Thursday, September 30, 2010

Trouble Spot: Hall Closet

Winter is coming and I'd like the keep the foyer looking like this:

A major challenge when the season of boots, mittens, scarves, hats etc is upon us...

We have a hall closet thats supposed to manage the 'stuff'...see it there, the double sliding doors bridging the space between foyer and kitchen?


I just hauled out all of the kitchenstuff from the closet shelves (into the storage room you go) and stuffed the everyday-wear shoes in their place.  I am much more comfortable with the cleaning supplies UP and out of reach!  The mastermind bag is full of resusable shopping bag (these bags were previously hung on the hangers, and took up too much coat space, but the shoes were all over the floor so....)

I can't figure out what to do with the top of the closet.  Sure I could put some pretty storage containers/baskets/lucite boxes and use them to store the mittens and hats and things, but I don't really want to pull them down on my head everytime I need something.

Oh and we have much bulkier winter coats that need to come up, and send the spring/fall coats downstairs.

Please tell me: What would you do differently?  I need help here!

Maybe another shelf for shoes in the 'empty' side of the closet? Maybe a half shelf for little shoes?  Hang the bags on a hook? Put a big basket for the mittens and things on the floor (we have a lot mittens, scarves and things) ... Or put the bags into a stackable basket (that I can put more things on? Except this will bury my bags...)

What do you have at the top of your closet?  Where are your millions of shopping bags kept?


ps. the foyer is not always kept this clean, but at least once a week (sometimes everyday) I put everything back in its place, and start over.  That's why its so important (to me) to have a place for everything...you know?




10 comments:

  1. That photo of your foyer took my breath away. I'm sorry I can't be of much help with the hall closet organizing...I am trying to remove my jaw off the floor. Ha ha.

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  2. I love your entry. Its like the more beautiful, popular sister to my little sister entry. We have almost the same configuration - I never thought of having a closet between the foyer and kitchen! Hmmmm.

    We have one of those big Loblaws grocery bins and keep our shopping bags in there. Since the bin is so big, that plus 3-4 reusable bags is all we ever need. We just take the whole bin every time we go to the grocery.

    I'd add another shelf to the empty side of the closet, put bins to hold gloves/hats/scarves on top of the shelf and little shoes on the next shelf down. Then little one can get and put away his own stuff too and you can see exactly whats in the bins easily.

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  3. I love your entry!! it's magazine worthy!!!!

    I have 2 baskets on the upper shelf in my front hall closet - one stores some extra winter things and other slippers for when guests are over. I tuck the plastic grocery bags into one bag and keep in under one of the cabinets in my kitchen, my reusables are in my mudroom.
    http://desire2decorate.blogspot.com/2010/04/brancing-out.html

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  4. Your foyer looks amazing, look the beautiful flooring. I think that your hall closet is very organized, and if I were you, I would add a shelf for baskets to hold the mittens, scarves, etc...there will be lots of those very soon :)

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  5. Love your front hall.

    Also love RR's comment calling it the "more beautiful, popular sister" to her front entry. haha

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  6. Thanks guys! good ideas....you guys helped me get the wheels turning...keep the ideas coming!

    And bonus! My better half put his shoes away! There they are...sitting in the closet, not in the foyer! :)

    Hey RR! The only difference is we ripped out the closet from the foyer...this made a HUGE impact...I recommend it! Except then you have to deal with where to put the shoes and toques and scarves and...

    BTW...the bright white marble is AMAZING, but we are constantly worrying about it...so we will see in 5-10 years if it was really all that practical....I figured at the time if they can use marble outside in Italy, why can't my foyer handle it?

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  7. Love your front hall.

    Also love RR's comment calling it the "more beautiful, popular sister" to her front entry. haha

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  8. Your foyer looks amazing, look the beautiful flooring. I think that your hall closet is very organized, and if I were you, I would add a shelf for baskets to hold the mittens, scarves, etc...there will be lots of those very soon :)

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  9. That photo of your foyer took my breath away. I'm sorry I can't be of much help with the hall closet organizing...I am trying to remove my jaw off the floor. Ha ha.

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  10. I have the exact same problem! Oh, how I pine for a hidden mudroom to stash all the winter coats and boots and claptrap! But right now, I have a dresser in my front hall and in it I keep (1) reuseable grocery bags, (2) my extra shoes that don't fit in the closet (3) sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, (4) stuff that needs to leave the house because it belongs to someone else. A dresser is pretty handy there, I have to say!

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