Home Reset Challenge Week 6: Entry Spaces

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It's Week 6 of the Home Reset Challenge, and this week, we’re tackling a space that sets the tone for how your home feels—your entryway! I talk a lot about the "feel" of entry spaces in my book The Home Reset..... When you decide how you'd like your home to greet you, it's easy to reverse engineer systems that can set the tone every time you walk into your house.

If you’ve ever walked into your house and immediately tripped over a pile of shoes or found coats strewn across chairs, this challenge is for you (ask me how I know). A clutter-free entryway or mudroom makes your home feel instantly more welcoming and organized.

The Habit: Hang up your coat and store your shoes, goshdarnit

The System: Coat and Shoe Storage

The Declutter Challenge: Winter clothing

Click Here to Shop My Entryway (and everything pictured above)!

This Week’s Habit: Hang Your Coat & Place Your Shoes Nicely

Creating a habit of automatically putting away coats and shoes as soon as you walk in the door is another one of those "snowball" habits. Caring for the first place you enter your home and the last space you exit from sets the tone for your day. This is a place that my familty needs a BIG habit overhaul.

Just a reminder- if your habits just wont stick, maybe it's time to look at your systems. If there is too much resistance to doing the thing, the thing will not get "did" as much. If the doer has a solid system to did what need to be do-ed then it will be done did directly.

But seriously- if something has a spot and it is so easy to put it away in that spot, things will stay tidy. Let's use my home as a case study. We take our shoes off in the garage. I'm REALLY not into shoes tracking germs into the house, and really REALLY not into animal poop and mud being tracked in, even in our "mudroom".

We have shelving right outside the garage door to store all of our shoes. But the shoes are kicked off right in front of the door and directly next to said shoe shelf. They are a tripping hazard, and people get upset that their shoes (that they kicked off and left in front of the door) get dirty and stepped on. It's a whole thing. I rage cleaned the shelves and donated a bunch of shoes, thinking if there was more open space people would put their shoes away. Still we are not getting the gist, so I need ot figure out how to make it make less sense to leave shoes all willy nilly, and more to just habitually put them away. I'm going to figure it out this week!

Simple Systems: Coat & Shoe Storage

As I mentioned, a well-thought-out storage system will make it easier to keep coats and shoes from piling up. But here is the thing I think we miss: well functioning storage has nothing to do with how it looks. It could be the prettiest, Pinterest worthy set up but if it is not easy to maintain, it's worthless. Sometimes the best possibly organization systems are not aesthetic and don't make a whole lot of sense to anyone except who is using it. And that's kind of the whole point.

Here are a few storage solutions that work well as a jumping off point (click here to shop some of my favorites, including everything pictured above) :

• Wall Hooks or a Coat Rack: If you don’t have a coat closet, wall hooks are a great alternative. Choose sturdy, easy-to-reach hooks for everyday coats and backpacks. You can use heavy weight command hooks or DIY something to make limited space more functional.

• Shoe Tray or Cabinet: A designated spot for shoes prevents them from cluttering up your floor. A tray works well for quick storage, while a cabinet keeps things out of sight. There are so many beautiful shoe storage cabinet options that have slim profiles to save space in entry spaces!

• Bench with Storage: A storage bench gives you a place to sit while putting on shoes and provides hidden storage for gloves, scarves, or extra shoes.

  
  
  
  

  

  
  

• Baskets or Bins: Assign a bin for each family member to keep their shoes, hats, and gloves in one place. I really like wire baskets that have removable linings that you can take out and wash. Another SUPER helpful discovery: using an over the door shoe storage thingy to keep all of our winter gloves and hats organized. This has been so so helpful, and magically we have lost way less gloves this winter.

  
  

Declutter Challenge: Winter Gear

Now that all your winter gear is out and in use, it is easy to do a cold weather audit. Take 15 minutes to go through your coats, boots, scarves, gloves, and hats, and see what you actually use, need, and want. Maybe everything else should go!

Here are some simple steps:

1. Gather Everything – Pull out all winter gear from closets, bins, and entryways.

2. Sort by Use – Keep only what fits and is in good condition. Donate or discard anything outgrown or unused.

3. Store Off-Season Items – Use vacuum-seal bags or labeled bins to store winter gear when not in use.

4. Organize Daily Essentials – Keep frequently used items easily accessible and neatly stored in baskets or drawers.

Think of how proud spring you will be that you took the time to get rid of winter clutter now!

I’d love to see how you’re resetting your entryway! Share your before-and-after photos on social media and tag me @karissaathome. Use the hashtag #HomeResetChallenge to connect with others in the challenge!

A tidy entryway sets the tone for your entire home. Let’s make it a welcoming, clutter-free space together!