One solution to not being able to find your daily essentials, frantic mornings and home clutter may be simpler than you think: turn your attention to the front door landing strip.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t need a designated mudroom or even a closet to stow away the daily essentials that pile up at your front door \u2014 or worse \u2014 bleed into the rest of the home. To keep you organized all year long, we asked Toronto-based interior designer Kendra Bester <\/a>for the landing strip essentials she uses in her own home and stylish small-space solutions to maximize what you already have. With Bester\u2019s practical tips, you can complete the project in a weekend and you\u2019ll feel a positive ripple through the rest of your home (and maybe even life).<\/p>\n Photo: Kendra Bester<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou want to create a drop point at the front door, with organization systems in place so there is a clutter-free place to store your bags, jackets, mail, mitts and all the other daily essentials,\u201d says Bester.<\/p>\n What happens in the outside world, stays in the outside world. The point of your landing strip is to leave it at the door.<\/p>\n \u201cRight away, you\u2019re creating a routine when you get home that keeps those items from trailing into the rest of your apartment,\u201d Bester explains.<\/p>\n Photo: housetweaking\/Instagram\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMy console table is only eight inches deep, so it doesn\u2019t take up a lot of space,\u201d Bester says. \u201cIt\u2019s a place where I\u2019ll leave my keys, small change and whatever is in my hands when I walk in. I store the smaller items in a pretty ceramic bowl, which looks great and serves a valuable purpose organizing my things.\u201d<\/p>\n The designer loves using the narrow Hemnes console from IKEA<\/a> with drawers that can store up to 15 pairs of shoes. \u201cI like to change up the black hardware that comes with the console, personalizing it with fancier options from Anthropologie.\u201d<\/p>\n You can also use a bench for this area, serving triple duty as seating, a surface area to place your things, and (using the space underneath) a spot to neatly line your shoes. The designer suggests making it a focal point by painting the bench a poppy color.<\/p>\n Photo: lindsay_hill_interiors\/Instagram\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Instead of leaving your hats, scarves and reusable bags on hooks and surfaces, Bester suggests stowing them underneath the console in a decorative wicker basket. It\u2019s easy to reach for and hidden from plain view. You can also keep umbrellas, beach towels and flip flops there when the weather warms up.<\/p>\n Photo: thejunqdrawer\/Instagram\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Gone are the days of throwing your jacket on the dining room table. Bester suggests having at least three hooks on the wall or behind your front door to store jackets and bags.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget your walls are valuable real estate. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have a lot of space, think vertical rather than horizontal for storage,\u201d the designer explains. \u201cIf you\u2019re a hat person, for example, try nailing them to the wall, turning them into an art feature and making them easily accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo: Andy Ryan Photographer<\/a>\u00a0Interior Design: Lori Paranjpe\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI have a full length mirror behind my console table that opens up the space and acts as a big focal point when you come down the hall,\u201d Bester tells us. \u201cThe mirror also brightens up the space, bouncing around the light that comes through.\u201d<\/p>\n Then give your good lookin\u2019 self one last up-and-down before heading out the door.<\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0marisavitalephoto\/Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Kendra-Bester-Front-Foyer-Before-and-After.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1. Integrate a narrow console table or bench<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IKEA-Hemnes-Shoe-Rack-house-tweaking.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. Reduce visual clutter by storing seasonal essentials in a wicker basket<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Front-Foyer-Wicker-Baskets.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n3. Maximize your vertical space to store daily items<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Front-Foyer-Hooks-thejunqdrawer.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n4. Mirror, mirror on the wall<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Front-Foyoer-from-mrsparanjape-1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n5. Take a seat and store your stuff underneath<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Front-door-landing-marisavitalephoto-1.jpg\")
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