Guest Author - Jill Florio

Every home, even the smallest studio apartment, needs a transition zone between the inside and outside world. Some things really work best when you keep them right by the door.

A mudroom goes a long way towards simplifying your life. Even if you don't have an actual "mudroom", you probably some kind of area right behind your home's entrance, whether you come in and out by the front door or a garage door. In my apartment, this area is the small hallway behind the entrance. Here we corral outside world items (shoes, gloves, hats, gym bags, keys, dog leashes), and prevent dirt, rain and snow from tracking into the home.

Here are some ways to help organize your own indoor/outdoor Transition Zone:

Coat closet or coat stand - Not every home is lucky enough to have a coat closet. I've lived in several places, from studios, to a home I owned, that lacked such a basic amenity. If you don't have a closet, look around for a suitable coat rack, and add a bureau-type piece of furniture as a staging area. Something with drawers will become handy homes for gloves, scarves, hats and other outdoor items. Or look for a hall tree.

Hall tree - I will admit these are hard to find these days. A hall tree is a great piece of furniture though. Yours should have a built-in mirror, hooks for wet things, a flat surface for your keys and spare change, a drawer for small things and storage bench underneath for wet boots. Sometimes I see hall trees in antiques stores, but Ikea has some modern options.

Keys basket - I use a small and pretty silver dish to house my keys, but nearly anything will do - a box, basket, hook, bin, whatever. You won't lose your keys if you have a home for them. Keep the key basket on your entrance shelf or table.

Loose change basket - A small basket next to the key dish makes a great home for pocket change. Don't forget to roll your change and deposit the "free money" in your bank account from time to time.

Umbrella bin - Unless you live in a desert climate, it's helpful to have an umbrella stand of some kind by the front door. When you have a dripping umbrella, you'll be glad to have a place to put it. And it's nice to be able to grab one as needed when it's raining, without having to search.

Wet clothes drying area - Along these lines, you'll need a place for coats, hats and gloves damp with rain or snow. here, a hall tree is good, or you can hang pegs or hooks by the entry.

Shoe bins - I use plastic Redi-totes from Rite Aid to tranfser from inside to outside shoes. These bins live on bookshelves by the front door. It's very helpful to change your shoes at the threshold, to keep from tracking dirt and grime in your home.

Welcome mat and shoe scraper - Depending on your climate and terrain, you may not need a scraper to help you kick mud, snow and ice from your shoes. In all locations, though, a mat of some sort is helpful. Outside shoes aquire all kinds of messes. People routinely walk through dog doo, oil slicks, gum, trash, leaves and plain old dirt. If wiping your feet on a mat becomes habit, you can keep your inside floors clean longer.

Leash area/poop bag bins - If you have a pet, find a hook for leashes and a box/drawer/basket for storing easy to grab dookie bags.

A place for your purse to live - Mine lives on the floor of the coat closet. I learned that from my mom, but it might be more convenient for you to put yours on a shelf or hang from the coat rack.

Gym bag spot - This is another one of those things that makes life easier when it has a handy home by the door. You'll work out more when it's really convenient. Have your gym bag always packed with a water bottle, a fresh towel, a magazine and your shower supplies. Mine rests on top of my sneakers inside the cabinet of my hall tree.

Basket of things going outside - Keep some bins or attractive boxes for recyclables, stuff to be Goodwilled, and retail items to be returned.

Basket of things going inside - a pretty basket can handle your mail when you come in through the door. I actually take my mail all the way through the entrance and into the kitchen, otherwise my mail ends up forgotten. But dropping your mail by the entrance might work for you.

Cork board - A corkboard make it easy to grab coupons, and is a convenient site for your shopping lists. Magnetic boards (such as from Ikea) are an alternative to cork.

Conflict with feng shui practices - The entrance is considered one of the most crucial parts of the home "bagua", a place that sets the mood for the entire house. Ideally, in Feng Shui, the entrance should be entirely free from clutter.

You will need to decide how best to handle this. For us, our transition zone is important towards simplifying our lives - with less dirt tracked in, I have to vacuum and mop less. That saves time and prolongs the life of my cleaning tools, and of the carpets and floor materials. There is less time spent scrambling for needful things like a warm hat and gloves, since they have a handy home right where you need them. Leashes and keys go to the same spot each day - one less thing to have to think about.

It can be hard to find things like coat racks and hall trees in most furniture stores! I know, I've been looking. Keep your eyes open at Goodwill, take a stroll through Ikea, or try these nice solutions from Amazon: