Well, we had our first snow here at our cabin! It’s a really small amount, only about an inch, but the snow has definitely made me realize how much more we have to do to get more settled here. A big one is our entryway area. I have always wanted a proper mudroom, but this house doesn’t have a designated one, unfortunately. We at least have a nook as part of our living room that we can deck out, though! That being said, I’ve had to make a few purchases for our entry area, so I wanted to share these entryway must-haves with you — especially my favorite all weather doormat!
12 Entryway Essentials for Winter Cabin Living
Boot scraper
A classic boot brush with brushes has been the best way for us to remove mud, etc. before we even walk in the door! I especially love it after I am finished tending to our chickens and don’t want to track it any further.
Storage bins
I used these seagrass storage baskets in our old closet and love them so much. Now they serve a new purchase in our entryway to contain all sorts of things: loose mail, gloves and hats, dog leashes, and more.
Clothes drying rack
This drying rack is an essential for pretty much any home, especially if you don’t put everything in the dryer when you do laundry. We have two now and keep one in the entryway so that we can hang up any wet clothing by the fire. Sometimes I use it to dry towels and other laundry by the fire, too! This is a major entryway essential in my book.
Recycled Waterhog Mat
This is literally the only door mat I ever use! It is so good. I’m actually upgrading to a way larger size so that it covers our entire entry area — that’s going to make a huge difference when we haul firewood in for fires! They are easy to clean, too. Just run the vacuum over it like you would with a normal carpet. Waterhogs are the best rugged, ultra-tough, and fast-drying door mat.
Slatted bench
This bench used to be our coffee table at the bungalow, but now it’s the perfect spot to sit and put your shoes on.
Log carrier
Our wood-burning stove is pretty close to our front door. I suspect it’s there to help avoid tracking dirt and debris inside while hauling logs. This canvas log carrier has come in handy to keep us stocked and warm!
A row of hooks
Sean and I have a LOT of jackets…. if there’s one thing I’ve learned about country life, it’s that there are a lot of layers needed for various types of weather. A long peg rail has come in handy to help us keep everything organized and hanging to dry.
Umbrella storage
This is probably the bougiest umbrella holder ever, but I love this European recycled glass jar for our entryway! We can get some pretty heavy rains, so I use a ginormous golf umbrella when I take the dogs out. When I come back in, I just pop the umbrella in here! Any water that runs off is then easily poured into a houseplant. In the summer when it isn’t raining, I can move the jar to a different part of the house for flowers!
Heavy duty outdoor mat
On the other side of our door, we also have a super-scrubby, heavy duty wooden door mat with tough bristles. Just one more way to hopefully keep the dirt and debris out of our house!
Boot drying rack
I don’t have this yet… but I have the feeling it will be a key part of our entryway this winter once I do order it! I love that the steel rainboot stand has two levels, that way Sean and I each know which spots are ours.
Boot tray
Speaking about boots… a boot tray is absolutely an entryway essential. It helps contain the mud, melting snow, and debris perfectly and is really easy to clean up.
Extra storage baskets
I’m of the opinion that you can never have enough storage baskets. I like these more open baskets for larger items like dog toys, extra slippers, and winter accessories.
So that’s my list of what we’ve utilized to help keep our house clean and avoid tracking mud in! I still have quite a bit of work to do on the entry area, but for now I think these items will help us get through the winter. Leave a comment and let me know if you recommend adding anything!
