Larisa’s entryway refresh features a new bench cushion and pleated bench skirt, new organizational systems to keep shoes and keys organized, and some new design details.
Read the kickoff post here for the challenges I wanted to address and before photos.
Table of Contents
- Crocheted hanging baskets to keep keys, glasses, and wallets organized in the entryway
- An easy-to-access shoe rack helps us keep our shoes organized
- A $30 sweater organizer helped to wrangle winter hats, scarves, and gloves
- Entryway design updates
- Bench cushion and box pleated bench skirt
I have to admit, when we planned this refresh, I didn’t really have high hopes that I could control the chaos of the entryway. It’s a super challenging area, and requires a lot of vigilance to keep it orderly. So, I’m thrilled that it actually seems to be working! And it was eye opening, because, organizationally, I really didn’t change that much. Here are the things that made a difference:
Crocheted hanging baskets to keep keys, glasses, and wallets organized in the entryway
I removed the catch-all pottery bowl that had become a breeding ground for keys, masks, wallets, coins, gum wrappers, random pieces of metal, etc. and crocheted some hanging baskets for specific uses – one for keys, one for other things like glasses, wallets, masks. I purposely kept the size pretty small so we would be discouraged from just stashing too many things in there. You know the eternal rule of the universe: If you put a container somewhere, it will automatically fill up with sh*t, until it’s full. So – keep the container small! This is the pattern I used from Etsy.
An easy-to-access shoe rack helps us keep our shoes organized
I switched out the under-bench shoe storage for a larger shoe rack. It adds more bulk to the hallway, but it’s just more useable. It fits all the shoes we need for a season (with a back up shoe storage in the nearby coat closet for winter boots and rarely worn shoes (ok, and I have another overflow area in my bedroom closet for shoes). It’s just a basic wood and chrome shoe rack that I found buried in the coat closet. I cleaned it off and gave it a fresh coat of Rust-o-leum oil rubbed bronze spray paint. The fact that it’s out in the open is a good reminder that that’s where shoes are supposed to go!
A $30 sweater organizer helped to wrangle winter hats, scarves, and gloves
I created more space in the coat closet to hold some of the stuff that we used to put on the bench. In order to clear off shelf space in the closet, I needed to find a way to organize all of our winter gear (gloves, hats, scarves, etc… of which we have a LOT). I explored some fancy options, but ultimately decided on a $30 hanging sweater organizer and it’s perfect. There are separate spots for scarves, my hats, Jon’s hats, my gloves, Jon’s gloves, and a bonus spot for compact umbrellas.
Finally, for the ever expanding collection of reusable grocery bags, we decided to just keep those in our cars. After shopping, they go right back to the car for the next trip.
The best news: it’s working! I made most of these changes at the beginning of September, so we’re already a few weeks in and the chaos is staying contained (on most days).
Now for the fun part: pretty things!
Entryway design updates
This wasn’t a major refresh, but I took the opportunity to upgrade the style a bit. Even though we have an outdoor doormat, things get messy here in Maine. I added an indoor jute doormat that is pretty unobtrusive and also hides the dirt.
For the shelf, I added some seasonal pumpkins. I dug out a Mexican vase that I thought went well with my peacock theme, and filled it with dried flowers from The Love of Pampas shop on Etsy. On the wall with the inspirational peacock print, I added a few pottery flowers just to fill the wall up a bit more and make more of a statement.
I stole a cute little piano bench from my mom to use as a plant stand (is it not adorable?!)
Bench cushion and box pleated bench skirt
And then I focused on my major decorative project: The bench cushion and skirt. As I mentioned before, I chose this fabric to coordinate with the peacock print on a nearby wall and chose an outdoor fabric for durability. I measured the bench and went to Joann’s for a 2 inch piece of foam, which they cut to length. They measured and marked the width for me but couldn’t cut it (not sure why). So when I got home, I used a serrated bread knife to cut the width. It was a bit ragged, but I knew once it was covered with fabric that it wouldn’t show.
I sewed a very simple bench cushion with an envelope back. I didn’t bother with boxed corners because the foam really wasn’t that thick. For this purpose, it looks fine and it took very little time and effort.
For the box pleated skirt, I watched a YouTube video for the basics, and then just went for it. I cut 3X the length of the bench + 1 inch for a seam allowance. And on the height, I added a 2 inch seam allowance on each side. I hemmed the seam allowance and then I created 4 inch pleats. It’s impossible to explain how to do it, so here is a video of me making it. Don’t mind my heavy breathing and senseless mumbling or Gerry the Cat walking all over it.
I actually ended up a little short on the length. So next, time, I’d add the length of the pleat (8 inches) and add that to the length just for insurance.
This is the video I watched to get an idea of how to do the box pleats. As usual, I just kind of winged it, and it turned out pretty good. But if you’re a stickler for details, I’d watch her video as well.
Once I had the pleats pinned, I sewed across the top, on the same line as my 2 inch seam. Then I top stitched each pleat from the very top about 6 inches down. Finally I sewed a wide piece of industrial strength Velcro to the top.
Then on the bench, I attached the other side of the Velcro and put it together.
I think it all looks really nice, and now we have a comfortable place to sit to put our shoes on. Having it look nice also deters us from using the bench as a storage area for all the things. Overall, it’s much more inviting and looks more like a room of the house rather than just a chaotic entry.
I really enjoyed the challenge, and how it helped me focus on one area. Houses get messy and unorganized – it’s just how it goes, so I’m liking the idea of tackling a room a month and just looking at ways to better organize and refresh it. Next challenge coming next week!
