I dont really have a reception area. There is no closet, I bought a coat rack but most items end up on the kitchen counter and accumulate. Did I mention I'd like to use my kitchen counter to cook? I am considering an expensive locker style area, but I'm afraid to spend the money on something that might not solve the problem. Suggestions? Below is a picture
http://s998.photobucket.com/albums/af107/abarbanel/Unclutter/?action=view¤t=IMAGE_287.jpg
I like separate pieces. A storage bench could store a lot of things. The surface can be used to sit to put on an take off shoes, a staging area for things you need to take with you in the morning, and a place to set things when you get home. Hang a shelf above with cubbies to hang coats and for more storage.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Sonoma-Cubby-Shelf/848102/product.html
There are a lot of options and price ranges.
aari, first it might help if you think about what the stuff is that you usually drop when coming in, so you can plan to find a room for everything. For me, that's normally shoes, jacket, scarf, backpack, keys, and mail. Jacket, scarf and keys go on their hooks, the shoes on the floor mat below, and the backpack (holding my laptop) and mail get carried to my desk where I will unpack/open everything later. I really had to force the "carry the mail to the desk, too" habit on me, because often it would end up on the floor or somehow in the kitchen and I would search for it later, or worse, forget it.
You are the one from the Boxes of stuff-thread, right? So whatever solution you get, also make sure of PEEP here: A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place :o)
Some suggestions for your place to get ideas going (these are all from Ikea, but just as examples):
* Even though it's a nightstand, you could hang this on the wall next to the door at bellybutton-height, or you could hang two next to each other if it fits. There is a drawer, some room for mail, and enough room to put keys and sunglasses and stuff like that: Malm Nightstand
* This is technically a laptop workstation, but it might also be okay for catching the stuff that you usually drop. It can be closed so you don't see the mess accumulating: Ikea PS Laptop Workstation
* If you hang something on the wall, you could always combine it with hooks to hang more stuff: Blecka hooks or Molger hook rack
* Or something like this: Fabler Groda wall pockets or this: Ikea PS Fångst hanging storage
* You could also put a simple side table there, one with storage inside: Hatten side table or one with a shelf underneath: Klingsbo side table, or one that can be used as a table and a stool and that has storage inside: Hol side table
Good luck and have fun figuring this out -- and I'd love to see the 'after' picture :o)
PS. Just looked at your picture again. There seems to be room left of the door next to the coat rack, and also on the right of the kitchen stools. You could use either wall to put the reception station. Personally, I wonder if it would bother me more to reach behind the opened door to grab my keys (or whatever), or if walking the three steps around the stools into the room would be too much and I'd end up dumping it all on the counter instead. If this was me, I'd probably do a 'test phase' for a week to see which area I like better, so the final solution will be used regularly in the end -- you gotta make it easy for your lazy self sometimes, hee hee ;o)
This is what I would do: I would get a shelf with hooks (wire/wood doesn't matter whatever suits your tastes. That will take care of coats, hats, book bags, etc... Mount that a decent height above you light switch so it doesn't impede turning the lights on and off. Then I would get a small narrow table for under the coat rack/shelf and place a decorative bowl on it for each person in the house. The bowl is where you put your keys, wallet, gloves, sun glasses, etc… (Basically anything you need to leave the house). I would also get a shoe mat for under the table for your shoes. That way when you walk in you put everything away and when you leave everything is there. No scrabbling around the house looking for you keys or whatnot. I use a similar system and love it, very clean and neat.
Thanks for the suggestions, yes I am Boxes of Stuff, I like the nightstand, I wish I could attach things to the wall by the front door but, the studs are spaced weird. Between my husband and son we have 3 backpack/laptop bags coming in and lots of pocket items, keys, cell phones, mail (i'm good at getting rid of most of it) . Since the living room/dining area is here also and is not separated, all forms of clutter gravitate toward this area not just what is brought in from outside. Like clothing, balls, earrings,puzzle books,....
I thought of perhaps a small table with a charging station on top, with space for bags to go underneath? I wanted a drawer but I find that the more drawers I have the more I find ways to fill them with things that belong elsewhere.
