“Investing in the entryway is an act of mental well-being”: Johanna ditches hangers for a laundry basket and a quick makeup station
Previously, heading out and coming home with two small children felt stressful for Johanna. Then she decided to make the entryway truly functional. Here’s how she did it!
Where did that other rain mitten go now? Soon enough, someone will trip over that trash bag! In many homes, morning departures can be hectic and chaotic. The entryway can look like an obstacle course with shoes scattered across the floor, and missing items are nowhere to be found. That really sends stress levels soaring.
A couple of years ago, Johanna Alasuutari also realized how tough it was to manage the entryway alone with two small children. Repeated little hassles became frustrating and draining: the mirrored cabinet door always got left open, and the kids’ snowsuits kept falling off the hangers.
Little by little, tackling one issue at a time, Johanna has transformed the family’s entryway into something that really works. She also had an educational goal in mind: how can interior design and furniture choices help children do things independently?
“I love interior design and I’m an aesthete, but in the entryway, practicality and functionality matter most. An organized entryway makes life so much easier. Investing in the entryway is practically an act of mental well-being!”
Now Johanna shows us the family’s entryway and shares how these solutions simplify daily life!
Johanna took these photos when the children were at their dad’s place, so you won’t see the kids’ shoes or outdoor clothes. She didn’t style the space—this is how it really looks day to day. She did hang a child’s brightly colored coat on a hook for scale.
Boxes worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize and makeup for a quick touch-up
- Trash can. “I often bring parking receipts and similar items in from the car. Now I can toss them right away in the entryway.”
- A place for mail and other things you set down. “In the A4-sized compartment, for example, I keep our condo board meeting invitation and my headphones.”
- Small compartments for the spare car key and makeup. “I usually load the trunk the night before for the following morning. Now I can open the car easily with the spare key remote. I also bought a lipstick and concealer to keep in the entryway organizer, so I can touch up while the kids get dressed—no need to go to the bathroom! Plus, the organizer has small hooks for random items like guests’ keys.”
- Kids’ coat hooks. “Monkey-shaped hooks at just the right height are easy to use, and the kids have fun hanging their jackets on the monkeys’ tails.”
- Storage boxes for accessories. “The designer of these Ikea boxes basically deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, because their easy-to-use design has brought more calm to our everyday life. There’s something magical about those flip doors—both the kids and I always close them. I put pictures of the kids and accessories on the doors to help us remember what goes where.”
- Shoe trays for wet footwear. “I found shoe racks impractical. Shoes kept falling onto the floor no matter how carefully I arranged them. I have one pair that I use regularly. The kids’ shoes are stored at their dad’s place.”
- A coat rack for bags and guests’ jackets. “I combined two Ikea wall racks to create a ‘tree,’ and it’s been fantastic for visitors’ coats.”
- Additionally: A hook for outgoing bags. “I attached a hook to the front door for anything that needs to go out. Right now, it’s holding a bag of cardboard recycling and a package waiting to be returned.”
A labeling marker and a spot for dirty laundry
- One mirror door removed from the closet. “After some thought, I took out one of the sliding mirror doors. Whenever I opened or closed them, something got in the way, and one door usually stayed open anyway. The removed door became a dressing mirror in the walk-in closet.”
- A spot for items we use less frequently. “In the Elfa pull-out shelving, we store accessories and clothes we don’t use often. The top shelf holds random odds and ends plus a fabric marker, since I label the kids’ clothes in the entryway.”
- Outfits for the days ahead. “I installed an Ikea storage unit on the side of the mirror closet. I keep the kids’ next few days’ outfits in the top drawer. On top of the unit is a container of xylitol pastilles for the kids once they’re dressed.”
- Paper recycling. “I can toss junk mail here right away.”
- A station for dirty laundry. “My kids’ dirty clothes often ended up on the floor, so I added another laundry hamper in the entryway. Sure, they can take their laundry to the bathroom hamper, but it’s farther away for them and that hamper is a bit tall. Simplifying the system helped.”
- A hanger for shoes that aren’t worn as often. “For sneakers and similar shoes, I attached a hanger inside the mirror closet, on the side of the Elfa shelving. Off-season shoes go in a banana box on the top shelf of the mirror closet.”
Bye-bye, hangers!
- Over-the-door racks replaced the hangers. “I found an almost perfect over-the-door rack from the Clas Ohlson home improvement store to use on the hanger rod. It’s so nice not having to wrestle with hangers!”
- Hooks for helmets. “They’re attached with removable Tesa adhesive hooks. The picture labels help the kids.”
- Additionally: Bags on the closet floor. “We can fit multiple work and school backpacks here, and I love not tripping over them anymore. I put a mud mat on the closet floor.”
“You can enjoy things even if they’re not finished”
Now the entryway is much more functional than it was a couple of years ago. It’s not finished—and doesn’t need to be—because it adapts as the family’s needs change. At the moment, Johanna is planning to install a hat shelf above the organizer.
“I want to encourage everyone to enjoy what they have, even if it’s still a work in progress. Self-compassion goes a long way. It’s normal for things to be messy or to feel unmotivated about organizing the entryway.”
Johanna suggests starting by sorting through belongings and removing what isn’t needed. That will help you figure out exactly what storage solutions your home needs.
“For us, for instance, the spare straps for the kids’ snowsuits became their own category. In a family with teenagers, of course, it would be completely different.”
“It’s not about the wet rain boots—it’s about the warm hugs”
Johanna wants coming home to feel welcoming. That’s why she arranged a cheerful setup directly opposite the front door: a family photo, a green plant, and a frame for the children’s rotating artwork.
“I’m thinking of adding something like, ‘It’s not about the wet rain boots—it’s about the warm hugs.’ And maybe I’ll paint the wall bright yellow.”
