Do you struggle to find your car keys or wallet when heading out in the morning? Do you keep tripping over bags, coats, and shoes when you get back home in the evening? Keeping every item in place and maintaining tidy entryways can be a nightmare for many people. Fortunately, a drop zone can help sort out the mess.
A drop zone is an important addition that anyone looking to have a tidier and more organized home should consider. Learn how to create a perfect drop zone in your home.
What is a Drop Zone and Why It’s Important
A drop zone is a dedicated area or space in a home that serves as a catch for coats, shoes, keys, and other items you use daily. Drop zones keep crucial, everyday items that you, your family, and your guests don’t want to bring into the main area of the home. A well planned drop zone will keep you from tracking dirt and debris into your home and bring an end to the days of ransacking your house looking for car keys when you are late.
Benefits of Having a Drop Zone In Your Home
A drop zone in your home:
Ensures a Streamlined Morning Routine
Finding morning essentials like car keys and wallets every day can be frustrating, especially when you are in a hurry. A drop zone brings everything close together, so you won’t waste time searching for them. You can keep your wallet and keys in a bowl, and other essentials such as jackets and hats on hooks. If you always run late in the morning, a drop zone will be a game changer helping you get out of the door faster.
Reduces Clutter
If you feel like clutter keeps finding its way into your house and more stuff magically appears every day, even after spending a lot of time decluttering, you should consider creating a drop zone. After a long and tiresome day, people tend to drop many items around them the moment they get into their houses. The home ends up looking cluttered at the entrance.
A drop zone can help reduce physical and brain clutter. It acts as a designated area to keep your coats, bags, and shoes so they are not scattered all over your home. Further, it can help you get away with extra sliding rails for hangers, tall shoe racks, cubes, and storage drawers, especially if you have space constraints.
Creates a Welcoming Space
A well planned drop zone will make your entryway more inviting and welcoming. If you add personal touches such as artwork, plants, or a mirror, you can make it a stylish area that welcomes you and your family into the house.
Tips for Creating a Perfect Drop Zone In Your Home
Creating a perfect drop zone is an art and requires some creativity and strategic planning. You want it to be a space where you can drop everything when you come back home while also ensuring it seamlessly blends into the décor of surrounding areas without becoming messy.
Striking the balance of aesthetics and practicality may need some out of the box thinking. Here are a few tips to help you choose the perfect spot, assemble the necessary materials, and create a dedicated drop zone that you, your family, and your guests will love.
Choose Your Space
When creating a drop zone, space and convenience are the two main factors to consider. If your house is small, you should keep the drop zone simple so it doesn’t take up a large space.
A drop zone could be an open space where one walks into the living room area. However, if you have limited space in your hallway and cannot fit a bench or table, you can still create a drop zone in other areas of your home, such as the back hallway, foyer, existing mudroom, or even the kitchen.
Identify the busiest spots in your home to know the place that would be most convenient. Then, consider the most crucial components for your needs and find where to fit them.
It’s also important to consider your family’s daily routine and behavior; while you may have enough space near the front door, if you typically use the garage entrance or back door, it may not be practical to have a drop zone at the front door.
Once you identify the right spot, you can now remove any storage boxes, bins, or bulky furniture in the way so you can begin with a clean slate.
Add Furniture and Essentials
The setup and contents of your drop zone depend on your needs and the things you intend to use. But there are key elements that your drop zone should not miss. These include:
Shoe storage
Taking your footwear off at the entrance is a crucial component of the drop zone. You may also want to have several pairs of shoes near the entrance for easy access. You can pick boots when it is cold out or sneakers when going out for a run.
Many people hold their shoes using simple baskets or designated shoe racks. But the best idea would be to have a small bench with shoe racks underneath, as it can double up as a comfortable spot for you and your family to sit while removing and storing footwear, making it convenient for daily use.
A surface
Every drop zone should have designated space for small items like mail and car keys ensuring they do not end up cluttering other surfaces throughout your house. You might opt for a console table, desk, or a small shelf to place a bowl for keys and an incoming mail and package holder.
Rug
If the drop zone also serves as your mudroom, consider the elements in its construction as well. Have a rug you can wash to allow wiping off the snow, rain, and mud without damaging the floor of your house.
Coat hangers
You can have a separate area for jackets and coats with covered coat hangers or simply use hooks on the wall as a quick and easy option for holding outerwear. Simple hooks look more industrial. You can consider the decorative types or place them in interesting patterns to add some personality to the area. But if you don’t want to drill into the wall, a freestanding coat rack would do just fine.
Umbrella holder
Umbrella stands are an important part of the drop zone. An umbrella holder may not appear necessary until it rains and you need somewhere to store it without making a mess. They are an easy place to store umbrellas and come in colors, styles, forms, and shapes that naturally add subtle style to your functional space.
Personal Cubbies
Dropping everything at the door can be messy and chaotic, especially when you have children. Consider creating designated areas for every person’s items. Cubbies are great options for quick access. Alternatively, you can mark the areas of the drop zone to ensure items don’t go missing. Dividing the zones based on each member inculcates the habit of not cluttering one’s own zone.
Family Board
A drop zone usually serves as a central hub for the family. It can be a great reference since everyone sees it when entering or exiting the house. You can post a calendar or whiteboard to help family members understand the day’s agenda. It can also be a great way to display grocery lists, important notes and memos, and reminders about upcoming schedules.
Decorate Your Drop Zone
A drop zone is a functional space, but you can accessorize, decorate and personalize it. Since it is part of your house, consider adding elements that make it feel like it blends into your style.
Give it a pop of color by installing fun wallpapers and adding a bright accent rug. Other popular options include adding greenery and fresh flowers to liven up the space and a mirror to ensure all your hairs are in place before moving out. You also can add a bin for easy access to collars, toys, and leashes for your furry friend.
Getting Your Family to Use the Drop Zone
Once your drop zone is set, you need to get everyone on board. It may take a few or more reminders to get your whole family to use the system as you intended. Communicating the change before starting the project and ensuring everyone contributes to the design process is a great way to ensure they buy in. After creating the drop zone, explain the new system and expectations to your family. However, go in with an open mind since you are creating a new habit that will definitely take time and practice.
Adjustments and Maintenance
Any system built into a home requires maintenance. So after setting up the drop zone, let everyone use it for some time and see whether there is a need to tweak it. Make necessary changes and continue adjusting until you get comfortable with the drop zone. Maintenance could be anything from deep cleaning the drop zone to restocking the grab and go supply drawer as you use the items.
Add Functionality and Style to Your Home
At Star Furniture, we’ve seen a lot of decorating and home design trends come and go over the years. Smart high functioning drop zones are here to stay. Star designers and buyers are expert problem solvers. We’re here to help you live better with a well planned and decorated drop zone.
If you enjoyed this article, read our blog about how to make the most of a kitchen dining room combo.