How to Create a Joyful, Clutter-free Hall
Make your hallway a calm, well-organised space with these steps
As the space that offers visitors their first (hopefully positive) impression of your home and acts as a way station for all sorts of gear – from small (keys, phone) to bulky (coats, bags, boots) – the hall is easily one of the most visible yet clutter-prone areas of the home.
Read on to find ways to create a more functional, beautiful entrance, whether you have a spacious foyer or a compact corner.
Read on to find ways to create a more functional, beautiful entrance, whether you have a spacious foyer or a compact corner.
Take action: To begin with, pull everything out of your hallway, including all of that old junk mail stuffed in the drawer and the summer sandals squashed beneath the winter boots. Before you put anything back, take a moment to consider if the space needs anything else. For example:
- A rug or boot tray to protect the floor
- Good lighting
- A place to sit while putting on shoes
- A lick of colour from paint, artwork or a fun wall clock
Decide what belongs here
Because the hallway is a zone we pass through many times each day (and often in a hurry), it’s easy to allow items that don’t belong there to stay indefinitely, simply because it seems easier than putting them away.
But when the entrance is cluttered with unnecessary items, finding what you need becomes much more difficult. So take a moment to consider what it makes sense to store in this space and what needs to find a home elsewhere.
More: 7 of the Most Organised Hallways on Houzz
Because the hallway is a zone we pass through many times each day (and often in a hurry), it’s easy to allow items that don’t belong there to stay indefinitely, simply because it seems easier than putting them away.
But when the entrance is cluttered with unnecessary items, finding what you need becomes much more difficult. So take a moment to consider what it makes sense to store in this space and what needs to find a home elsewhere.
More: 7 of the Most Organised Hallways on Houzz
Take action: Most of us have one or two main problem areas when it comes to hallway clutter. Identify your household’s sticking spots, then commit to finding a way to handle them.
- Set some space limits. For example, if shoes are an issue, allow only as many pairs as will comfortably fit on your shoe rack or in a shoe basket at any given time. Take any extra pairs back to the bedroom wardrobes or wherever your extra shoe storage is.
- Create a new habit. Make an effort to spend two minutes each evening picking up stray items from the hallway and carrying them back to where they belong. After several weeks of maintaining this practice, it should begin to feel like a part of your routine.
Consider the details
Clutter creep is what happens when little items spread over an entire available surface until you can’t even see said surface. Avoid clutter creep by using small containers to give little items a home.
The more specific you can be about what goes where, the more likely you’ll be to maintain the system. For instance, it’s better to have a cup for change, a dish for keys and a tray for post than one basket meant to hold all three.
Clutter creep is what happens when little items spread over an entire available surface until you can’t even see said surface. Avoid clutter creep by using small containers to give little items a home.
The more specific you can be about what goes where, the more likely you’ll be to maintain the system. For instance, it’s better to have a cup for change, a dish for keys and a tray for post than one basket meant to hold all three.
Take action: The next few times you enter or leave your home, pay close attention to what kind of small items you have in your hands (or are looking for). For each, consider whether it already has a dedicated home and whether that place is easy to find and use.
- Before buying any new storage, try shopping your house. Teacups, dishes, serving trays and baskets of all sorts can come in handy for hallway organising.
- Subdivide large drawers and shelves with drawer organisers, baskets, bins or trays.
- If you have a very small hall, aim to make room for just the essentials (keys, bag, coat) and work on the habit of putting everything else away daily.
Rein in bulky items
Big, bulky items (think winter coats, boots and backpacks) can take up a lot of room in the hall. They also tend to make the area look messier than smaller items do. When possible, keep outerwear and bulky bags in a cupboard or tucked in a cubbyhole to reduce visual “noise”.
If that’s not possible, try to visually contain these items by grouping them. Place boots on an attractive boot tray or hang coats from sturdy hooks against a wall painted in a vibrant hue.
More: 7 Inspiring Before and After Hallway Transformations
Big, bulky items (think winter coats, boots and backpacks) can take up a lot of room in the hall. They also tend to make the area look messier than smaller items do. When possible, keep outerwear and bulky bags in a cupboard or tucked in a cubbyhole to reduce visual “noise”.
If that’s not possible, try to visually contain these items by grouping them. Place boots on an attractive boot tray or hang coats from sturdy hooks against a wall painted in a vibrant hue.
More: 7 Inspiring Before and After Hallway Transformations
Take action: If you have a coat cupboard in or near your hallway, clear it out to make room for what it’s intended to hold – coats! So often these cabinets end up being filled with dry cleaning, sports equipment and other random items, with not an inch of space left over.
- Make a coat cupboard work harder by installing a shoe rack or boot tray on the floor, a high shelf and wall hooks.
- If your home doesn’t have a coat cupboard but does have a medium to large hallway, consider adding one, or a cubbyhole system to hold bulky items.
- If your hallway is compact, seek out a multifunctional, wall-mounted piece (such as a shelf with hooks below) and place a boot tray on the floor.
Bring back the joy
One special touch can go a long way in a hall. Try a vase of fresh flowers, a special seashell collected on holiday, a framed poster that makes your heart sing. Mark the shift from busy daily life to the comforts of home (and vice versa) by infusing this space with more radiance and joy.
One special touch can go a long way in a hall. Try a vase of fresh flowers, a special seashell collected on holiday, a framed poster that makes your heart sing. Mark the shift from busy daily life to the comforts of home (and vice versa) by infusing this space with more radiance and joy.
Take action: The key here is to bring in joy without creating additional clutter. Here are a few ideas:
What do you store in your hallway and how do you keep it neat? Share your tips in the Comments.
- Place a vase of flowers on a console table.
- If your hall is truly tiny, place a bud vase containing a single bloom on a floating shelf.
- Hang inspiring artwork.
- Choose a mirror with a beautiful frame.
- Re-cover a small bench or stool with a colourful textile.
- Choose a special bowl to hold your keys and pocket change.
What do you store in your hallway and how do you keep it neat? Share your tips in the Comments.
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How would you like to feel when you walk through the door? Choosing colours that boost your mood and details that make you smile will set a positive tone as soon as you open the door.
Beyond colour and style, consider which creature comforts you’d love to have in this space. From a sturdy rug underfoot to good lighting, these items are as essential as proper storage (which we’ll look at in a moment).
Find an interior designer near you.