to your desk to file, keeping a file drawer within reach can help. In this highly visible spot, it’s worth choosing an attractive option like the wood-topped cabinet shown here. Alternatively, you could stash an expanding file inside the drawer of a console table.
Find a two-drawer filing cabinet
Find a two-drawer filing cabinet
Charging station. Having one dedicated spot to store — and charge up — your tech gadgets is a smart strategy. It makes sense to do this in the entryway because you’ll always have your (fully charged) phone within reach as you head out the door.
More
How to Manage Your Daily Mail
Simplifying: Which Papers to Keep and Which to Toss
Houzz TV: Key Elements of an Organized Entryway
More
How to Manage Your Daily Mail
Simplifying: Which Papers to Keep and Which to Toss
Houzz TV: Key Elements of an Organized Entryway
Related Products
Whispering Pine Construction will build your house to your specifications. Our residential new construction crew... Read More
Related Stories
Housekeeping
Choose Your Own Spring Cleaning Plan
Instead of trying to do it all, pick one of these six cleaning approaches that’s right for you now
Full Story
Home Offices
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Home Office
Follow these steps to get rid of the paper piles and make room for beauty and better organization
Full Story
Decluttering
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Living Room
Make this a space you enjoy by paring back and filling it with things you love
Full Story
Feel-Good Home
How to Get a Joyful, Clutter-Free Dining Room
Some tidying tips — and a focus on what makes you happy — will help you get a handle on the dining-room drop zone
Full Story
Decluttering
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Bathroom
Streamline your bath and your bathing routine to create a place of renewal
Full Story
Kitchen Design
How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-Free Kitchen
Give yourself room to cook and relax by assessing how you use your counters, cabinets and corners
Full Story
Decluttering
10 Decluttering Projects You Can Do in 15 Minutes or Less
Try these ideas to get organized at home one small step at a time
Full Story
Feel-Good Home
15 Simple Organizing Tools and Where They Work Best
You’ve created clutter-free zones at home. Now choose organizing products to help keep them that way
Full Story
Home Offices
How to Set Up Your Home Office on Nearly Any Budget
Control clutter in your workspace with home office ideas that address your storage needs and work with your budget
Full Story
Decluttering
How to Form New Habits That Keep Your Home Clutter-Free
Tired of an untidy house? Try a new approach by adopting habits that automatically keep your home orderly
Full Story
I understand the "unwinding" issue, but we no longer have a landline house phone, just our cell phones. Like Misha, I prefer to have my cell near me especially when retiring for the night. My nightstand is where I charge my phone each evening.
I've read one KonMari book and I don't think she would recommend having a basket at the front door for junk mail if it really belongs in the recycling or trash. Placing it in the pretty basket just means you have to empty it later which really is just delaying the inevitable and creates a second step in the cleaning process.