Home » Misc » Front entry closet

Front entry closet


10 tips for hallway closets |

(Image credit: Future)

Entryway closet ideas are a brilliant way to keep your home organized, but creating an entryway that is both practical and beautiful can be a difficult balance. 

An essential part of the home, an entryway closet is a space that needs to tick all of the boxes: it should be practical, work hard, be easy to organize – and good looking.

Factoring in plenty of closet storage for coats, bags and boots is an essential entryway idea if you don’t have a boot room as it will help keep the hallway clear making the space feel calm, welcoming. Having a clutter-free space will also help set you in a positive frame of mind as you exit the house so that you are ready to tackle the day ahead.

Entryway closet ideas – 10 tips for a clutter-free entrance

From interior details to inventive suggestions for entryway storage ideas, these design-led entryway closet ideas will inspire your scheme. 

1. Make use of every inch

(Image credit: The Cotswold Company )

'There is a plethora of off-the-peg pieces on the market which can help keep hallway storage at bay and add a design feature to an entryway closet,' says Paul Deckland, The Cotswold Company .  

'We recommend choosing pieces that are versatile and work hard for you, for busy family homes, an entryway closet is perfect for housing coats, shoes and keys conveniently by the front door.'

2. Invest in built-in closets for awkward spaces

(Image credit: Neptune)

'In old houses, you can be left dealing with awkward nooks and crannies that however hard you try, don't fit conventional cabinets and storage units,' says Melanie Griffiths, editor, Period Living. 'This is where it's best to invest in a joiner who can make you a bespoke entryway closet, the benefits far outweigh the costs as you really get to have what suits you and your family best.'

3. Opt for a mix of storage options

(Image credit: The Cotswold Company)

'For a family home, a hallway closest, shoe cupboard and modern entryway bench ideas are perfect to house coats and shoes for all the family,' advises Paul Deckland, The Cotswold Company . 'Using pieces with seating space, is also practical when there are several people leaving the house at once. '

4. Go for a truly bespoke entryway closet

(Image credit: Kitchen Makers)

'The entryway is often an under-appreciated area that offers great potential, both for style and shoe storage ideas,' says Ben Burbidge, Managing Director at Kitchen Makers . 'If space is limited, take a creative approach with built in cupboards and drawers. Try to use every available inch and wherever possible opt for dual purpose; such as a seating area with a shoe storage area underneath. 

An entryway is also the perfect space in which to experiment with color, or to add accents that complement the rest of the house,'

5. Make the most of existing features

(Image credit: VSP Interiors )

'Some old houses will come with entry closets that were built-in, potentially for different uses to what one may need today, but nonetheless, really useful spaces that can be converted with hanging and drawer storage for all of your entryway storage needs,' says Andrea Childs, editor, Country Homes & Interiors.

6. Go high with your cabinetry 

(Image credit: Roundhouse)

'The entryway performs as a gateway to the main house and kitchen,' says Ben Hawkswell, senior designer at Roundhouse . 'Therefore, we needed it to be stylish and hard wearing. Our Rough Sawn Oak textured veneer creates a natural feel, while also being durable, so the owners can be confident that it will stand the test of time in this high traffic space.'

'We took advantage of the high ceilings and built the cabinetry over and around the doorway and created a neat little bench in front of the concealed shoe storage dresser.'

7. Paint your entryway closet in a bold color

(Image credit: Garden Trading)

Liven up entryway ideas for apartments by painting the closet cabinets in a vibrant color. Be sure to use a durable, wipeable finish suitable for use on wood as these are high-traffic areas susceptible to knocks and scrapes.

'Create an all encompassing feel by painting your entryway closet and surrounding walls in a deep navy,' says Lucy Searle, editor-in-chief, Homes & Gardens. 'Add in some invaluable shoe storage, a peg rail to keep all your outdoor essentials in order.'

