When you walk into the place you live at the end of the day, what do you see? Is it a place of peace where everything is where it should be or are you walking into a room of chaos? Step back and evaluate what it might take to make it an organized area.

Our entryway begins with shoes that we take off as we enter. There’s not much that can be done with those except shoe racks that keep them in one organized place instead of accumulating across the floor. I also like benches that are made with cubbies to put boots and shoes in. These can include a wall of hooks for coats which makes it easy when you come inside. If there isn’t a closet for coats, is there room for a hall tree in a corner?

Keys are something that can easily be misplaced if they don’t follow the “a place for everything and everything in its place” rule. We have a mirror with hooks across the bottom right by our door for easy access. This also holds other keys like our camper and lawn mower keys. No more lost keys in the house or searching for them in pockets.

Often I have “stuff” that needs to go out of the house whether it’s to return to someone or to a store, recycling that I throw in my trunk, donations, or whatever. A sturdy decorative box or basket by the door is a great place to accumulate what goes out the door, and can be used to bring in what you purchased that day. It’s also a good place to keep a bottle of sanitizer and disinfecting wipes these days for use on the road.

Where does your purse or wallet end up when you arrive home? Is there a specific place you keep it? Think about where it makes the most sense to place it so that you aren’t hunting around for it every time you leave your home. Your basket might even be the best place to store it.

Mail is one thing that comes into homes almost every day and can quickly become piles of clutter. The easiest step is to bring it in and while you are still standing, go through it quickly placing the recycling where you store it, tossing what can’t be recycled, and having an area like a drawer or basket to toss the stuff you need to deal with later. This keeps piles from getting too out of hand and making it a dreadful task to take on later.

Are you being efficient in how you leave the house and come back in or are you running around gathering what you need each day? It is easy to keep doing what you have been doing but sometimes there are better ways to do things. If you have school-age children, it would be the perfect time to start new habits of where to put things when they walk in the door from school.

If you are stuck on what to do with an entryway, get an opinion from a trusted friend or relative on how you could improve your space.Ask them what they see when they enter. Then make it a place that welcomes you home.

Doris Puls, of D & O Decluttering and Organizing, is a professional organizer whose mission is to make a difference in the lives of the people she works with in homes and businesses. Reach her at organizealpena@gmail.com or at 989-356-9545.