How to Outfit the Entryway

Outfit the entryway to suit your routine of leaving and re-entering the house and to make it guest-friendly.

Things You'll Need

• Shallow Trays
• Sunglasses
• Umbrellas
• Coat Racks
• Decorative Bowls
• Key Racks
• Lights
• Umbrella Stands
• Wall Mirrors
• Wastebaskets
• Chewing Gum
• Breath Mints
• Combs
• Facial Facial Tissues

Instructions

1. Decorate the entryway to be an appropriate transition to rooms leading from it. Entryway wallpaper, flooring, light fixture, etc. should blend, not clash, with the view into adjoining rooms.

2. Light the entryway adequately so that nobody trips over a threshold or the edge of a rug.

3. Hang a generously sized mirror to give yourself and your guests a chance to check your appearance.

4. Install a rack for coats, hats and purses if there's not a closet in the area.

5. Keep an umbrella stand handy and stocked with at least one inexpensive spare umbrella to offer a guest in case of an unexpected downpour.

6. Plan for a spot to drop and retrieve keys. This could be a rack with a small hook, a drawer in a hall desk or a pretty bowl atop a console.

7. Designate a place for outgoing and incoming mail. This could be a wall rack or a tabletop tray.

8. Provide some storage for essential rushing-out-the-door gear. This may include breath mints, chewing gum, facial tissue, a comb, postage stamps, safety pins, sunglasses and any other last-minute article you might need.

9. Set a wastebasket in the area if there's a logical spot for it. It will be handy for discarding junk mail, gum wrappers, tissues, stray threads on clothing, etc.

10. Consider placing an armoire near your entryway door, whether at the front or back of the house, to catch potential clutter such as jackets, purses, backpacks, newspapers, etc.