They say that home is where you hang your hat and jacket. But how about where your kids fling their backpacks, shoes, toys and anything else they can jam in their grubby, little pockets? Don’t despair, mama: Make a “drop zone” instead. Peep the seven crazy-clever solutions below—all of which are achievable regardless of your square-footage situation.
‘Drop Zones’ Are the Best Place to Neatly Store Your Kids’ Crap
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Published Aug 24, 2017
Convert A Closet To A Mini Mudroom
Rip the doors off of a shallow hall closet, give it a fresh coat of paint and slide some overhead storage bins into the upper shelf. Boom. Done.
Or Just Make A Mud Closet
If you’d really like to tuck away the mess, give a coat closet or pantry a storage-minded makeover, and some bright lighting.
Mount Crates To The Wall
Use simple wooden crates to delineate a drop zone area in your garage or basement. Give each kid their own designated crate, so there’s no confusion over whose adorable, tiny wellies go where.
Establish A Zone With An Oversize Coatrack
When space is at a premium, there’s nothing wrong with making a drop zone right alongside the front door—especially if it seamlessly blends in with the furniture.
Fill An Awkward Wall With A Built-in Bench
That useless swath of wall below the kitchen light switches? It would make a perfect little spot for a drop zone. We love the idea of adding chalkboard storage bins beneath your bench for kids to write their names on.
Turn A Credenza Into A Storage Unit
If your best storage spot happens to infiltrate your dining room, simply maximize a piece of dining room furniture. (XL galvanized metal bins should hold your kiddo’s shoes and backpacks easily, while the upper bins make a great drop spot for dog leashes and pocket messes.)
Find A Chic Solution
Not into the whole coats on hooks thing? At the very least, make a petite drop zone by styling a little bench with an oversize wooden basket below. We promise it’ll earn its keep.