8. Create a two-tone scheme 

(Image credit: Little Greene)

A two-tone scheme is a simple way to breathe new life into any existing hallway paint ideas. This design feature means you can incorporate a splash of bold color with a calmer one, as well as making it easier for you to choose between your favourite colors.

'Rich dark greens have a receding quality that gives the illusion of walls being further away, doing away with the myth that smaller spaces should be painted in lighter colors to make them seem bigger,' says Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene .

9. Use symmetry with your entryway closets

(Image credit: Hush Kitchens)

Symmetry in interior design creates balance and a feeling of calm – and while it is wonderfully elegant in large rooms, it can also create a feeling of enhanced space in smaller rooms, and those that are very busy.

'In this Cotswold farmhouse, each side of the entrance hall is a mirror image of each other creating symmetry,' says Chris Spink, founder of Hush Kitchens . 'Bespoke floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinets stand either side of the door providing a variety of storage options (both closed and open shelving), while useful oak topped benches featuring useful pull-out drawers flank each wall.'

10. Utilize the space under the stairs 

(Image credit: Mylands)

'For the space conscious, under stairs ideas for a small entryway are just what you need to ensure one of the most cumbersome parts of the house is not being underused,' says Jennifer Ebert, digital editor, Homes & Gardens.

‘Awkward spaces like the one under the stairs present the perfect opportunity to be creative,’ says interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch . ‘We make a point of devising intelligent entryway storage solutions for our clients to help them to get the most out of their home.’

Under stairs cupboards make great entryway closets, offering height at one end for tall tools and appliances. Plus, they can be painted to match the rest of the home, as demonstrated here. 

How do I organize my entryway closet?

The best way to organize an entryway closet is to make a list of everything you need when you enter and exit your home. Good storage makes or breaks an entryway – and you can never have enough hooks, hangers, cupboard and cubbies to keep all your kit in place.

A mix of open and closed cabinets, shelving, hooks, and shoe racks should all figure in your entryway closet ideas.

Sophie has been an interior stylist and journalist for over 20 years and has worked for many of the main interior magazines during that time, both in-house and as a freelancer. On the side, as well as being the News Editor for indie magazine, 91, she trained to be a florist in 2019 and launched The Prettiest Posy where she curates beautiful flowers for modern weddings and events. For H&G, she writes features about interior design – and is known for having an eye for a beautiful room.

Ideas for Organizing the Front Hall Closet

Little by little, I’ve been working my way through our first level, streamlining, organizing and decorating each and every space. One spot that has needed the very most attention since the minute all the boxes were unpacked last summer was our front hall closet. Transitioning from a massive foyer full of storage in our California home to this single coat closet was a challenge in and of itself, but then we were also accessing cold and wet weather gear far more than we were used to. All that combined with the lack of good storage systems led to a complete and total disaster, as well as a lot of exasperation and wasted energy every time we (dared) opened the door. Truth be told, organizing the front hall closet took just an afternoon, and we’ve been reaping the benefits of more function and less chaos every day since. Let me show you everything I did to get this small closet functioning for our family of 5!

The Front Hall Closet | Before

Let’s start with some embarrassing before photos, shall we? Once the moving boxes cleared, everything that “logically” went in this closet landed here. However, I never really got around to adding baskets, shelves…anything…before Jack was born, the holidays, etc. As a result, the disaster just grew. Getting anything in/out was a total pain, finding the right hats/gloves for each person was an exercise in perseverance, and the lack of any storage system meant everything was stuffed…literally…on the floor.

 

Since I interacted with this mess multiple times a day, I knew intimately what needed to be fixed. As such, I had four main priorities when organizing the front hall closet:

  1. The closet needed to store the items we use daily (e.g., coats, hats, gloves, umbrellas) in a very accessible way.
  2. The floor needed to be clear so that getting the vacuum and ironing board in/out was possible/easier.
  3. We needed a dedicated spot for the diaper bag since it was always landing on the kitchen/family room floor and getting tripped over.
  4. We needed to be able to easily close the closet door.

I knew by taking better advantage of both the back of the door and the space above the existing shelf, I could accomplish all four of these goals. Here is where we ended up!

