While I was in Barcelona I was staying in a serviced apartment. Close to the front door was a shelf with a mirror. This was great for sunglasses and keys but not for my bag. I had to go all the way into the living room to dump my bag. Which got me thinking about the perfect dump zone for your home.
What makes a good drop zone
A good dump zone is purposeful. This means you need to think very carefully about what you want to ‘dump’. For example is it shoes, bags, coats, keys or other things. Everyone is different. The stuff you need to leave the house and the stuff you need to drop somewhere when you come home varies for everyone.
Ordinarily I need a key hook for my keys which is close to the front door. This piece has a shelf for letters. A few steps away from this a coat rack for jackets and scarves. I also keep my dog’s bag here with her lead etc. My office is a few steps away from the coat rack and this is where I leave my hand bag.
I take off my sunnies, put them my desk. I then take my phone and water bottle from my handbag and head into the back living area.
My mum’s routine is different. She puts her coat in a nearby storage cupboard and takes her handbag upstairs to her bedroom.
So the key to a good drop zone is to observe your behaviour and choose a piece or pieces that suit your routine and your stuff.
Location of your drop zone
Where your dump zone is location is also important. It doesn’t always have to be at the entrance of your house. It has to be where it’s most convenient to you. It could be in the living room, under the stairs or in the garage.
You could also have a different spot for different pieces. For example, you might leave keys near the front door but your bag closer to the living room or your bedroom.
A lot of my clients are showing me inspo pics of mud rooms. This is a cute idea and it looks good. But like a butler’s pantry (designed for actual butlers) there is a specific purpose for a mud room. It literally is a space for people returning from farming or hunting to remove muddy items of clothing. And it’s usually at the back of a house.
So while the pieces that create a ‘mud room’ drop zone can be useful, think carefully about whether this option suits you and your family.
Flexibility
Another important factor to consider with when planning your perfect dump zone is a change of circumstances. For example when we had guests our drop zone/s didn’t work. Maybe there isn’t an easy solution around when guests come to stay for a few days.
But the aim to ensure your dump zone is functional 90% of the time. When we have guest at least we all use the key hook and coat rack at the entrance of the house which is the beginning of a functional drop zone.
Cover Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash
