21 Entryway Basket Storage Ideas

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The dog leash is tangled around a single flip-flop. Behind it: three unopened Amazon packages, a rogue umbrella, and what appears to be last Tuesday’s mail. Sound familiar? Your entryway is doing too much and holding too little, and the fix isn’t another hulking console table—it’s a basket. Or twelve. Below, 21 storage ideas that corral the chaos of shoes, scarves, dog gear, and everything else your front door collects, from woven wall pockets to under-bench cubbies built for muddy boots.

Wicker Box on the Lower Shelf

That square wicker basket sitting on the bottom shelf of the console does a lot of quiet work — anything that lands at the door and has no real home yet goes in there. Keys, dog leash, a scarf you’re not sure is clean. The lower shelf placement matters because the basket stays out of the main sightline but is still within reach.

A lidded style like this one is worth the extra few dollars over an open bin, mostly because you stop thinking about what’s inside it. Striped throw tucked beside it on the left keeps the shelf from looking like a storage unit. If your console sits against a wall with not much light, a lighter-colored weave reads better than a dark one.

Tall basket for umbrellas

Right beside the door is where a tall wicker basket earns its place, especially if your umbrellas usually end up leaning against the wall or dripping on the floor. Keep it narrow enough that it does not block the walking path, but deep enough to hold long umbrellas without tipping over every time someone grabs one. That matters.

A lined basket would be better if you get a lot of rain, since wet fabric and wicker are not the best match over time. You can also use the same idea for walking sticks, reusable shopping bags, or a rolled picnic blanket. I would skip anything too lightweight here, because it will just fall over.

Stack Two Woven Boxes

Two seagrass boxes with leather straps, stacked. That’s the whole move here. The larger one on the bottom, smaller on top, both sitting between a lamp and a big ceramic vase so they read as part of the arrangement instead of clutter waiting to be dealt with.

Inside, I’d use the bottom for things you reach for weekly — dog leash, sunglasses case, a spare set of keys — and the top for smaller stuff like earbuds or lip balm. The leather closures matter more than you’d think. Without them the boxes look like laundry storage.

One thing I’d change: the buckles face forward here, which is fine, but if your console sits in a narrow hallway, turn them so the flat side shows and you won’t catch a sleeve walking past.

Baskets under a console

Tuck two handled baskets on the lower shelf of a console table and let them do the messy work. This setup suits entryways that need to hold shoes, scarves, dog leads, post, or the bits that usually drift across the floor, because the baskets stay easy to grab without looking like open storage bins.

The shelf matters here. Without it, baskets can look a bit stranded under a table, but a wood base gives them a place to sit and stops the whole thing feeling top-heavy. Keep the baskets matched if your hallway already has paneling or other detail on the walls. It keeps the view quieter.

One thing I’d watch: don’t go too deep with the baskets if this is a narrow pass-through, or you’ll be clipping them with your ankles every morning.

Baskets Tucked Under a Console Table

The lower shelf of a trestle-style console is doing a lot of quiet work here — two woven seagrass baskets sit underneath, accessible but not on display exactly. That’s the sweet spot for an entryway. Shoes, dog leads, reusable bags — things you grab daily but don’t want sitting out.

The open-frame legs mean the baskets stay visible enough that you’ll actually use them rather than forget what’s inside. Trestle consoles are easy to find secondhand. If yours has a solid bottom shelf instead, the same baskets still work, just with less airflow, which matters if anything damp goes in.

I’d go for two matching baskets over three mismatched ones — the repetition keeps it from looking like overflow.

Lidded floor baskets

Tucked low beside a cabinet, these lidded baskets make sense for things you do not want on show the second someone walks in. Use one for shoes that get worn often and the other for hats, dog leads, umbrellas, or the random cloth tote bags that somehow multiply near the door. The lids matter here.

They keep the mess flat, so the entry still looks pulled together even when the baskets are full. Choose a basket with a bit of structure, like these woven ones, because floppy sides get annoying when you are trying to drop things in quickly. I would skip very tall baskets if kids are using them, since they will just dump everything on top instead.

Bench Base With Woven Baskets

Three seagrass baskets tucked under a pine bench seat, that’s the whole storage plan here. It works because the baskets do the hiding while the timber top gives you somewhere to actually sit and pull boots off. I’d keep one basket for shoes, one for hats and gloves, and one for the random stuff that never has a home — dog leads, reusable bags, the parcel you keep forgetting to return.