I am starting now with getting rid of things and assuming if it doesn't have a home, then it shouldn't live in my house. :)
Hrm, if there are three of you, then you need room for three times your items. Maybe this idea Ikea Hacker is something for you: Landing strip storage with "face recognition"?
If you tried to copy that concept, you just need some sort of bench/storage (again Ikea, but really just to give you an idea):
* Expedit shelf 1x4 or Lack shelf 1x4, turned sideways, if you want you can put drawers in: Expedit drawers or Knipsa basket, and you can also attach legs to this shelf/bench. It doesn't have to be a shelf, be creative. Maybe a 3-drawer chest will work, maybe a shoe storage bench will work...
Then, put a few hooks for coats and three storages for small items above or next to that, so that each one of you has their own hook, shoe rack, backpack hook/shelf, and small item storage for keys, sunglasses, hats, toys and so on.
* Small item storage suggestions: See my post above, or something like these: Allamåla wall basket, 3 of Förhöja wall cabinet, or a Lack wall shelf. You could also mix and match, for example for you and your husband, you each have one Förhöja, and for your son it could be those Frog pockets from my last post ... well, you get the idea ;o)
If you think all this storage will be too messy to look at from the rest of your room, you could solve this by visibly separating the reception area from the rest with a big plant or several, or with a very light curtain hung from the ceiling, or just by putting a colorful rug or runner there to mark the area as entrance area. You could also visibly separate the area if, for example if you got a bench like that expedit shelf I mentioned, you put it 3-4 feet away from the wall, parallel to the wall. The wall can still hold your coat rack and maybe some of the small storage solutions, while the bench can be sat on from both sides and separates the entrance area from the rest.
If it is absolutely impossible to attach anything to your walls, you could also go for an upright standing Expedit 1x4 shelf (just for example), or two, and then attach hooks and if you like, the Frog thing or whatever to their outsides on the left and right.
I think if lots of stuff always gravitates towards the entrance area, it does not have a home. Maybe also put up a small shelf (or whatever) to hold puzzle books and everthing that is actually regularly used in your living/dining room, along with a small bowl on top for earrings and other tiny 'lost' things. Then make it a habit to clear that bowl every day to return everything to its original home. -- This is in keeping with chacha's idea from the Boxes of Stuff thread, where you determine how you use your space to find out where items should be 'at home'.
Oh, and also: Yay for starting to declutter, aari! :o)
Since there are 3 of you. Have you thought about buying a 5-shelf bookshelf and placing it next to the door. Bottom shelf could be bumped up to make room for bookbags, second shelf for laptops, third for "pocket items", fourth for a charging station, and fifth for hats, gloves, and scarves. Plus even the cheap ($35) shelves you can drill holes into and add 2-4 hooks for coats/keys.
i think the expedit style shelving would be a good solution for you too....with some coat hooks attached to the sides as suggested.
the perfect size would be 3 x 2 cubes, i don't know if ikea make that size?
that gives you all two cubes each to use....one cube for your backpack/bag and one cube with a *shallow* basket in it for pocket stuff, like keys, phones, sunglasses, hankies. (deep baskets will fill....)
i KNOW that if i had more cubes than strictly needed, then they would slowly but surely fill with dreaded clutter and become an eyesore.
perhaps someone could make you a custom thing?
the positioning of it is tricky.
i'd probably go for behind the door myself, but you'll have to try both to see which is more user friendly for you guys.
Well that IS a challenge! my inclination would be to get something like this
http://www.everythingfurniture.com/hs3-mini-hall-tree-2.html#axzz0ot53kO00
for beside/behind the door, and a 3x2 stack of shelves, like the IKEA Expedit, for the wall to the right of the kitchen bar. That gets your coats and shoes out of the traffic area and puts the backpack/laptop area - with the top of the cubbies serving as a device-charging and mail station - on your way to the door.
And if you installed a shelf directly on the wall above the Expedit-type shelves, could use that for your mail basket and device chargers, leaving the top of the shelving unit clear. Oh, and I'd be sure to have a small wastebasket right beside the shelves - probably to the left, between the shelves and the kitchen bar - for instant disposal of junk mail. :-)
Would be interested to see what you choose!
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