We also use bins in the hall closet (which is not too close to the door we use). Originally I had one bin per person, but my kids are so close in age that they share gloves, hats, and scarves. So now I have a cardigan bin (everyone has 1-2 cardigans for those days you need to grab one on your way out), one bin for lightweight scarves, hate, and gloves, one for just my scarves (I have a bunch), and one for heavy weight hats, scarves, and gloves. A shoe rack on the bottom of the closet holds boots, rain boots, etc. A basket near the side door, which is the door we use, holds all shoes worn that day.

I took the door off of a hall closet and converted that into a small mudroom of sorts. I saw the idea on Pinterest. That said I missed my storage space so I ended up putting the door back on and I put a nice chair, a big wicker basket for shoes, and a coat rack bolted onto the wall instead.

We have zero entry/mudroom... Front door opens to downstairs hallway and the steps upstairs. I put a basket on a lower step, that is tall enough to hold everything (obv it is a small house and we try to limit multiples anyway). Everything just gets tossed in once you take 2 steps inside the door, and at the end of the season the entire thing goes back in the closet.

We have a smallish armoire in the entry with shelves and bins for hats, socks, gloves, and scarves, as well as things like folding umbrellas, flashlights, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You use google. Try "how to stay organized when you don't have a mudroom"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/08/25/how-to-stay-organized-when-you-dont-have-a-mudroom/

Yes I do realize how to search for things, but I was curious how other people in real life do it. These forums would cease to exist if everyone simply googled. We want opinions!

I would get a wall mounted coat rack so damp jackets can get a chance to dry, e.g.,:
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/wall-mount-coat-rack/?pkey=cracks-hooks-storage%7Crows-of-hooks%7C&&cracks-hooks-storage|rows-of-hooks|

Boot tray, e.g.,
http://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Supply-Large-Boot-Tray/dp/B00EOW5ZXM

Off season, the boot tray rests on the floor in my coat closet. I have shoe racks resting on mine. (So measure b/f you buy so you have a place to store them.) When wet boots/shoes are the norm, the boot tray is out.

Off season, gloves, hats during off season, paired on these hanging in the coat closet:
http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6021-185-Skirt-Hanger-Chrome/dp/B00JZ22SUO/ref=zg_bs_16353541_12

You can hang the clips on the outside of the coat closet so that mittens etc. get a chance to dry. If gloves/mittens aren't wet, they go in winter coat pockets, so kids always know there they are.

If you have a kid that's little or always looses things, get:
http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Boundaries-Toddlers-Elastic-Mitten/dp/B007IFY1BO

I just put a wooden box beside the door. It doesn't look so great but we never lose hats or gloves.

We have a teeny-tiny hall closet that has cubbies. I found square canvas bins that fit the cubbies, and each person in the house has a bin. We can also hang our bulky winter coats there, and I can stash the shovel and rock salt there, so it's kind of my "winter closet." (doesn't have room for anything else!)

If your hallway has a bench, OP, see if you can fit a bunch of baskets or canvas bins underneath it. You can always hide them somewhere in the off-season, or use different bins for swim/sun stuff.

Not only do we not have a mudroom, but we don't have a coat closet either.

For hats/gloves/scarves, I got an antique cedar chest for the foyer and all of that goes in a basket that's inside. It also fits backpacks, bag with karate stuff, guitar in case, etc.

Anonymous wrote:We have elfa drawers in the front closet Everyone gets a drawer. Short coats hang above the drawer unit, long coats alongside the drawer unit.

Same here. Love those drawers.

Anonymous wrote:You use google. Try "how to stay organized when you don't have a mudroom"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/08/25/how-to-stay-organized-when-you-dont-have-a-mudroom/

Yes I do realize how to search for things, but I was curious how other people in real life do it. These forums would cease to exist if everyone simply googled. We want opinions!

We use these bins from Ikea http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30256424/ . They come in different colors and you can also paint them (Krylon has great paints). Each kid has one and they're GREAT for putting hats, mittens and umbrellas in.

I bought bins for each family member from Bed Bath & Beyond. I put a label on each one with whoever's name. Everything goes in the bin. The bins are on a top shelf in the coat closet, so the kids can't reach them, but it has still made my life so much easier - grab the bin(s) I need and hand the stuff out...

You use google. Try "how to stay organized when you don't have a mudroom"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2015/08/25/how-to-stay-organized-when-you-dont-have-a-mudroom/

We have elfa drawers in the front closet Everyone gets a drawer. Short coats hang above the drawer unit, long coats alongside the drawer unit.

Trying to get organized before the cold weather season really kicks into gear. We have a bench in the front hall for shoes and a place to hang backpacks, but no real place for all the cold winter gear.

How do you keep it organized if you don't have a big mudroom?