Last updated: March 24, 2026
Your entryway is the landing strip for your entire life. It's where you drop everything when you walk in exhausted at the end of the day. It's where you frantically search for keys when you're already running late. It's where shoes multiply like rabbits and mail piles up until you can't ignore it anymore.
And your laundry room? It's the space that works overtime whether you want it to or not - especially with little kids who somehow generate more dirty clothes than should be physically possible.
When these spaces work, your whole house feels more together. When they don't, the chaos spreads everywhere. So let's get into both.
Part 1: The Entryway
Why Your Entryway Sets the Tone
If your entryway doesn't work, you start every day and end every day in chaos. You're searching for keys. You're tripping over shoes. You're drowning in mail. And that stress ripples into the rest of your house.
Your entryway should make life easier. It should be the space that catches all the stuff so it doesn't end up scattered throughout your home. When it works, you just walk in, put things where they belong, and move on with your life.
The Three Things Every Entryway Needs
No matter what your entryway looks like - a dedicated mudroom, a tiny apartment hallway, or just the space right inside the front door - it needs three things to function:
A place for keys and mail. Because searching for keys when you're already late is the worst kind of stress. And mail that doesn't have a home just becomes piles everywhere.
A place for shoes. Shoes scattered all over the floor are a tripping hazard, they make the space look messy, and they drive everyone crazy.
A place for bags, coats, and the random stuff you carry in and out every day. When these things don't have a home, they end up on the couch, the counter, and every other flat surface in your house.
Entryway Products That Work
Key & Mail Wall Holder
Keys go here the second you walk in. Mail gets sorted or tossed immediately. No more searching.
Shop NowLarge Shoe Basket
Toss shoes in when you walk in, grab them when you leave. Simple and keeps the floor clear.
Shop NowHidden Shoe Cabinet
Looks like furniture, hides all the shoes. Perfect for entryways visible from the living room.
Shop NowPro Tip: Everyone's entryway is different. You don't need a Pinterest-perfect mudroom. You just need your space - whatever it looks like - to actually work for your family. My entryway is part of my living room with no separation. It's just the space right inside the front door, and it works because the systems are in place.
Part 2: The Laundry Room
Why This Space Matters
Your laundry room affects you multiple times a week, maybe even daily if you have young kids. With two little boys - Brooks is 4 and Elliot is 2 - my laundry room works overtime. Three outfit changes in one day because someone "needs" different pants. Spills at every meal. These tiny humans generate more laundry than should be physically possible.
When it's organized, you know where the stain remover is. You can grab detergent without moving seventeen things. You know if you have extra light bulbs without buying duplicates. When it's chaos, you're frustrated every time you walk in there.
The 30-Minute Laundry Room Reset
- Start with one area - one shelf, one cabinet, or one corner. Don't tackle the whole room.
- Pull everything out so you can see what you're working with.
- Toss what's expired, empty, or broken. That cleaner with one drop left? Toss it. The mystery product you can't identify? Let it go.
- Group like items together - laundry supplies, cleaning products, extra household items, and anything that needs a better home elsewhere.
- Give everything a designated spot. Use bins, baskets, or shelves - whatever you have.
- Label if it helps. "Light bulbs." "Cleaning supplies." "Tools." Make it obvious.
What Belongs (and What Doesn't)
Keep your laundry supplies you use regularly, cleaning products you actually use (not 12 half-empty bottles of the same thing), and extra household items like light bulbs, batteries, and tools that genuinely don't have a better home elsewhere.
Let go of expired cleaning products, duplicate items you forgot you had, things that belong in the garage or kitchen, and broken items you've been meaning to fix for six months. Be honest - are you really going to fix them?
Laundry Room Products That Help
Magnetic Lint Holder
Sticks right to the dryer so lint goes somewhere intentional instead of everywhere.
Shop NowBins for Supplies
Corral cleaning products and laundry supplies so they're not scattered across shelves.
Shop NowStorage for Cleaning Products
Translucent bins that let you see what's inside and what's running low without digging.
Shop NowThe Nightly Reset That Keeps It All Together
Before bed, take two minutes: shoes in the basket or cabinet, mail sorted or tossed, bags on their hooks. In the laundry room, just make sure supplies are back where they belong and the sorting system is ready for tomorrow.
It's not a deep clean. It's a reset. And it's the difference between waking up to order and waking up to chaos. Once a week, do a quick check on both spaces. Is the entryway system still working? Does the laundry room need a reset? Small maintenance prevents the big spiral.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I organize a small entryway with no closet?
You don't need a big mudroom. Focus on three things: a place for keys and mail (a wall-mounted holder), a place for shoes (a basket or slim cabinet), and hooks for bags and coats. Even a small wall can hold these essentials.
What should I keep in my laundry room?
Keep laundry supplies you use regularly, cleaning products you actually use, and extra household items like light bulbs and batteries. Let go of expired products, duplicates, and items that belong elsewhere in your home.
How do I keep my entryway from getting messy again?
Do a nightly reset - shoes in the basket, mail sorted, bags on hooks. It takes two minutes. The key is that everything has a designated home so resetting is fast and mindless.
Ready for an Entryway or Laundry Room That Works?
I help families set up systems that make daily life easier. Let's chat about what your space needs.
Book a Free ConsultationDisclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them - at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love.