Anyone who’s ever gone apartment hunting knows that the size of the bedrooms, kitchen, den and bathrooms are far more important than the size of the entryway. After all, the entryway isn’t even a real room!
And so, lots of renters get stuck with entryways that are cramped or virtually non-existent. A situation like this can make it pretty difficult to store any outdoor apparel by the door, where you need it — especially when there’s no closet.
Well, renters with puny entryways, there’s still hope for you. By taking advantage of at least some of the surrounding wall space, you can still create a small storage area coats, scarves, hats, gloves, shoes and everything else you take outside with you.
1. Invest in a small bench to help you create some storage space.
You could definitely just start piling stuff up along the wall, but how long would that stay neat and tidy? Maybe a day or so.
A bench not only gives you a place to sit and put your shoes on, but it also gives you a little nook underneath it for storing your shoes and smaller accessories. And because it’s somewhat confined to that space, you’re less likely to keep piling stuff on top before it becomes a disorganized mess.
The bench creates the foundation for your new makeshift closet or storage area.
2. Get a nice-looking shoe rack to put underneath your bench.
You can pick up a simple, short shoe rack with just a couple of levels that’s built to go on the floor of a closet. Turns out it’s just the right size to fit under a bench too!
While you may not be able to fit your entire shoe collection in that small space if you have a lot of them, you should be able to fit most of your favorite pairs for the current season. You may have to get a little creative with fitting big, bulky boots in there, though.
3. Use baskets for small outdoor apparel pieces and accessories.
What do you do with all those hats, scarves, gloves, the dog’s leash and other stuff when you have no closet to throw them in? Well, some people put baskets in their closets for these types of smaller items anyway, so you might as well use baskets too.
I had enough room under this bench for a small basket, but you could also place it beside the bench if your shoes take up all the room.
4. Ask your property manager if you can install a shelf with hooks.
Alright, now we have to cover one of the bigger problems here: where to hang jackets and coats. This can prove to be a problem if your property manager has a strict policy against putting holes in the walls.
Still, if you’re not sure, there’s no harm in asking. And you may be able to make a pretty good case about how there’s nowhere to hang coats.
If allowed, you can purchase a simple shelf with enough hooks to hang some things. It may not have as much room as a real closet, but it’s still more convenient than anything else.
If you can’t put one of these types of shelves up, there are tall entryway benches you can get that have hooks for coats. They’re often referred to as “hall trees.”
You could even just get a regular, standalone coat rack to put beside your bench. That’ll do the trick!
5. Use a small basket or drawers to store knickknacks.
Lots of homes have entryway tables to store things like keys, wallets, spare change and other small things you grab on the way out the door. If you have some spare shelving space like I do, you may be able to use that.
Yes, it is high up, but it still works. The little drawer piece I have has drawers that come right out, so I don’t have to pull the whole thing down when I want to grab something.
You could also just use another basket or a taller, slimmer drawer piece to place on the floor for small knickknack items. You have to do what works for your own space, of course.
Small entryways will always be tricky. No matter their size, they’re almost always difficult to keep clean when people are always coming in and going out the door.
These tips will certainly help keep things organized. For additional tips on how to fit more in your cozy rental, check out “How to Maximize Your Storage With Minimal Space.”