There probably isn't an area that gets used more in a house then the entry way. It's always the last place you leave, and the first place you step into. And if your family is anything like mine, it very often ends up being the dumping ground for pretty much everything. Jackets and bags are often left in a heap on the floor next to a jumble of shoes and boots. It often feels like the least organized space in my home.

When we moved in to our new build three years ago, the back entry way was just an empty space......plain walls and a floor with no closet space. We put a mat down and that was that, for quite a while. Because the door leads to the garage where we park our vehicles, it ended up being the entrance we used every day. It became increasingly impractical for us. There was nowhere to hang coats and our shoes were a constant tripping hazard. We needed a more functional solution. After searching Pinterest for a few ideas to inspire me, I finally came up with a simple, inexpensive way to make the best use of the space we had.

After measuring the horizontal distance, my husband simply cut 1x8 trim pieces and nailed them flush against the wall with the bottom approximately five feet from the floor. Then he fastened 1x2 1/2 trim pieces, flush against the top of the 1x8. Finally, he fixed another 1x2 1/2 trim piece on top of that to form a shelf. He sealed the joints with paintable caulking and then I painted the entire shelf the same color as the trim in the house. We purchased over sized, vintage looking hooks and screwed them into the bottom of the fastened trim pieces.

Viola! Instant storage!

I purchased a simple shoe rack to keep our footwear organized.

And because we all own a pair or two of flip-flops, I purchased a galvanized bucket to store them, which frees up space on the shoe rack. Brilliant, right?

My dad built a custom, rustic style bench to fit the space beside the door, so I could have a spot to sit while I put my shoes on. I love it so much. Particularly because he made it out of discarded wood that was used for concrete forms.

Every entry way should have a mirror and I found a perfect, vintage one at a thrift store for only 7 bucks. I love how it makes the room feel like it gets a little natural light. And this pretty rug from Ikea adds a touch of whimsy to the space.

I styled the top of the shelves with patchwork pallet stars, also made by my dad, and a few other stars I've collected over the years. A few touches of greenery and candles finished off the space beautifully.

Now, this main entry way not only looks so pretty, it's also very functional!

In all honesty though, it doesn't usually look quite this put together. There are often a pair (or four) of shoes on the mat, and I admit, I sometimes still drop my purse on the floor when I come inside. The coat hooks usually have a few more jackets hanging on them as well.

Even though I don't light the candles on the shelf unless we are having a party; and even though the shopping bags hanging on the hooks don't look exactly beautiful, I still love how pretty it looks back here. Even better though, is how accessible everything is.

It really is the perfect solution for a perfect back entry way.

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