Two of the busiest rooms in your home, the entryway and living room, should be as neat and organized as possible at all times. With plenty of people always shuffling through, here are our top tips for tidying up in two of the most important areas in any house.

Entryway

The entryway serves many purposes. It’s where you’ll welcome guests into your home. It’s one of the first chances you have to show off your style. It’s a place to store the essential items you’ll grab before leaving for work, class or errands.

How do we make the most of this space? We have two top tips.

A bench for more than sitting

Benches have become a major staple in entryways. They look great, and they provide a place to sit to put on or take off your shoes. Maybe you just need a minute to collect your thoughts when you walk through the door. No matter your reason for taking a seat, a bench will always be there for you.

But we believe benches should be used for much more than sitting! We love seeing dual-purpose benches in an entryway. A storage bench provides seating, and it gives you a place to stash essential items. Whether it’s extra blankets for the living room or old towels to dry off the dog on a rainy day, a storage bench will serve you well.

Hooked on hooks

We are absolutely obsessed with hooks. We seriously can’t get enough of them.

If you don’t own them already, try purchasing a wall plaque or organizer with hooks and look for a coat rack to put in the corner. You’ll have a place to put coats and store rain jackets. If you’re prone to losing your keys, you can hang them by the door. No more frantic searching on your way out of the house. You’ll never need to worry about whether or not you left your umbrella in the car because it will be right there waiting on you.

Hooks may be simple, but they are lifesavers.

Living Room

We spend so much time in our living rooms, and it’s important we make every second count. Clutter only distracts from meaningful moments shared with friends and family, so here are two tips to help you tidy up and make the most of every inch of space.

Put your feet (and your stuff) up

It’s time to kick off your shoes, put your feet up and save some space with a storage ottoman. From extra blankets to board games, this versatile piece provides a place to stow items and looks good doing it. Many people never think to have an ottoman as an organizational piece, but we want you to take advantage of free storage space.

Coffee table clever

Every living room needs an incredible coffee table, a hub for almost all activity. Coffee tables give us surface space to set down drinks and dips. They allow us to display books and show off our style with little pieces of décor.

Coffee tables can do so much more, though! The top of the table may hide hidden storage space for old magazines or the countless remotes we seem to collect. Multiple shelves allow us to make use of storage baskets and slide them out of sight. If you select the right coffee table, you’ll save more space than you thought possible.

Have any other tips for tidying up in these two areas of your home? Tag @kirklands for a chance to be featured. Be sure to check back for another blog on organizing your home later this week!