An organized, efficient entry can be challenging when your space is too tiny for a mudroom. We love most things about our home; however, it lacks a mudroom. We are lucky to have a large foyer with two coat closets, but the entry the family uses on a daily basis is the entry from the garage. There, we have what can generously be called a small vestibule. It is a 5’ x 4’ space with doorways on three sides. There is literally no space for hall trees or charging stations or lockers or family calendars or sufficient shoe/glove/hat/umbrella storage. While mudrooms are becoming more popular features in homes, not everyone has the space for them. I am sharing what has worked for us along with some inspiration in the hope that other square-footage-challenged folks can bring some organization to their entries!
our entry
This space photographs terribly, but I wanted to give you a sense of what we’re working with. The door to the garage swings inward, making the only full wall smaller than it is. We have space for hooks on that wall, and that’s about it. We must be very deliberate about what we hang here. Each family member can hang one jacket, and we have a hook for dog harnesses/leashes. I like having a small basket with the hooks to corral a wallet and keys. Unfortunately, we cannot keep additional jackets, purses, or work/school bags in this space – it would become too cluttered. The rest of those items live in the coat closets in the foyer.
On the other tiny bit of wall is a small bench for putting on and taking off shoes. We keep a basket under the bench for shoe storage. Again, editing and discipline is key here. Every family member keeps one or two pairs of shoes in the basket. We store play, sport, and outdoor work shoes on a shoe rack in the garage and the rest of our shoes in our bedroom closets. The bench was a risk because it could easily become a drop zone. We are careful not to toss mail, packages, backpacks, etc. on the bench or floor and leave them there. The entry is a pass-through – nearly everything comes into the house for processing or storing.
You’ll also note that there is no space for hats, gloves, scarves, umbrellas, etc. With more space we absolutely would have added additional storage for those items, but the real estate is not there. We store hats, gloves, and scarves in a cabinet in the foyer and umbrellas in the garage. In addition, the powder room is right off this entry (through one of those three doors). The vanity drawers are not all full, so we keep a few small items like pet waste bags and a few pairs of sunglasses in one of the drawers. The idea here is acknowledging that not everything we would like to keep in our entry can fit, and getting creative about how to store items in a way that still feels intuitive and efficient.
elements of an organized small entry
- hooks for a few jackets and leashes
- small basket or drawer for loose items like sunglasses, keys, etc.
- basket for frequently-worn shoes
- small bench
- mirror to check your look on the way out
- durable rug
- decorative elements: a beautiful light fixture, art, a pillow for the bench, and maybe a bold wall color or wallpaper will give the small space a bit of beauty and personality
Tiny entry inspiration
You’ll find all of the elements of an efficient and organized small entry on the mood board below. I hope you take away some ideas for turning your tiny pass-through into a pretty and functional “mudroom”!
Products shown: flushmount light | mirror | brass wall hooks | hooks with felt organizer | tufted bench | cane bench | Asian Scenic pillow | woven basket | indoor/outdoor rug
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