Yes, I sure do love how neat and tidy this closet looks, but the greater reward has been the positive impact of less stuff and better storage. After months of wrestling items in and out of this space, it’s such a treat to have a place for everything and everything in that place. Annnnd…the door closes without curse words. That alone is a huge victory! Let me break down what all we did!

Utilize the Back of the Door

As I said before, we transitioned from a foyer with 16 storage cubbies to this single closet, so I knew I’d needed to carve out some additional storage somewhere. Since I really wanted an easy way for each family member to grab their own hats/gloves/sunglasses as we are walking out the door AND I wanted to keep the floor clear, back-of-the-door storage was the obvious solution.

 

I have long loved the streamlined look and impeccable functionality of the Elfa System (at The Container Store), but have never really had reason to give it a try. I knew they had lots of options for behind-the-door storage, and once I discovered these systems were 100% renter-friendly (it’s all hung via tension, no screws or drilling!!!!), I was totally in.

I evaluated aaaallll the various door options against the specific functionality we needed. Although I would have loved to trick out our door with every basket, board and hook available, my priorities were 1) spots for the most-grabbed items (hats, gloves, sunglasses, earphones) and 2) a spot for the diaper bag. I ultimately landed on this arrangement, but since I wanted it in white, I had to shop for each piece individually. Here’s what I bought:

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

 

With two 2.5″ tall boards outfitted with hooks, we were able to designate places for baseball caps and the diaper bag on the top half of the system. My original hope was to use a hook on either side of the lower board for both my diaper bag and Henry’s school backpack; but right now, there is no school backpack, so I am using up all the real estate.

I opted for the two deeper baskets on the bottom of the installation to give us each a mini “cubby” to catch those things we are always grabbing/leaving on the counter and floor.

Since they are a generous size and positioned down low, my hope is that the kids will (ultimately) be self-sufficient as we’re getting out of the house. Right now, we still have hats and gloves in them because winter just doesn’t want to seem to leave, but other things like water bottles, earphones, phone holders, keys etc often land here as well!

No, Elfa doesn’t make segmented baskets. I just used my trick of pairing cord holders and cardboard rectangles wrapped in pretty paper to make surprisingly sturdy dividers!

After installing this savvy little system (in about 15 minutes by the way!), our most-used items now had easily-accessible homes, so I could turn my attention to improving the look and function of the rest of the closet!

Take Advantage of All the Height

The other thing I did to help achieve my main priorities was to take advantage of all the empty space in the top 1/3 of the closet. For the life of me, I don’t understand why closets have a huge open space above the shelf. Nothing really fits “well” there, and you almost always end up with either 1) wasted space or 2) things stacked precariously on top of each other.

Adding a shelf halfway between the existing shelf and the ceiling meant that we could not only store things all the way up, but nothing was stacked on top of each other…ultimately making everything much easier to get down.

This shelf is nothing fancy. In fact, we’ve used these same brackets+shelves over and over in home after home. I did need to get a new board cut to fit the closet’s width; but otherwise, I just spray painted a pair of brackets we already had on hand.

When hanging an additional shelf using brackets, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

This extra shelf is high, so we primarily use these baskets to store things we don’t need super-frequent access to. Currently, the Hats and Rain baskets are down low, and the Warm (gloves, scarves) and Swim baskets are up higher. As the seasons change, we can swap baskets to the lower shelf as needed.

Hang What Is (Really) Used

Finally, let’s chat quickly about what the closet is really intended for: coats! Having lived in CA for the past few years, we had gotten really out of the habit of needing various coats based on the weather. So when we first moved in, we put every last coat we owned in this closet. But the reality is, we each tend to grab the same few coat for various weather events (e.g, cold weather, rain, workout, etc). So we all purged down our coats to the ones we really wear and now only store those in this closet. This quick “get real” decluttering session reduced what’s stored here down to a much more manageable level.

