BoomerGirl Diary

Dear Mi-Ling: We recently moved into a house where the main entry door opens into the L-shaped living/dining room.

The main entry door swings to the left and there is a large picture window to the left, which takes up the wall on the left.

The opposite wall to the picture window is a large open entry to the kitchen.

In front of the entry door is the long side of the L where we placed the sofa so the first thing you see when you open the door is the sofa.

To the right of the entry door is a recessed area (short side of the L) that serves as the dining room with the chandelier.

There is no place for an entry area where we can place our bags, keys, or jackets.

So everything ends up on the dining table since it is to the right of the main entry door and the door swings to the left.

How can I create an entry area for our keys, bags, jackets and mail?

Our living room seems to be very small since our guests see the sofa as the first impression into the house.

Any suggestions on furniture placement? Thank you.

— Amy T

Dear Amy: You could arrange your living room a little differently.

Place the back of your sofa to the door and add a sofa table with pull-out baskets.

You can drop your purse and keys in there or find one with large drawers.

Pottery Barn has some nice pieces that might work for your space.

Another idea is to place a divider between your dining room table and the door.

You can find something with benches that can slide under the table to make it easier to sit down and remove your shoes and coats.

If you're handy with woodwork you can build a divider between the room that's about 3 feet tall and fairly narrow.

You can add plenty of storage in that piece. You can find a something similar in your local furniture store.

The third option is to speak with a handyman about changing out the door hinges. You can change them to open to the right.

This will give you the entire left side of the wall to place a small coat hanger and side table.