88 UHeart Organizing: Drop It Like It's Hot!

If someone were to ask me, "What are the essentials for an organized entry?", a drop zone would be one of my answers.  A drop zone is a dedicated place to set down everything you carry inside on a daily basis.  I adore that my friend Megan from Honey We're Home, is here to show you an example of why a drop zone is so important, and how she added one to reduce the trickling pile effect.  Here she is now!

Can I share something scary with you?

This is the scene of our kitchen counter {the part that backs up to our breakfast room and living room} at least half the time.  What is all that mess?!  It drives me crazy and I feel like I'm forever attempting to keep the area clear.  But, despite my best efforts, it never stays clear for long.  I admit to being that type of person who gets uptight with this kind of clutter.  Especially in this area of the house because it's pretty open so you can see the junk from every angle.  

I identified 4 general categories of stuff that accumulates on our countertops: 1) the contents of my husband's pockets; 2) random items that don't belong there- juice box {always a random juice box somewhere}, sunglasses, my tote bag {Stella & Dot if you're interested}, cup, icy hot pack, receipt; 3) food that needs to be put away - peanut butter, syrup, sliced almonds, tortillas, bread; and 4) mail, bills and magazines.  The cute kid in the background can stay.

Because we often enter our house through the back garage, this is the first place we tend to drop things.  I knew we needed a new DROP ZONE, but wasn't sure how to incorporate it since the home doesn't naturally accommodate that specific spot. 

Then I had an idea to move the Overstock Dalton Mirrored Accent Table that was in our bedroom downstairs to see how it would fit under that window.  The table is pretty small, actually the perfect size for the space.  You can see from the picture below that we still have plenty of room to pass through.  Now, this space functions as our Drop Zone to hold all those odds and ends in the man's pockets as well as mail, magazines, and loose change. 

Underneath, I put a large basket {from Target} for newspapers/magazines.

I'm hoping that now that we have a specific place for the mail and for those random items, we'll be able to keep the counter more clean.

I got this marble stand that I normally use for fruit at Crate & Barrel.  It's a nice size and adds some height.

The gold tray is from West Elm.

The table has two small drawers that I'm currently using to hold receipts, extra keys, and small electronics I want close at hand.  I got the drawer dividers at The Container Store. 

In case you're interested, I had the drapes sewn with fabric I purchased at High Fashion Home. 

I still had to put away the bag, food, and random stuff but I can definitely breathe easier with these counters clean!  

Would something like this work in your home?  Do you have a specific drop zone in your house?

"My name is Megan and I am a lawyer by day, design and decor lover by night, and Mama to the sweetest 2-year old boy you've ever seen. I'm passionate about fitness (and chocolate!) and could not live without my relationships, girl talk, and my morning coffee. I've been blogging for two years over at Honey We're Home, sharing my love of keeping things organized and beautiful at our house.  My efforts to live in the moment and cook more are an adventure in progress."