We have three boys…and we somehow have lots of blue coats. While it might seem a bit silly, we were having trouble with the right person grabbing the right coat (especially when we were hurriedly trying to get to the bus stop). So that each person can quickly and easily identify which coats are theirs, I wrapped small scraps of color-coded vinyl around each hanger. This not only identifies the coats, but also helps us to quickly group the same person’s coats all together if the closet gets jumbled!

Label Love

With the blue baskets being opaque and the white cubby baskets being prone to confusion, labels were a must. I simply used some of my favorite white+gold tags from Michaels and labeled them with words/monograms cut from Adhesive-Backed Paper on my Cricut Joy (you can see how I did it here).

 

I said it already but just to reiterate…I really should have done this closet makeover so much sooner. At least before winter when we were digging through it every.single.day. Now to have it so easy-breezy and functional is such a game changer. This project was such a great reminder to me (and hopefully to you!) that the benefits of organizing projects are almost always increased time and reduced frustration…well, the good looks certainly don’t hurt either 😉

See You Soon!
Megan

15 cool closets for storage

If your apartment has a few free meters, this is a reason to make a closet. Are you a happy owner of a pantry? Can you even set aside an entire room for clothes and shoes? You are lucky! We will help you find the very interior idea that will make the dressing room space perfect for you.

Storage room

It is here that it is logical to make a dressing room in the first place if you have a small apartment. True, the modest size of housing suggests an even less modest size of the pantry. But anyway, as experience shows, this cramped room will very soon become a warehouse for everything that you will ever need later. That is, never. So place here boxes with shoes, clothes and various accessories that are always lost throughout the apartment and are in the most unexpected places!

U-shaped layout is appropriate in such a narrow space, but with narrow shelves. But under the ceiling. You can make wide shelves in the pantry along one wall, then a lot of clothes on a long bar will fit above them. There will also be space for upper shelves. Opposite, hang a full-length mirror. And don't forget good lighting.

It is better to paint the walls in light shades of beige or milky gray - at least not by much, but still the pantry will seem larger. And the most inexpensive and comfortable rods can be chosen in Leroy Merlin stores.

Niche

Not all apartments can boast of niches, but if the architect provided such a gift for residents when designing a house, in a hundred cases out of a hundred there will be a dressing room in such a niche. And this is logical.

Further variants are possible. If you like to flaunt the details of your wardrobe, leave the niche open. Let your guests marvel at the colorful sweaters and new cardigans you arrange artistically. Of course, vacuuming the room more frequently is essential if you don't want dust to settle on your clothes.

Are you a perfectionist or just don't like cleaning? Close the niche with doors. They can be of any shape and type: hinged, accordion-like, beautifully sliding into the wall…

You can simply place a wardrobe in a niche and surround it with boxes, boxes and suitcases. Also artistically, of course. It is better not to place a chest of drawers in a niche so as not to create a feeling of congestion: look for another place in the room for it. But first, check out the new line of inexpensive chests of drawers from IKEA.

Corner dressing room

Regardless of the size of the room, it is possible to make a corner dressing room in it. The advantages of such a solution are obvious: you only need to order doors, while shelves can be attached directly to the walls, while the configuration of the room acquires a boring geometry.

A lot more things can be placed in such a dressing room, because there is no need to save on the width of the shelves. Here you can store an ironing board, irons and other household items. If you make the doors from the side of the room completely mirrored, you will expand the boundaries of the perception of space. The famous Hoff brand will offer you any size of mirrors.

A room in a room

If you have a lot of things, but you don't like closets, you can use light partitions to separate part of the space and arrange a full dressing room. There will fit all the clothes, shoes and there will be room for a small dressing table.

There is no need to close such a dressing room with massive doors - it is much better to decorate the entrance to this sanctuary with a decorative small door, which is easy to open and pleasant to contemplate as an accent against a plain wall.

If there are no windows in your dressing room, large mirrors in combination with different lighting scenarios may well fit in their place. The principle is simple: the light should be warm, multidirectional, and the mirrors should be above the average height of a person .. So you can see yourself from all angles, and the dressing room space will seem more voluminous.

