We rapidly bought a newly built home with zero built-in storage and moved in within six weeks of viewing it. The tiny hallway quickly became a clutter hot spot as there wasn’t space to put the usual storage options.
We bought an affordable metal shoe rack from Amazon for the entryway as a temporary measure but it was so good, we're still using it four years later. And now, it's only $22 in the Amazon Spring Sale.
To our surprise, this small entryway storage idea has turned out to be a lifesaver for this tricky space and gone from a temporary solution, to something more permanent.
Why a metal shoe storage option worked out great for us
This took 10 minutes to put together and made great use of our limited floor space. Plus, it was affordable for us after the expense of buying a house – and now even more so in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, as it has 40% off.
This rack helped us solve a lack of storage in our awkward and small entryway by capitalizing on the vertical storage space on offer.
Professional organizer Ben Soreff of House 2 Home Organizing says, ‘You've hit the nail on the head. When it comes to using limited space, you must go vertical. Shoes tend to collect in entryways as do jackets and bags.’
What I had previously tried
We had a slim storage unit in our living room for shoes, pictured below, but found it meant tracking dirt and mud on carpeted floors. We could have taken shoes on and off in the small hallway, but with the stairs tempting us to sit down directly next to the slim cabinet, we were making a carpet cleaning mistake.
Ben adds, ‘Mudrooms and front halls are great because, as their title suggests, they prevent people with dirty shoes from walking directly into the house. If there is no mudroom or hall, then they track dirt, dust, or snow directly into the kitchen or living room.’
We also tried Joseph Joseph stackable shoe boxes, available on Amazon, but found them too fiddly for day-to-day use. However, these ventilated and sturdy stackable shoe boxes have turned out to be excellent for surplus, or out-of-season shoe storage in our under stairs area.
Ben adds, ‘Do a seasonal shoe swap and only keep everyday pairs in your entryway. After reviewing the frequency of use, you can store extra shoes in your closet.
'Next the structure of your small entryway shoe storage is super important to maintain an organized system. Metal shoe racks are great as they typically take up less space than wooden ones, however, shelves will be easy to use without the shoes falling through.'
Even though we have a small child, with equally small shoes, we've not had any shoes falling through the metal bars of our Amazon metal shoe rack, as they're not set apart enough to be an issue.
Professional organizer Ben adds, 'Typically, the mudroom or entryway presents clutter challenges because it is the first opportunity you have to dump your items when you arrive home. We don't want to collect coats or shoes as the goal: we want to use them.'
He advises reviewing your shoes for quantity and frequency of use. 'Since space is limited, we need to do the winter/summer swap and store off-season items in the attic or basement (or use closets in a small apartment),' Ben explains. 'If there is a garage, you can set up a shoe rack and runner. If there is no garage, set up the shoe rack and cubbies in the hall or kitchen.'
Entryways and mud rooms tend to get messy because it's easy to come home and dump belongings in this space. If everything has a home to begin with, there's less chance of clutter building.
Learn more about the five stages of clutter to help avoid mess in your home.
Entryway storage ideas
This slim multi-level shoe cabinet is perfect for small entryways. Measures your floor space before purchasing. Dimensions: 14.4"D x 26.8"W x 35.4"H
This is one of the slimmest shoe storage options I've come across, and it gets fixed to the wall with a strong adhesive.
These angled shelves are made of metal mesh, so there's no gaps to worry about. They're also angled and adjustable for ease of finding what you need quickly.
Next, learn how to organize shoes in a small space to keep your nifty storage solution in good order.
