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As a Professional Organizer, I can confidently say that one of the most effective and impactful organizing systems you will ever have in your home or apartment is an entryway system.
Call it a mudroom, a launchpad, a command station, call it anything you want! A mudroom is a practical spot near your home entry that serves as a catchall for everything you need when you're going out or coming in. Keeping these items conveniently located near the entry prevents clutter from creeping into your living spaces.
Setting one of these up is super easy if you own your home but if you're a renter or you have a very small space to work with (Hello you NYC apartment dwellers) you may default to "I don't have space for it, it won't work"
Well, for this Renter-Friendly Mudroom you only need 24 x 12 inches. You just need a corner of your apartment to make this work.
So, put a little bit of effort into getting yourself organized and you'll see how much more productive you can be.
What I used for this mini-mudroom
Space: 24'' x 12" (minimum)
01. Create Shoe Storage
Professional Organizer Tip: Don't wear your dirty shoes inside the house.
Keeping your floors cleaner for longer means storing them near the entry. Your work shoes, your workout sneakers, your "take out the trash" flip flops, and any shoe you constantly use should be kept in your mudroom.
*Emphasis on constantly*
The shoes in your mudroom should be your regularly used shoes. Keep your party shoes in the closet.
For this mini-mudroom area, I used 3 ClosetMaid 8993 Organizer units. *(Available in white, black, and brown). These took less than 30 minutes to put together and I stacked one on top of the other easily! I can easily fit 12 pairs of shoes here.
***In order to make room for the baskets, I did not assemble the inner shelf for the top unit.
02. Create Miscellaneous Storage
Professional Organizer Tip: Keep Clutter out of sight.
Items that you use when you go outside like umbrellas, shopping bags, hand sanitizer, masks, dog leashes, and pet waste-bags should be in your mudroom but kept out of sight.
For this makeshift renter-friendly mudroom I used baskets to keep the entryway from looking cluttered.
Related: 10 Baskets under $15
03. Create hanging space
You need a place to hang your bag, your keys and your hat. I used a Command key rail and a 5lb Command hook for my bag or hat. These are perfect for renters because they don't leave adhesive residue or holes on your walls
04. Create Sunglasses Storage
Professional Organizing Tip: Always store things closest to where they will be most frequently used.
With this rule in mind, why would you keep your sunglasses in your bedroom? Keep them in your mudroom, you'll never forget them and you won't drag them into your home and forget where you put them.
I like to be able to see ALL of my sunglasses so this sunglasses organizer worked perfectly to keep them clean, contained, and easily accessible.
This organizer has 12 slots for sunglasses but I was able to fit in 16 by doubling some slots up.
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