I’ve been struggling with pulling together my entry for a while now. Well, maybe struggling is not the right word -  I actually bought hooks but didn’t put them up, and I designed a bench but just haven’t gotten around to building it yet - a classic case of the cobbler’s kids having no shoes. And speaking of shoes, if you take off shoes at the door (yes I’m talking about you all of Brooklyn) the messiness just escalates. Here are some entryway design ideas that might work for you.

If you do a search for 'shoe storage', or 'shoe bench', the results are pretty limited and not particularly attractive. To find something a bit more interesting, you have to expand your search to other items. For closed cabinets that do the best job of hiding things, looking for ‘media consoles’, 'sideboards', or 'buffets' can do the trick nicely and actually add a design element instead of a compromise.

After years of using an Eames Hang It All hooks I noticed that things tended to pile on top of each other. So, in my own entryway I opted for the hooks below:

The hooks slide to accommodate different sized pieces and have a ‘double hook’ (top and bottom) which helps a lot.

These ceramic cleats come in beautiful colors and look fantastic - saving this one for my future beach house.

I love the small key shelf above this well-designed rack by Scout Regalia.

These look like a wall sculpture when they are not being used!

And this one has an industrial look that seems like it should cost a lot more.

For larger storage and shoes, here are a just a few ideas:

One client has a narrow but formal looking entry, and instead of a shoe bench which would look a bit out of place, I'm considering this piece, which is actually a media console.

A wallet-friendly solution that does a great job of keeping shoes out of sight.

While this is a bit high for a bench, it has some good open and closed storage.

And finally, there’s the ‘landing pad’ which we all need, but don’t always have much space for. Here are a few skinny consoles and other entryway design ideas that can make a home for keys, mail and those other small items that need a home right away.

Tried and true:

Petite, pretty and comes in three finishes

Long, lean and classy!

If you’ve found a unique solution for your entryway, please share it with me on my CAVdesign Facebook page. And please share your ideas for the #LoveYourHome365 project! Can’t wait to see how we all show our home some extra love. You can see the posts on Instagram, and share your own ideas on my Facebook page.