Photo: malagaenergy.com

Instead of a toilet

Unexpectedly? Well, if you think about it a little - a great solution! But only if the area of ​​\u200b\u200byour bathroom allows you to transfer the toilet bowl into it, and arrange a dressing room in place of the bathroom after a small repair.

True, there will be few layout options - narrow U-shaped or parallel linear. Such a small dressing room can be perfectly adapted to store hats and bags, as well as many accessories: scarves, scarves, belts and even jewelry. Everything is in sight, easy to choose and convenient to put and put in place. The main thing is to keep all this wealth in perfect order. And choose the right lighting from a good brand.

Balcony

Yes, the balcony can also become a place for your wardrobe, not to mention a large loggia. But in any case, shelves and hangers here will be only on one wall. But how much space will be freed up in a room or in a corridor!

A small ottoman on the balcony will also fit. It is better to put a warm rug on the floor. It goes without saying that the balcony and the loggia must first be glazed and try to insulate. Curtains are optional, but if you decide to hang them here, check out the new collection of textiles from the Italian brand.

Under the bed

In this case, the dressing room is not under the bed, but the bed above the dressing room. Ideal for small apartments with high ceilings. Decide what you will prioritize: a space for things or a bed.

When setting up a dressing room, try to allocate a small space for a dressing table in it. It is convenient to store perfume, do makeup and hair, sitting in a comfortable chair in front of a mirror.

Failed to make a spacious dressing room due to lack of space? You can compensate for this with cabinets to the ceiling. Place the things that you use less often to the very top, place the rest within reach. A small ladder will help you get what you need from the upper shelves. Fantasize, choose your favorite ideas - and any of these dressing rooms will surely become the highlight of your home.

60 photos, design ideas, zoning

Wardrobe options

A wardrobe can be compact and occupy a minimum amount of space or be a spacious room for storing all the necessary things.

For example, a narrow bedroom is considered the most successful option in order to arrange a dressing room. In it, you can simply fence off part of the space and thereby give the atmosphere a harmonious look.

Wardrobe

Basically, this is a large-sized roomy structure, equipped with sliding doors. Wardrobe, if necessary, can be equipped with internal lighting for a more convenient search for things.

The photo shows a narrow wardrobe with white compartment doors.

Built-in

The most versatile way to complement your bedroom interior in an original way. A built-in wardrobe filled with modern baskets, shelves and drawers for clothes, shoes, bedding, hats and other accessories perfectly replaces bulky wardrobes and chests of drawers that make the space heavier.

The photo shows the interior of a small bedroom with a built-in wardrobe with a sliding system.

Behind a curtain or a screen

A wardrobe with a curtain or a screen instead of a door makes the interior of the bedroom much more comfortable. This option is great for those who like changes in design, because the usual replacement of curtains or screens can add new touches to the setting and make it dynamic.

The photo shows a compact walk-in closet behind blue curtains.

Walk-through

An organic walk-in closet with the right layout solves many interior problems. This arrangement of space is especially suitable for a small bedroom. For a more ergonomic design, it is advisable to equip the walk-in wardrobe with open shelves, thus freeing up additional storage space. When installing doors, it is better to choose sliding structures that do not interfere with free movement in the room.

The photo shows a bedroom with walk-in wardrobe equipped with open shelves.

Open

Most often, the construction has a metal frame that can be attached to the walls. The open model is considered universal and provides a design for every taste.

This design idea allows you to lighten the decor of the bedroom. The only drawback of an open dressing room in the bedroom is the maintenance of constant order, since all things are in full view. For this, filling in the form of various organizers is suitable, allowing you to conveniently store clothes.

The photo shows open storage systems in the bedroom interior in light pastel colors.

Layout ideas and zoning

Before choosing a wardrobe location, you need to correctly plan and determine the functional areas in the room. Below are several ergonomic options for placing a dressing area in the bedroom interior.

