Mudroom and Entryway Storage: Your Complete Guide

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Let your mudroom and entryway storage area be a welcoming and beautiful place. It’s the first place you see in your home, so it should leave a good first impression.

What is the first thing you see when you walk into your home? If it’s chaos and piles of things that don’t have a home, then let’s find some solutions. After you get home from a long day, this should be a place that feels peaceful and welcoming.

Your Complete Guide to Mudroom and Entryway Storage: Everything You Need to Know. Get Organized. Stay Organized. An entryway table in a mudroom topped with a black hat and a fluffy pillow next to a large plant, an open purse and a large patterned rug.

Wondering where to begin? Get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

Mudroom and Entryway Storage

The mudroom is such a difficult place to keep organized that Real Simple wrote about it (and we were honored to share our tips with them!).

Of all the places in your home, the entryway is one of the easiest places to junk up. It’s totally understandable. You get home, kick off your shoes and drop the mail. Then as you do all your other routines, all that stuff by the door is forgotten.

Even the name mudroom evokes images of dirt. It’s a messy area, right?

It doesn’t have to be.

The first place you walk into your house can be organized and clean, with a spot for everything you bring in. And this guide will show you how.

The perfect companion to this guide is our Take Back Control book. Download this book and go through each room of your home and create a calm and organized area that brings you peace and joy!

This guide will cover:

  1. What is a mudroom?
  2. What to keep in the entryway
  3. Mudroom storage ideas
  4. Entryway storage products
  5. How to keep your mudroom clean
  6. How to make your entryway welcoming

What is A Mudroom?

Before we get into how to organize a mudroom, let’s look at what a mudroom is.

A mudroom is a room where you can take off and store your shoes and coats before entering the main part of the house.

It is typically a large room with cabinets and places to keep things like hats and shoes.

It’s different from an entryway. Mudrooms typically have brick or tile floors and are used to take off dirty shoes before going into the clean house. Some mudrooms have indoor/outdoor rugs. It’s where the family enters the house.

The entryway is typically the area by the front door. It might have hardwood floors and a nicer indoor rug. Fancier homes might even have vestibules or foyers where you can take off your coat before entering the main house.

This guide will cover both the mudroom and the entryway since these ideas could be used for both.

What to Keep in Your Entryway, sunglasses, a scarf and newspapers on top of a modern chair on a woven rug with leather boots in a mudroom with tropical print pillows and a hat hanging on the wall.

What To Keep in the Entryway

Now that you know what the mudroom and entryway are, let’s look at what to store in them.

Remember: The best way to organize a room is to minimize how much stuff you keep.

These are the most common things people store in the entryway or mudroom:

  • Shoes
  • Coats
  • Hats and gloves
  • Keys
  • Bills and important papers
  • Outdoor toys/equipment
  • Bench or chair
  • Small table
  • Bags or purses

Basically, you need storage for your outwear, a place to sit when you take your shoes off, and a place to keep things that you bring in. You might also need a place for mail and other things that you bring in and out of the house.

In fact, lots of people set up a family command center in the entryway. This is the perfect place to store mail and keep track of schedules.

3 Clever Mudroom Storage Ideas, black crochet knit shoes on a woven mat in a mudroom with a leather purse and sunglasses

Mudroom Storage Ideas

How do you store everything that ends up in your mudroom or entryway? These ideas will help you keep everything tidy, without having to invest very much time into it. Always remember: everything should have a home. These tips will help you create a home for all your items in your entryway.

1. How to Store Shoes in the entryway

One of the most common storage problems in a mudroom is how to store shoes and boots. If you have a large family and a small entryway, you will have even more problems.

Here are some of the most popular shoe storage ideas that you can steal.

  • Baskets – Baskets are great for small shoes like flats and sandals.
  • Shoe Closet – A shoe closet will store bigger shoes like boots and sneakers.
  • Storage Bench – This will keep anything in it. Just be careful to store things in baskets inside the bench to avoid a big pile of shoes, making it tough to find the pair you need.
  • Shelves – You can place shoes in pairs on a shelf too.
  • Individual Cubbies – If you have space, give everyone in your family their own closet or cubby. They can keep their jackets and shoes in their own space.

What if you don’t have room in the mudroom for this furniture? Or if you don’t have a mudroom? For a small entryway, use these ideas for storing your shoes:

  • Bedroom Closet – This is the most obvious answer. Take your shoes off and carry them to your bedroom.
  • Garage Shelves – Create a shoe rack in your garage. This is a great idea if you have muddy boots or outdoor shoes.
  • Basement – Another place you can keep shoes is the basement. Just find a closet or some shelves that can keep them organized.
How to Organize Your Entryway, an entryway table with a book, tall lamp, binoculars and a small plant

2. Where to Put Mail and Keys

The second things that you will need to store when you walk in the door are your keys and all those papers you bring into the house.

For the best mail and paper storage ideas, try these:

  • Sorted Baskets – You can either sort them by mail type (bills, personal) or by family member.
  • Trash can or Recycle Bin – This is essential. Throw away or recycle any mail that you don’t need. Keeping trash laying around is a quick way to create a mess.
  • Hanging Baskets and Hooks – Some baskets can be stored on shelves. But if you don’t have shelves installed, you can actually hook the baskets to the wall. The Girls Build Club has a fun tutorial showing you how to do this.
  • Clips – If you receive invitations that you want to keep in front of your face so you don’t forget, clip them to the wall.

3. How To Create A Command Center in the Mudroom

One thing that will definitely keep you organized is a command center. You need something with a calendar, places for papers, and a place to give notes to members of the family.

If this is your first time creating a command center, we have a guide to family command centers that will help you.

