So often, when we see hooks by the door in magazines and online, the contents of those hooks are very neatly curated. Only the very cutest jackets, aprons, and bags will be displayed along with the trendiest shoes tucked underneath. I do that myself when I’m working on a styled shoot. A pile of Crocs and a mass of mismatched coats aren’t inspirational. We can look at our own hooks by our own doors and see that. But, I always think it’s nice to balance the practical with the pretty and the real with the styled.
When I decided to put hooks by the side door, I knew it would be a magnet for clutter. At the same time, I knew it would be practical. You need a handy place to keep coats in the winter, drop a bag, and hang the dog leash. And most people want to do that right when they walk in the door as they kick off their shoes. Since we don’t have a proper mudroom in this house, a row of hooks, a shelf, and a chair were going to be the best stand-in we could fit into the space.
(You can read about how we made this shelf with hooks HERE.)
Here is how it looks neat and styled for the pictures in the summer…
…and at Christmas…
And here is how it looks on any given day over the winter…
I do take time every couple of days to keep the shoes and coats under control. There are times when Jeff has three different jackets hanging and the boys have left their rollerblades, Crocs, and tennis shoes all in a pile and it needs to be pared down to just what *needs* to be by the door.
I am looking forward to Spring when the coats are hung back in the closet for the warmer months and the hooks are a bit more spare again.
My point in sharing about the reality of the hooks by our door is this – we live in our house. Even the loveliest homes that people share online and in magazines don’t look like that all the time. We all have glasses sitting on our coasters, books, and tablets on our nightstands, tissue boxes scattered around when we have a cold, electronics and their cords, dirty dishes in the sink, splatters on the stove, and piles of Crocs by the door.
I clean those things up before a picture just as I would before we had company over. I want to put my best foot forward and I know people don’t want to see our dirty laundry baskets, dust bunnies, and unmade beds. But, every once in a while, I feel like it’s good to share that sort of thing as a reminder that life happens here. And that is the best of things. It beats a spotless, perfectly-styled home any day of the week.
19 Responses
How are your wooden shoes hung? I have mine from childhood and would like to hang them.
I put D-rings on the back of them with little screws. Since they are wood, it’s perfect! They can always be removed and the shoes still worn, if desired.
How nice to see this spot unstyled! Though I have to say the rest of the room is so lovely that a clump of coats doesn’t feel cluttered 🙂
You always keep it real!!! I think that is better than a mudroom because the amount of clutter is kept under control because there is only so much room. I like it!
Your acknowledgement is greatly appreciated! It helps me not to feel quite so “undone.”
Well said Marian, thanks for keeping it real.
What we know in our head and what we know in our heart are sometimes struggling to meet up. I know in my head this is true. But my heart struggles sometimes with my real life lack of space.
The reminder is always good, because though we all know on some level your house is not a museum, it’s easy to forget.
Incidentally, Do you use the inside space of the basement steps at all? I can see myself tucking some winter coats along the steps in an attempt to clear the pretty entry. In part, because I have more coats than is right for a person to own. They’re just so pretty. I splurged on an embroidered one I think you’d appreciate.
Amen!!
Your hooks still looked great with the mass of jackets and shoes. Because the bones are beautiful. That is what makes the difference. If you start with beautiful bones, a little or a lot of mess on top doesn’t look all that bad! But thanks for mentioning all those other things that we all do have in our day-to-day lives.
Yes! And thank you.
Do you have a new dog?
thanks for a glimpse of reality. We live in a senior building and our unit is often shown to future residents (with our permission of course). Our place, with just the two of us, is fairly tidy, but I still whip around for a quick clean-up and fluff. Just wanting to put our best foot forward.
Love the scale of this piece. How did you secure to the wall?
We screwed it into the wall studs in a few places.
Thank You for reminders of the realities of life, and your real life.
Your home gives me green envy! So beautiful!
I have many rows of hooks in my house in almost every room. The ones by the front door though are usually chock full of coats, scarves, etc. While it irritates me to see the “clutter” of it, it is in actuality real living on display, and evidence of my loved ones’ presence. Nevertheless, I would like to be able to style them on occasion.
Thanks for sharing that and actually I feel like the lived in look with coats, shoes etc looks very english. Pictures of homes in Europe can look more lived in and cluttered with life. That is the charm.
Love this. I installed hooks by our back entry–it’s a mudroom of sorts, but tiny. Before I installed the hooks, we often hung coats over railings and doorknobs. Even though mine is mostly utilitarian, it looks SOOO much better, and makes my life easier. I agree with Lori, above, that the European pictures reflect real life–and real life is a beautiful thing, despite the clutter.