The grey painted frame stops the wicker from looking too rustic against the tongue and groove behind. One thing. Seagrass sheds a bit in the first few weeks, so give the floor a quick sweep before you decide you hate it.

Good setup for a narrow hallway where a freestanding shoe rack would look messy.

Basket under console

Start with the gap under a narrow console table. That spot usually gets wasted, but a lidded wicker basket slides in neatly and gives you one place for the stuff that otherwise ends up by the door — hats, dog leads, shoe care bits, even reusable shopping bags.

The lid matters.

An open basket in an entryway can look messy fast, especially if you already have coats hanging on wall hooks and an umbrella stand tucked beside them, so this version keeps the visual clutter lower without asking you to be especially tidy. Go for a basket that sits a little lower than the table apron so it doesn’t snag when you pull it out. If your hallway runs small, use one large basket rather than two smaller ones, since multiple lids and handles are more fiddly than they’re worth in a tight pass-through.

Built-In Bench With Open Cubbies

Three wicker baskets sit in the open cubbies underneath, all roughly the same size and color, which does a lot of work without any effort on your part. If you’re building or buying a bench like this for an entryway, the cubby count matters — odd numbers fill more naturally than even, and matching the baskets keeps it from looking like a clearance pile. Rattan or wicker specifically holds up well near doors where bags get dropped and shoes get kicked around.

The baskets here don’t have lids, which I’d actually keep — lidded ones in an entryway just mean one more thing to deal with when your hands are full. Good for households that need grab-and-go storage but don’t want it to look like a mudroom.

Baskets Under Console

Under a console like this, two baskets do the work without making the entry look like a storage corner. Use them for the things that usually land on the floor: slippers, scarves, dog leads, folded tote bags. Keep labels off.

When the baskets sit on an open shelf, the weave already gives enough texture, and labels can start to look a bit too managed. The drawers above can take the smaller mess, like keys and spare sunglasses, while the baskets hold items you can grab without pulling anything open. I’d choose baskets with firm sides here, not soft fabric bins, because they hold their shape better under a narrow table.

Leave a bit of space above each basket, or pulling them out gets annoying.

Woven Basket Beside A Bench

Pair the basket with a low bench instead of pushing it into a corner alone. The bench here holds slippers underneath and a lamp on top, and the basket sits right next to it holding a folded throw. That’s the trick. One piece for shoes, one piece for the softer things you grab on the way out — a blanket, a scarf, an umbrella. Keeping them side by side means you’re not digging through a single basket for everything.

I’d skip the handles-up styling though. A throw draped over the rim looks nice in a photo but slides off the second you actually use the entryway. Fold it inside, or use the basket for one category only and let it close properly.

Bench console baskets

Under a slim console, three matching baskets do a lot of work without blocking the walkway. That part matters. In a narrow entry, deep lidded bins are more trouble than they’re worth because people end up dropping things on top instead of putting them away.

Use one basket per category so nobody has to think: scarves and hats in one, dog lead or shopping totes in another, shoes or slippers in the third. Labels are optional. The open front is enough.

The two shallow drawers above help with the messy little things that vanish fast, like keys, stamps, sunglasses, batteries, or the spare house key you only remember when you need it.

I’d keep the basket heights just below the shelf, like this, so they slide out easily and don’t scrape every time.

Basket on the Floor Beside a Vase

Tall wicker next to a ceramic jug — that pairing in the corner does a lot of work without taking up much floor space. The basket here holds what looks like dried stems and eucalyptus, which keeps it from reading as clutter. If you’re using this spot for actual storage, go for a lidded version so shoes or scarves stay out of sight.

The key thing is height — a short basket beside a tall vase just looks lost. Match them so neither one shrinks the other. Light-coloured flooring like this makes both objects read clearly, so if your hallway is darker, you might want to lean into contrast rather than tone-matching the basket to the wall.

Bench Cubbies With Baskets

With the baskets tucked into the lower cubbies, the bench can handle the messy things without putting every scarf and slipper on show. Choose baskets that leave a little finger space at the top, otherwise pulling them out every morning becomes annoying. Keep labels off.

