In my home, winter is one of the most important periods for entryway organization for so many reasons — from adoring the holidays and wishing to improve the space's aesthetic to needing to ensure that all of my essentials are in the correct place so I stay warm and don't get sick.
Over the years, I've followed professional organizers, minimalists, and decluttering media religiously, as I'm a strong believer in the fact that a person's external environment can deeply impact peace of mind and the ability to thrive in space. So, as the friend who people turn to for organization advice, I thought I'd share with you my five-step organization routine to prep an entryway ahead of winter for top efficiency.
Once you implement these tips and learn how to organize an entryway season by season, you're going to stay warm all winter long and have absolutely no trouble finding what you're looking for. Without further ado, here is my five-step organizing schedule to get an entryway winter-ready.
1. Take everything out of the space
This is the first thing I do every year when winter rolls around, and it's time to bring those entryway ideas to life. To get a head start in my entryway makeover, I take everything out of the space. You'll be surprised by just how much stuff accumulates in an entryway throughout the seasons. Even as someone who would call themselves organized, little bits and pieces always manage to creep their way in.
I take all of my items out of the entryway into a different, larger room, such as the living room, to help me navigate my way through everything. Taking each item, one at a time, I begin to make categories: coats, a pile of accessories, such as hats, gloves, scarves and umbrellas, shoes, and miscellaneous items that make no sense to have in an entryway during the winter (such as a beach mat).
After my categories are clear, I place items that I may no longer need in the 'donate' pile or keep to look back at later as I shift my focus onto my other categories. Discarding items that no longer serve you and removing them from your entryway is important for the space.
I go through each of these remaining piles to see what's there and then go around the house, adding anything that may be missing to my categories. I ask myself the following: is my warm winter coat still in storage? How about the shoes with a good grip on the bottom so I won't fall over? The aim here is to end up with categories filled with everything you need to be comfortable and functional during the cold season. These categories will then be ready to organize back into your entryway space after you've got it in good shape.
I also always follow these extra tips when going through my entryway possessions. I check all coat and jacket pockets for old tissues or items, and to see if any items are in need of washing, repair, or replacement. I also note down a list of any items that are missing that I would like to buy.
2. Evaluate and clean your basic storage
Your entryway at this point will be looking pretty bare, which is the ideal time to evaluate your current storage systems. Look in your entryway and think about whether it has been working for you. When you come in with your bag, does it end up thrown on the floor because you have nowhere to hang it? Have you got enough space to store your shoes?
The essentials in my entryway consist of a two-tier wire shoe rack like the MAX Houser 2-Tier Metal Shoe Rack from Amazon, and a wall-mounted wooden hook rack similar to the Adamsville Wall 5 - Hook Wall Mounted Coat Rack from Wayfair to store coats, bags, and scarves. Wooden hooks are a great choice for durability, and I don't doubt that my heavier coats will remain securely hung on the wall. I love how my hook rack has a little shelf on the top which is perfect for seasonal decor.
I also have a thrifted mock-vintage white table with three drawers — similar to the Paignt Writing Desk from Wayfair but with three larger drawers down to the floor. My table is a converted writing desk that I restored and originally found for under $10. This is usually where I store items such as hats, warm pairs of boot socks, and gloves. The table space itself is where I place my letters, purse, and keys so they're easy to find near the door.
Additionally, I wipe down everything with a multipurpose cleaning spray to free drawers and surfaces from dust and dirt, paying particular attention to the shoe rack, as it can become muddy. The Pink Stuff, Miracle Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner from Walmart, available in many other stores, it's a reliable and well-reviewed choice for the job.
This year, I had a good ponder into what things every entryway should have, or what items could help to improve an entryway's practicality before winter, and I came up with a few ideas.
3. Install extra solutions for functionality
I personally find the best time to implement new items into your entryway, whether they are storage solutions or little time savers, is when the space is empty. You can see the space in its entirety, aesthetically and generally, helping you to know where items will be best placed.
Take a trip to the store or browse online to see if you can find anything you feel you are lacking. Is there never enough space for your coats? Perhaps a coat stand or some extra hooks will help you. If you are trying to decorate an awkward entryway size or shape, why not consider optimizing the space by finding ways to use vertical storage? You can opt for adding this 10 Tier 20 Pairs Shoe Storage Rack from Wayfair. If you hate having the soles of your shoes facing the floor when they are sat on a traditional shoe rack, why not look into one such as the Freestanding Boot Rack from Amazon. This product lets you store your shoes upside down, preventing any dirt from falling onto the floor.
