Here’s the ikea hemnes hacked closets

Dump zone on a good day

I need to see what you are talking about so please post a toscale plan of that area and some pics in comments here DO NOT start another post . I found teaching old dogs new tricks is hard so this for sure applies to kids and hubbies We lived in one small place where everyone had to just ake all that stuff to their room and at the beginning I justmade the kid that did not do have to take everyones the next day fixed it fairly quickly Small awkward spaces need constraint and honestly we wear one pair of shoes one coat and maybe hat and gloves / day so not hard to take to your room . You only need to teach them to put it in the storge space and really only you can decide what you will do about it . I think maybe changing the door swing might be the answer if it requires closing the door to find the sofa

An outward swing means that you will not be able to have a screen or storm door. Also, you will be swinging the door in the face of people on the porch. If you have kids, you may find careless and enthusiastic kids bash the door in the face of people entering the house. But, most people who ring the bell stand right in front of the door, where it would hit them if it opened outwards. Now, this is doable with a big (probably unattractive) sign and with a window in the door, but I think the people most likely to be bashed by an opening door are your family, since they will be going in and out the most.

If the door swings outwards, you can get stuck in your house if there is a big pile of snow on the porch, preventing you from opening the door. Equally, your door would get wet when it is raining. Of course, if you have a deep, covered porch, you won't have this problem.

I don't think changing the door swing is the answer here. You have a lot of storage, so ask yourself (and family members) why it isn't being used. As Patricia says, it is hard sometimes to teach old and young dogs new tricks, but it seems like everyone needs to develop better habits if you want this area to look better. If nothing else, it looks like it could present a tripping hazard at times. If the storage is full already, do you need or have a secondary location where you can put out of season items?

I misunderstood the door swing I thought yu just wanted it to swing the other direction inside . That red doored cabinet is IMO a waste if you do not use it for coats and shoes if you cannot get those up to the bedrooms I see the storage right at the door so yes swing the door the other way agianst the sofa and MAKE people use the storage this is an adults job to do so adult up That clutter is ridiculous where there is actual storage for the stuff . MY sister put all the stuff in trash bag in the garage and the kids thought she threw it out they never left stuff in the hall agin

I think changing the door swing would help. But you need more bench space for the bags and packages. Love the shoe cabinet, but mine is not used for daily shoes; you need a space where daily shoes can be kicked off. What’s in the tall cabinets?

You've got two dump zones on either side of the rug, so:

--Changing door swing could help direct family to storage on the wall side of the rug.

--A bench with baskets below would have more function than shoe cabinet. Sorry, I know you just did the entryway, but a bench with hooks above would corral the backpacks and handbags. And it would be easier to train family to throw shoes into a basket than open the shoe cabinet and line their shoes up.

A simpler version of something like this could work better than what you have.

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Is there a bench behind the current open door? If so, it might also help to rearrange the items on that storage wall. Maybe one of the tall cabinets behind the open door, then shoe cabinet, then bench, then other tall cabinets.

I originally had just the shoe cabinet with a bench and hooks. It’s also my living room. It looked messy because it’s a space that’s used not a picture in a magazine

I wouldn't change the door swing but would install a proper entrance unit with storage (hang coats, put shoes/boots away, etc). Everything shown below is from Ikea. I would re-purpose the dresser elsewhere in the house. Maybe you can save by incorporating the black unit and installing frosted glass film on the windows. Place a long washable runner from the front door down...

I do change out the fabric behind the glass for season. The closets do hold our jackets and bags, too, but not all fit because they are shallow (bookcase depth?) I think I’ll attempt to paint them and the door first. The door is due to be replaced so I’ll spend on that first. Before I possibly flip it all to behind the sofa. If anything I do want to put something behind the sofa to give it a more formal separation.

You didn't give dimensions but judging from your pictures I would think you can place storage either behind the sofa at the height of the back of the sofa or along the wall, don't think you can have storage on both sides of that passageway.

Not sure if this has been mentioned….. is there a door to the garage located in one of your rooms? Can you enter the garage and come in to your home? Would you be willing to put a mudroom in your garage to free up some space in the living room?

We don’t have a garage or other entry that’s convenient to use.