Journal

4 Simple Tips for a Kid-Friendly Entryway

The kids are headed back to school, and soon, they’ll be coming home with backpacks, friends, jackets, soccer gear, and muddy boots.  Instead of finding jackets and backpacks on your dining room table or one your favorite chair in the living room, follow these 4 simple tips to make sure your entryway is ready to go.

1) Hooks: For backpacks, jackets, lanyards, and keys, hooks keep essentials accessible and organized.

2) Bench seating:  Doubling as a place to sit while tying shoelaces and allowing storage for cubbies or shoes below, benches are the multi-functional piece your entryway craves.

3) Bins & Baskets: Placed below a bench or in overhead compartments, these useful totes can store shoes, muddy boots, and sports equipment.  Overhead cubbies are a great storage solution for hats, gloves, and soon-to-be-needed outdoor accessories.

4) Rug/Runner: Aesthetically, this rug is often one of the first things you—and your guests—will see about your house. Feel free to make a statement with a fun pattern or fun colors.  Functionally, this rug is going to go through a lot.  It will see dirt, mud, cleats, leaves, ice cream cones—you name it. Patterned rugs will be more forgiving, often hiding the mess until you’re able to properly clean it. Indoor/Outdoor rugs are also a good idea, as they have a lower pile height and are constructed of more durable fibers.   And don’t forget about a rug pad.  You’ll want to make sure the rug doesn’t move with all the hustle and bustle it will go through.