After evaluating my entryway space, I purchase and install any new additions that will improve its organization and functionality before winter. This year, I added a boot tray similar to the Extra Large Boot Tray from Amazon underneath my wire shoe rack. I felt this would help keep mud, ice, and germs off of my entryway floor while also elevating the look of my shoe storage space. The tray is made from a material that can easily be cleaned using antibacterial surface wipes.
I also invested in a large wicker basket similar to the Braided Grass Storage Basket — Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia from Target to sit in the corner of my entryway. We've all had those days in winter when we just want to get home and into the warmth, so we don't have the energy to put all of our things away into our organization system. This basket will be for those days when I just want to toss off my hat and gloves and run straight in to make a hot cocoa. The items in the basket can then be addressed later, as they are kept safely in a designated place. Just be mindful that this basket doesn't become a permanent home for your items if you do this unless this simple addition truly makes your entryway more useful.
4. Organize your items back into your entryway
Once my entryway is equipped with all the storage and functional pieces, it's in a clean condition and my items are categorized — it's time to put things back in. I work category by category, targeting one space in the entryway at a time. More often than not, I hang up coats, scarves, and bags first because they are larger and the most visible items in the entryway. Tackling these first helps me to build momentum as I visually see the progress before me.
I hang coats on their hooks first, followed by scarves and bags. This ensures that my bags don't get buried under the coats and become difficult to find.
Next, I tackle the shoe rack, placing boots and taller shoes on the top rack so they don't get squashed. Finally, I add accessories such as my winter hats and gloves to the drawers.
I don't have much in my entryway drawers, but if I gather more in the future, I definitely plan to invest in some drawer dividers, such as the OXO Good Grips Expandable Drawer Divider from The Container Store. If you have more items in your entryway storage, these would definitly help to keep your categories separated.
5. Enter your entryway from the eyes of a guest
Once I've had a quick break to allow my head to get out of organizing mode, I step outside of my home and re-enter the entryway to see how it looks and feels. Doing this allows me to view my entryway from the perspective of entering my house, almost like a guest. I can stop to consider these questions: is everything where it most makes sense? Does anything seem missing? If I were tired and coming in from a cold, long day, do I have somewhere to put my things down without causing lots of friction in my brain?
If you'd like some help with this, you can ask a friend, partner or family member to answer these questions about your entryway. It can be super useful!
Naturally, as someone obsessed with Christmas, I add some finishing touches to my organized winter entryway every year, including a festive garland by the hook rack and a few cute ornaments to decorate the entryway table. They make an entryway feel cozy, and I enjoy switching up the decor.
Target has a bunch of lovely festive decor in stock at varying price points. The Costway 9ft Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Garland with Mixed Decorations and LED Lights is a wintry dream and would inject class into any entryway. It would be well accompanied by simple, minimalistic ornaments such as these Northlight Pinecones and Snowflakes Christmas Decorations from Target.
Alternatively, stringing up these Okuna Outpost 96 Pack Mini Christmas Tree Ball Ornaments from Target and hanging them up is a great, more affordable choice, offering plenty of cheerful colors. Add in some equally smile-inducing ornaments, like the 14" Lit Christmas Blow Mold Santa Sculpture — Wondershop™ from Target, and your entryway will be too lovely to leave.
Here's What a Professional Organizer Has to Say
I reached out to a professional organizer to ask what they thought of my method. Here's what they had to say. Mindy Godding, a certified professional organizer, owner of Abundance Organizing, and president of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), said: "Overall, I think your approach is spot-on! I love that you have implemented a routine, and you stick to it every year. Adopting lasting habits is the most effective way to maintain an organized home. Brava!".
Mindy further broke down what worked well about the method and what could potentially be added.
What Mindy loves: "Moving your sorting process to a larger room or space where you can spread out and make everything visible. You take the time to clean out all the pockets of your coats, inspect for any mending that’s needed, and generally care for the lifespan of your items. That’s a step most people miss! Incorporating fun details that evoke the spirit of the season and make you smile — like the decor on the shelf above your hooks. When an organizing system appeals to our sense of style and aesthetic, we are more likely to use it and keep it up during daily use."
What Mindy would add: "Add a decorative bowl or tray on top of your desk-turned-table to collect things you walk in holding and want to drop quickly, like keys and mail. This will add another decorative element to your space and also protect the finish on your table from wear and tear — especially from metal items like keys."
Mindy Continues: "Add a nice-looking wastebasket right inside the door or under the table to collect junk mail for recycling. This solution keeps third-class mail from cluttering the surfaces of your drop zones and ensures that paper is discarded sustainably. Add a small mirror and a lint roller so you can check your look and make sure you are put-together before you walk out the door."
