I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Small Entryway, and Now It’s More Functional than Ever

The small entryway in my apartment is a complete “dead space.” I haven’t done anything to attempt to optimize it, as life has gotten busy and it isn’t the simplest space to approach. It’s a rather awkward layout: There’s a slanted side that creates an almost triangular area, and the other wall is largely occupied by a heater I can’t remove (that definitely wouldn’t be renter-friendly). For now it just houses my coats on the hooks behind the door, and my shoes on a little mat.

I decided to seek the help of Dana Reder, professional organizer and founder of Winnow & Bloom, to learn what would work well in a small entryway with an awkward shape like mine. I wasn’t looking for grand changes and expensive additions, but instead little things here and there to give the space a sense of purpose and enhanced functionality. Here’s what I did, thanks to Reder’s suggestions.

The first thing I did was take my two winter coats down and put them into my under-bed storage. I didn’t realize quite how bulky my coat hooks looked until I took a photo and saw them from a new perspective. I still had four on there afterward (a raincoat, my other raincoat that folds away into practically nothing which is great for travel, a vintage one I love, and the pink one I wear all the time), but each had a place and purpose, which felt refreshing.

Reder suggested that I get shoes off the floor by storing them away in a tall shoe storage furniture piece. I agreed that my shoes needed to get off the floor to look less cluttered, but I was hesitant to give up my entryway’s only corner to a piece of vertical storage before the rest of the space had a chance to come together.

I found a big vintage magazine rack at my local thrift store for only $3 and knew right away that I had to snap it up for the space. I don’t own many shoes, so they fit into the rack perfectly, and the rack itself slotted well along the sloped edge of my entryway’s wall. The main door could still fully open, and the bathroom door wasn’t at all obstructed. It even had a convenient place to fit my boots!

I also donated the random bag of items sitting in the corner of my entryway, which had been there for almost a month and was waiting to be given away.

When Reder suggested putting a mirror up, I felt like the lone corner had finally found its purpose. I picked up a tall wooden one similar to this mirror from Target for only $10 and sat it near the door, making sure to leave as much of a gap as possible between the mirror and the heater (it’s a bigger gap than it looks in the photos — I promise!). After I put the mirror and upcycled shoe rack in, I stood back and had a look at the space; they really looked like they belonged there. And not only do the shoe rack and mirror reduce clutter on the floor and give the illusion of a large space through reflections, but they also help me get ready and out of the door efficiently.

To increase shoe storage in the event of a guest or two (my little apartment couldn’t host many more!), I tucked a sturdy wicker storage basket behind the mirror out of sight. This way, when guests are coming over I can hide the pairs I’m not actively wearing in there and free up space for their footwear in the rack. If you’d prefer to use something instead of a basket, this woven magazine rack is lovely.

Lastly, Reder recommended that I “add a small area rug that perhaps brings the outside in.” I took my old gray mat and sat it outside of my entryway door for guests to wipe their feet on and replaced it with a small white bath mat to add brightness to the space. Initially I thought about getting a bigger rug, but it felt like it made my already small entryway more fussy than it needed to be so I stuck to the basics.

My entryway might not seem to be changed to a world of difference, but I genuinely like it so much more now and enjoy the little touches that make it feel like it’s mine. It has my favorite coats and a place to get ready in the morning with ease, and I love how effectively the magazine rack does the job of holding my shoes and tying in with the other pops of wood in the space. (If you’re feeling more adventurous than me, Reder also recommended renter-friendly peel-and-stick wallpaper!)