Entryway Organizer

Some projects have such an impact that I think, "Why didn't I do this ages ago?" Improving my garage entryway was one of those projects.

Because I park my car in the garage, I always use the garage door into and out of the house. The door opens into tiny entryway which has the basement stairs on one side and a wall on the other.

The entryway poses some real challenges. At only about 3 feet (1 meter) square, it provides just enough space for the door to swing open. Unless this door is propped or held open, it closes on its own. And trying to maneuver around the half-open door puts one at risk for falling down the basement stairs. (Safety was apparently of no concern to the designers of my house.)

Safety and convenience were both greatly improved by the addition of a magnetic doorstop. Simply push the door open until it touches the doorstop, and the magnet holds the door open. I love it! :)

To really level up the entryway, I wanted to add an organizer to hold my work laptop, bag, keys, and so forth. There was plenty of horizontal and vertical space on the wall; however, depth was an issue. The organizer had to be shallow enough to allow the door to open completely.

The biggest challenge was finding something large enough to hold my work laptop but thin enough to fit behind the door. Finally, I found a wire basket at the thrift store.

I decided on a board and batten style for the organizer. Using boards, tape, and cardboard, I marked the placement of each element.

I wanted the organizer to serve a secondary purpose of covering prior doorknob damage and a badly patched area where a large dog door had once been. To accomplish this, I attached hardboard to the wall.

Then I attached 1x3 (vertical) and 1x4 (horizontal) trim boards. Hooks would be attached to the horizontal boards, so I ensured that they were screwed firmly into the wall studs. I painted everything grey to match the walls.

I attached the basket and four hooks.

Done! :)

Now, instead of hanging my bag on the back of a chair and putting my laptop on the dining room table, I can keep everything in one place by the door. And it all fits neatly behind the door in a space less than 5 inches (13 cm) deep!