post off: how do you store your mail?
After two apartments and seven years of throwing our mail on the dining table, my husband finally had enough of the clutter. The solution? A cute sorter from Pottery Barn. They have a very complicated “entryway” apparatus here. We purchased just the mail cubby in cream instead of the whole shebang. (In this picture, that’s the section on the far right.) Of course, now that’s pretty full. But at least we don’t have to push bills and magazines to the side before we sit down for dinner…. What’s your mail storage solution? — Beth J.
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:20 am
we are still using the diningroom table method as I try to divise a plan for the backdoor, which is what we use most often. this is proving harder than I thought! we all (including the dog) have too much stuff.
I did want to mention that I saw similar mail sorters like this at a few HomeGoods in MA. they had different sizes, and different hook racks as well.
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:22 am
Ha! I used to use a similar method (pile on the table). Then I switched to ebills and online payments. Most anything that makes it to me in paper form is garbage (and goes directly into the recycle bin by the front door) or special (wedding invites, birth announcements, letters… and gets hung on the fridge).
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:46 am
I just made a mini office next to the door to help keep the mail from flowing through our entire house. I painted it all white to give it a sense of organization. We use a box to slap things into until we can srot them. The trash can, file holder, and shredder all sit under the table waiting for use. It’s been working really well.
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:06 am
I love that bill sorter/key holder thing.
We have a small dresser by the front door. Mail and misc get heaped on that until I freak out over the mess.
However, I do sort out junk mail (into the big ugly yellow city recycling bin right by the front door) and bills. Bills go into a totally ugly mushroom-shaped ceramic napkin holder. Ugly but it works!
Does anyone use a napkin holder anymore? I see them at the thrift but never in anyone’s house. [we use cloth napkins exclusively which are kept in the dining room buffet – an easy reach from my seat at the dining room table. oops sidetracked! but hey, napkin storage might be a good topic one day!)
March 23rd, 2007 at 3:34 am
My best way to handle mail it to open it over the recycling bin. Magazines to be read go by my nightstand, bills get paid on line, and the “others” (the real clutter in my life) go to a holding pen (nice basket) that I force myself regularly to go through. Most clutter is a result of delayed decisions so I try to decide upon opening where each piece will go live.
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:17 am
We have a set of three nesting tables from the Target Thomas O’Brien collection ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/91491847@N00/61920229/ ) which we use as a coffee table. We leave the tables partially nested and hide the mail and our remotes on the middle table just under the lip of the big table; out of site but easy to reach. I hope that makes sense. It’s a great solution if you have a small space.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:02 am
[...] “I just made a mini office next to the door to help keep the mail from flowing through our entire house. I painted it all white to give it a sense of organization. We use a box to slap things into until we can sort them. The trash can, file holder, and shredder all sit under the table waiting for use. It’s been working really well.” — Kelly on How Do You Store Your Mail? [...]
January 9th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
[...] Love reader At Home At Home works on her own entry way here & here A Shelterrific discussion on mail storage Every entry needs a good bench & lamp, both from design*sponge [...]