Corner dressing room in the bedroom

Occupies a minimum amount of usable space and makes efficient use of space in small spaces. Next to the corner dressing room, a bed or a women's dressing table is conveniently placed. The storage system equipped in the corner, compared with the usual straight wardrobe, is more spacious.

The photo shows the design of the bedroom with a walk-in closet in the corner, equipped with wooden sliding doors with frosted glass inserts.

This design fits perfectly into corner spaces. It can be closed and equipped with two doors or represent an unusual open model.

The photo shows a corner wardrobe hidden behind a blackout curtain in the bedroom interior.

Dressing room behind bed

A dressing room installed at the head of the bed is considered an interesting design solution that does not take up much space. Storage systems are most often placed behind a partition with a passageway on one or both sides. The wardrobe can have a rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, semicircular shape or be located in the corner.

The photo shows a bedroom with a narrow dressing area behind the bed, separated by a partition.

Wardrobe in niche

A recess in the wall is the ideal place for a wardrobe area. The niche is filled with built-in wardrobes, shelves and equipped with doors. A small recess can be equipped with wall-mounted storage systems with mesh compartments, and a spacious niche can be supplemented with frame furniture.

The photo shows a small wardrobe in a niche in a white bedroom design.

In a separate room

A wardrobe in a separate room most often has an ordinary interior door. Thanks to such a room, it is possible to keep order in the bedroom. In order to make a secret entrance, you can install a door leaf with hidden hinges, decorated to match the surrounding interior. The door is masked to match the wall finish and inconspicuous handles are installed or decorated with a mirror. A big advantage will be a dressing room with a window that provides natural light.

Pictured is a bedroom with a large dressing room in a separate room.

How to arrange a dressing room?

Proper organization of lighting is important in the wardrobe. With sufficient dimensions, small lamps are installed in this area. To create volumetric light, additional lighting or built-in lights are equipped.

Proper storage of clothing and footwear requires good ventilation.

Dressing room in the bedroom should be decorated with mirrors. The ideal option is floor-length mirrored canvases, which provide a full-length reflection.

The photo shows a separate dressing area, decorated with storage systems and a dressing table with a pouffe.

To finish the wardrobe, materials are selected in accordance with the style of the bedroom. Walls can be wallpapered, sheathed with plastic, wood panels or laid out with ceramic tiles. On the floor, facing in the form of linoleum, laminate or parquet, which is easy to maintain, will be appropriate.

You can fill the dressing area with beauty and comfort with a fluffy floor rug, beautiful chests, elegant baskets or designer boxes. Clothes hung by color or a compositional center with a collection of shoes or dresses, highlighted with backlight, look original.

The photo shows a bedroom design with two wardrobes.

Features of filling

The shelves installed in the wardrobe must have a certain distance between each other. Such structures can be stationary or retractable. Roll-out models are quite convenient and are sometimes equipped with LED strip.

Circular, retractable or hanging type of hangers are chosen as filling. For corner space, circular products are suitable, and for rods and pantographs - suspended. To store belts, ties, umbrellas and other accessories in an orderly manner, you can use conventional wall hooks.

For little-used shoes, it is better to pick up boxes and place them on the upper mezzanines. Open shelves and special stands are perfect for seasonal shoes and boots.

The photo shows a variant of filling the dressing room in the attic bedroom.

With sufficient dimensions, the wardrobe can be equipped with a compartment for an ironing board, vacuum cleaner and other household appliances.

A convenient device for small things or clothes, are cardboard boxes. They may vary in quality and size. For example, for more rational storage, rectangular products are used that fill the maximum amount of space.

The photo shows a Scandinavian-style bedroom interior with a walk-in closet equipped with combined storage systems.

How to arrange in a small bedroom?

In a small room in a Khrushchev apartment, an empty niche or pantry is suitable for equipping a dressing room. In order for the room to become more functional and acquire the correct square shape, it is better to place the wardrobe area in the corner or separate the place along the wall.

Learn more