In a small entry, one basket per person works better than sorting by item, because people will actually use their own spot. Use the top hooks for bags, hats, and the things you grab daily, while the baskets take shoes, dog leashes, cloth totes, or winter extras. I would skip lids here, since closed baskets look neater for about one day and then everyone stops bothering.

Built-In Bench With Basket Cubbies

Three woven baskets tucked under a built-in bench, one cubby each. This is the version to copy if you’re building from scratch or asking a carpenter for a quote. The dividers matter. Without them the baskets slide around and you end up with a gap at one end and two shoved together at the other.

Match the basket count to the cubby count before anything gets built, and buy the baskets first so the openings are sized to them, not the other way around. The seagrass here works because the bench is a flat pale grey — busy baskets would fight the panelling behind.

One thing I’d change: I’d add hooks on the panelled wall above the sconce. Right now that vertical space is doing nothing.

Console with hidden catchall

Under a narrow console, two baskets do most of the work. The large lidded wicker trunk is the useful part here because it swallows the ugly stuff fast — dog leads, spare scarves, parcels to return, kids’ hats — and you don’t have to arrange any of it.

Keep one open basket beside it for things you reach for every day, like umbrellas or a rolled throw if your entry gets drafty, because an open top is quicker when you’re heading out and already late. The drawers above help too, but I’d keep them for the small annoying things that disappear otherwise: keys, batteries, stamps, tape.

What makes this setup work is the mix. Closed storage below, everyday grab-and-go next to it, and the tabletop left mostly clear so the whole area doesn’t start looking like a dumping ground by Wednesday.

Hang a Basket on the Door

A woven basket hung on the front door instead of a wreath gives you actual depth to work with — you can fill it with greenery, florals, or seasonal branches and swap the contents without buying a whole new piece. The flat back sits flush against the door, and the fuller the arrangement, the better it reads from a distance. White roses and pine sprigs like in this photo work well for winter, but dried botanicals or even small gourds carry the same idea into other seasons.

One thing worth knowing — the basket needs to hang from the door’s window frame or a hook near the top panel, so measure before you commit to a size. Too wide and it’ll block the glass.

Baskets Under A Console

Under a narrow console, three woven baskets make better sense than one large bin. The shelf does the sorting for you. Use one for shoes, one for scarves or dog leads, and one for the things that always end up in somebody’s hands at the door.

Labels are optional. If the baskets have handles like these, you can pull the whole thing out instead of digging around while half standing in the hallway. I’d skip lids here, because they slow everyone down and the baskets already hide enough from normal eye level.

The dark console helps too, since the wicker looks placed there, not like extra storage shoved underneath.

Three Baskets Under a Console

The trick here is the matching set. Three woven baskets, same size, lined up under the console shelf — it reads as intentional rather than a place where things got dumped. I’d use one for shoes the household actually wears daily, one for dog leads and gloves, and leave the middle one mostly empty for post, keys, whatever comes in that week.

Rattan in this greyed tone hides scuffs better than the honey-coloured kind, which yellows over time and starts to look tired. Worth measuring the shelf gap before you buy. Baskets that sit flush look considered; ones with a two-inch gap on either side look like leftovers.

If your console doesn’t have a lower shelf, this idea won’t translate — you’d want lidded baskets instead so the contents aren’t on show.

Baskets under a console

Tuck two handled baskets on the lower shelf of a narrow console and let them do the boring work. Shoes, dog leash, hats, reusable bags. Done.

This works well in an entryway that needs storage but still has to look fairly clean, because the baskets sit below eye level while the top stays open for a lamp, keys, mail, or whatever gets dropped first when you walk in.

Use baskets that nearly fill the shelf instead of undersized ones, since that gap around them can make the whole setup look a bit accidental. The handles matter too, especially if kids are pulling one out every day.

I’d skip anything too floppy here. A woven basket with some structure is easier to slide back in, and it won’t slump into the table legs after a week.

Two Baskets Under One Table

Splitting the lower shelf between a wicker storage box and a folded textile actually does more work than a single large basket would. The wicker box here is square and lidded, so it reads as furniture rather than clutter. Next to it, a striped blanket is just folded and set there — no basket needed for the second item.

If you’ve got a console with a lower shelf like this one, one basket plus one loose object is usually enough. Matching two identical baskets tends to look more deliberate than it needs to be. The square shape is worth hunting for specifically — round ones roll around and feel less intentional on a flat shelf.