The basics of an effective command center are:

  • Calendar
  • Paper Sorting and Storage
  • Notes for Family Members
  • Places for Keys
  • Reminders

To create your own command center, just follow these easy steps:

  1. Make a list of your priorities – Before you go shopping, identify what you need. Do you need a place for calendars? What about notes and reminders? What do you want this command center to do for you?
  2. Find the best products – Now you are ready to shop! Our command center post has some amazing resources for you.
  3. Create a system you will use – The most important part is to always create a system that will work with your everyday processes. Put it somewhere you will see and make it something you will be able to use, without it being a hassle.
The Best Products for Entryway Storage, an entry way table covered with home decor including a large photo of a house, a stack of magazines, candle, eyeglasses, a wooden bowl and a leather purse. Coats and a hat hanging on hangers.

Entryway Storage Products

What are the storage products that you need in your entryway? These are super useful and will increase your storage game!

Storage Bench

Every single entryway needs a storage bench. You use them to sit on to take your shoes off. They are wonderful when you need to put your bags on something that isn’t the floor.

And the best part? They have extra storage. You can keep a tote inside with hats and gloves so they don’t get lost. Really, the options are endless.

You can easily find a storage bench that matches your decor. There are so many of them out there – from the rustic ones to the more modern designs.

Closet

The next thing that will keep your entryway organized is some sort of closet. Depending on how much room you have, you can either install a custom wood closet, or a space-saving option with open racks for hanging up coats.

The most important thing you need is a place to hang up jackets and a shelf for items like hats and gloves.

Baskets

The third essential item for all entryways are baskets. The best thing about them is they can hold and store things while also looking beautifully decorative.

Some things you can store in baskets include mail, books, magazines, wallets, and sunglasses.

Hooks

Finally, install some hooks in your mudroom. There are so many things you can hang up on hooks – like jackets and purses – that help keep things organized and off the floor.

You can choose decorative hooks or even opt for the easy-to-remove Command Hooks.

How to Keep Your Mudroom Clean, Clothes, a purse, hats and shoes hanging on a rack in a family's mudroom or entryway in their home.

How to Keep Your Mudroom Clean

Now that you know how to create an organized space, how do you keep it that way? That’s the real question! Follow these tips to maintain your organization and keep it as tidy as the day you cleaned it.

  • Create manageable processes – What is the first thing you do when you walk in the door? Take 15 minutes to write down what you do and in what order. Then create a list of steps that will help you keep it clean. Do you take off your coat, then place your keys and shoes somewhere? Find a way to put them on the list.
  • Make it fit into your life – Keep the storage somewhere you can reach easily. If your storage solutions are awkward you won’t stick to them.
  • Only store what you need – Do not keep things that you don’t use. These things will just take up valuable space and make it more difficult to keep it clean.
  • Keep it seasonally appropriate – Keep things in storage if they are out of season. Put the winter stuff away in the summer, and vice versa. When you only keep the current season’s things in your entryway, you will have an easier time keeping it organized.
How to Make Your Entryway Welcoming, Close up of the feet of a woman wearing brown leather sandals, standing on a woven rug in a mudroom.

How to Make Your Entryway Welcoming

Finally, it’s important to decorate your mudroom and entryway so that it is a beacon of peace. You want it to be a sight that welcomes you home. How do you do that? Follow these tips for making it a place you smile at when you enter the home.

Add some personal pictures

Hang up pictures of your family or photos from past trips. Display pictures that bring joy to your heart. Just the sight of these images will make you smile and remind you that you are home.

Keep Loose Items put away

Piles of stuff will cause feelings of anxiety and scattered thoughts. So find a place to keep everything. When you see piles of random items starting to accumulate, handle them immediately.

Use Light Colors

Did you know that how you decorate can have a direct impact on how you feel about a room? Yes, it can actually make a room feel smaller or bigger. Keep the decor full of light and it will feel like a larger space.

Use light colors like whites and pale blues to make the room feel more open. Create accent colors of bright orange or yellow to invoke feelings of happiness.

Make It Smell Beautiful

The final key to creating a welcoming space is the smell. The mudroom might be a place where people take off their shoes, but it shouldn’t smell like dirty socks.

There are lots of safe ways to make a mudroom smell welcoming and clean. You can use plugin air fresheners. Another little-known hack is to hide scented dryer sheets in closets and baskets – the scent will permeate the entire space.

Above all, it’s important to make this space something you love, something that makes you smile! It will motivate you to keep it organized and set the tone for the entire house.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to store coats in the entryway?

This depends on how much room you have. Always measure your space before you install hooks or set up a coat rack.

How do I organize the coat closet in the entryway?

First, set up a closet rod so you have a place for your coats. Then, use baskets to store things like gloves and hats on a shelf. If you notice that things start to pile up on the floor, add more shelves and bins to hold everything and keep them organized.

How do you keep a family’s coats organized?

The very first step it to make sure that all the coasts in the entryway or closet are being used. Give away anything that your family isn’t wearing. Then, give each family member their own spot in the closet. When they can be responsible for their own things, it will be easier to keep them organized.

An Organized Mudroom Really Is Possible

There you have it! Everything you need to know about how to organize both a mudroom and a beautiful entryway. Let this first impression really set the mood for the rest of the house. Keep it organized and the rest of the home will follow!

Struggling to get motivated? Sign up to get our FREE guide, The 30-Minute Organizing Secret, and discover easy ways to overcome the chaos of clutter – even with kids at home!

Everything You Need to Know to Organize Your Mudroom: Your Complete Organization Guide, Clothes and shoes hanging on a rack in a family's mudroom or entryway in their home.

More home Organization Guides

After you organize your mudroom here are some more home organization guides that will help you create an organized space.

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