HALL & (C)OATS
The hallway is the gateway to a home – it offers guests the first impression of your interior style and allows them to see how you go about entering 'relax mode' once stepping into your sanctuary. Do you throw your jacket over an ever-growing pile of coats, kick off your shoes into a cobwebbed corner and shout out an order for a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the direction of the nearest responsible adult? Or are you the responsible adult? Hanging your outerwear on a perfectly positioned coat stand and tucking your footwear into its designated slot in the designated shoe storage unit? According to decluttering expert Helen Sanderson, the latter may save you unnecessary stress. “Think of the hallway as the artery of your home,” explains the author of The Home Declutter Kit. “Any blockage can have consequences further down the line.”
First issue: what should NOT be in your hallway…
Love letters
Instead of allowing mail to lay on the floor or hall sideboard until the time comes to deal with the contents, move letters that need 'actioning' to your desk or wherever your letter opener resides. A neat tray or container is great for dealing with mail that is screaming for attention and this will have the added bonus of making you feel oh so organised.
Check out our fair trade Hand-painted Floral Tray in three vivid colours – perfect for both mail and snacks!
When it comes to the dreaded junk mail, the best method to stop those takeaway leaflets from piling up is to stop them getting in your home in the first place: buy or make a ‘no junk mail’ sign for your letterbox.
These shoes were made for storing
The implementation of a shelf or storage unit for shoes – even a nice mat to place them neatly in a row, depending on your available space – will feel and look both tidy and organised. We have a fantastic selection of Eco-friendly Barrier Mats that would do just the trick. Also, only keep out the pairs currently in use and store the rest away in clear plastic boxes for easy access (when inevitably needed).
School's out
Create a designated spot for children to 'place' (i.e., throw) their bags into when arriving home from an arduous day at school. Cube storage is ideal as it means they can simply pop their bag straight in along with their shoes – this Storage Chest from our Seaton range would be ideal for this purpose.
Out-of-season coats and filled-to-burst hooks
As with shoes, we advise only having the coats you’re wearing out on display: keep the summer ones stored away in winter and vice versa. By doing this each season, you'll realise what a useful exercise it is by the end of the year.
Over-stuffed coat hooks can also contribute to the look of a cluttered hallway, thus adding stress where it is not welcome. Incorporate a dedicated container or drawer for hats, scarves and gloves into the space and obey the seasonal attire rule to lessen the strain on these hardworking hooks.
For the kids, set up the same system as they would have at school and assign them each a peg – when they come in the door, they'll know exactly where their coats should be. The Windsor Wall Coat Rack is the perfect solution – its five hooks offer plenty of hanging space.
On the road to nowhere
It is all too easy for our hallways to become a location of limbo for objects that belong elsewhere. Combat this by placing such offending items either directly in the car (if destined for a charity shop or the cleaners) or by taking it directly to its destination.
Aim to never leave an item sitting there for more than a day. Make a to-do list on our Driftwood-style Blackboard (rather than leaving items in your hallway as reminders) to keep the space clear, calm and clutter-free.
Image credit: David Brittain/Country Homes & Interiors
Umbrella-ella-ella
Objects unable to fulfil a function in your life, either by offering aesthetic joy or a practical purpose, should be classed as being in the clutter category.
Our advice is to let go of the hats, gloves and umbrellas that are never used, keeping only one or two for rainy days. Umbrellas are best stored in a stand or nicely hanging on a coat hook. We fell in love the Hampton Wooden Coat Stand, with its modern twist on the classic style – elegant and with a water-resistant finish, we're sure you'll fall in love too!
