How to Organize Your Home Room by Room: The Hall Closet

Hall Closet Organization Ideas That Make the Most of Your Space

Hall closets are small but mighty. We stuff these narrow spaces with coats, gloves, scarves, shoes, sporting equipment—and so much more. 

“There’s something about the hall closet that makes it a dumping ground,” explains Lisa Zaslow from Gotham Organizers. And she suggests a few reasons why:

1. Homeowners don’t pay as much attention to these closets. You just grab what you need or quickly toss something in. 
2. The hallway closet usually doesn’t have much built-in organization, so it’s difficult to see what’s inside. 
3. Coats and jackets don’t make it to the donation pile as often as clothes stored in a bedroom closet, so they tend to pile up. 
4. For homes without a basement, garage or attic, an entryway closet becomes a “catch-all” space.

If any of that sounds familiar, it’s time to set aside an afternoon and dive into your hall closet mess. We interviewed the professionals from Gotham Organizers and Unclutter to give you simple, easy-to-follow advice on how to empty, purge and organize your hall closet.

Hall Closet Organization Supplies to Have On-Hand 

Organization Supplies	Cleaning Supplies
Marker and Labels Set of Wood Coat Hangers Clear Storage Drawers Extra Hooks Shoe Rack (if needed) Shelving	Trash Bag Donation Box Step Ladder Duster Vacuum

How to Revamp and Organize Your Hall Closet

Step 1. Remove everything that isn’t currently hanging on a rod. 

This includes all shoes, boots and items stored on the floor and shelves. If a shelf is above eye-level, grab a step ladder to safely clear everything off. 

Step 2. Group items together.

There are a few ways to categorize what’s stored in your utility closet, either by type or by whom things belong to. For example, you may find it works best for your family to keep gloves and scarves in labeled baskets for each person instead of storing them all in a single container. 

Step 3. Remove what isn’t useful.

As you sort, keep an eye out for duplicates that you don’t need. Place anything damaged in the trash bag, and box up the rest to donate. 

Pro Tip: Take this opportunity to clean your hall closet. You don’t want to put everything back into a dirty space. 

 

More Tips to Organize Your Hall Closet

• What do you use most often? Give these things prime placement in the easy-to-reach spots.
• Group your coats by length. This will give you space beneath shorter coats for easily visible and accessible storage.
• Use your door for extra storage space by hanging hooks or pocket-type organizers.
• Coat closets are usually narrow and deep. Make the most of this space by investing in a set of stackable drawers to store smaller items - just measure before you head to the store. 

What Should and Shouldn't Be Kept in an Organized Hall Closet

“The hall closet is a great place to store all those things that you frequently grab on your way out the door and provides an easy place to put them away when you return. This includes everything from coats to dog leashes, skateboards and helmets. If there’s space to spare, then you can store other items as you see fit.”
Donna Smallin Kuper | Professional Organizer, Unclutter
 

When organizing your utility closet, look out for items that don’t serve an everyday purpose. Zaslow recommends getting rid of:

• Old cords and cables.
• Multiples of umbrellas, flashlights and leashes.
• Extra hangers. Just keep a few for guests to use.
• Unused electronics like answering machines and modems.
• Unlabeled boxes. Sort through their contents and decide if they belong in the closet or another place in your home. 

Maintain Your Hall Closet Makeover

Take a minute to mark your calendar with hall closet clean-out days now. Choose a Saturday morning close to the end of a season to make sure clutter doesn’t build up. With this system, you’ll enjoy an organized entryway all year long. 

Ready to Organize the Rest of Your House? 

From the kitchen to the garage, read our organization rules to declutter every room in your home.