The Myth About Entryway Storage People Need To Stop Believing

When designing your home's entryway, it is imperative to think through the necessary elements for this space. One common and popular choice is an entryway table, bench, or other storage solution. These pieces of furniture provide invaluable storage for items that you need when coming and going from the house. For all of their usefulness, however, they do have one big flaw: they can attract clutter, creating a chaotic and disorganized entryway. Even though entryway furniture isn't intrinsically bad, having too many entryway pieces and hoping that they'll keep you organized could be fantastical thinking. 

Entryway furniture gives important items a place to live, keeping them out of the way but available when you need them. The temptation then arises: if one piece of entryway furniture is good, wouldn't two pieces be better? A tip for keeping your entryway clean and organized might surprise you. "It's not always necessary to have a table in your entryway if it is not adding to or helping the space," professional organizer Tessa Hughes told Living etc. As helpful as it might sound to have multiple pieces of furniture by your door, it's best to first think about the habits of the people living in your home. If children or your partner are constantly leaving piles of items wherever they can — or if you yourself have that bad habit — adding storage furniture in this space will likely just exacerbate the problem. Instead of packing your entryway with more furniture, opt for a single strategic piece, thereby making your entryway more functional.

At the end of the day, the functionality and organization of your entryway depends upon careful selection and implementation of the right pieces, not simply adding more furniture. You'll have to take some time considering what your daily routine looks like in order to choose the best storage piece for your home's entrance. Since you're limiting yourself to one or two hallway furniture pieces, you'll need to make it count. An entryway table tucked to the side can be a great choice for smaller families with predictable routines; keys and wallet immediately go in the drawer, and you can create a temporary drop zone for mail or other papers coming in and out of the house. If you add a small basket for papers, you can keep the pile contained and under control more easily.

However, a simple table might not be the best fit for everyone. For individuals who need shoe storage right by the door, a storage bench can be functional and visually appealing, providing both a place to sit and concealing footwear. One compact option that accommodates a few pairs of shoes is the PERJOHAN bench from IKEA ($79.99), which is highly rated and can be personalized to fit your needs. Families with school-aged kids might struggle to find that perfect piece of furniture to solve entryway woes. In this situation, an entryway bench with cubbies or drawers underneath will keep everything flowing, even on busy afternoons. If you're so short on entryway space that having any sort of furniture feels impractical, consider adding hooks to your wall or get inspired with 16 entryway storage hacks that work even in the smallest studio apartments.