Jeremiah Brent's Sleek Entryway Storage Idea Keeps Essentials Tucked Away In Style

Entryways are often the first spaces we encounter in any home and can manifest in all sorts of ways. It could just be a console table and coat hook near a front door, a grand foyer with a large stairwell, or a mudroom with all sorts of cubbies and hooks for storage. Whatever the size of the space you're working with, because these spaces are well traveled and used, keeping them neat can be a challenge, especially since clutter tends to build up over time. A simple solution from designer Jeremiah Brent, however, works no matter the size or shape of your entryway set up, even if its just an area without walls where things start to collect as you go in and out. Setting up a landing spot, in the form of a bowl, basket, or even a closed box, is a must have for collecting items like sunglasses, keys, wallets and other items. Having the right container can go a long way toward keeping surfaces clear for a clutter-free entryway.

In a video for Living Spaces, Brent reveals a large beautiful bowl as the perfect vessel for holding these items. Or if you prefer a more hidden look, you can use a lidded box. Trays and baskets are also great options, providing a place to keep things looking more intentionally placed than casually thrown about. Even more exciting, these containers can complement and enhance your decorative scheme in the entryway of a home in addition to providing useful storage. They can work in more dedicated entry areas or in catch-all spots near the door in smaller homes and apartments. 

An entryway placement may be the perfect chance to use a beautiful bowl you already own, especially if you want to render it center stage and make it one of the first things you encounter when guests enter. Look for pieces that are large enough to hold what you need them to without looking jumbled or overflowing. Great options for a more rustic or farmhouse interior are large wooden bread bowls or shallow wooden serving bowls. For cottage style homes, try antique soup tureens and pretty ceramic basin bowls. For minimalist spaces, opt for a shallow tray for items that has clean geometric lines. You can also use this as a way to bring in texture, incorporating woven materials, woods, metals like silver or brass, or handmade pottery. 

For closed and lidded storage to keep things entirely out of sight, there are many options, including small trunks and baskets that you can place on a shelf, counter or console table. This is perfect if you have larger items that you don't want to be looking at the minute you walk in the door, like unsightly pet leashes or garage remotes. While you can buy containers to serve as your entryway hiding spot, think about items that can be repurposed, like vintage tools boxes you can make into an entryway statement piece or boxes that you can make look like books for hidden storage in plain sight.