Storage - Hallway/Cloakroom

Creating a good first impression with a neat and appealing hallway is one of the easier tasks you can undertake in your home. By making adequate provision for storage here, you prevent a lot of clutter migrating to your other rooms. A little effort here can really pay off.

What you are aiming for are simple, yet effective solutions which make the most of the space you have without making your hallway feel cramped or over-furnished.

• Umbrella stand. Buy a purpose built one, or substitute for something which works equally well. Tapering buckets from thrift shops or florists are currently popular. Find something that works with your hallway.
• Coat hooks. You can pick up blocks with coat hooks embedded in them in most DIY shops or you can fix individual pegs to the wall. One combination which may work well for you is a dual purpose shelf with the hooks attached to the bottom. Alternatively, using a separate shelf does the trick.

• Shoe rack. This is useful for preserving the life of your carpets. It will encourage your guests to remove your shoes. It also helps prevent people tripping over boots and trainers and generally looks a lot neater.
• Letter rack. Especially if you share your home, mail can have a way of mounting up in odd places or just looking untidy. A letter rack allows you to keep it all in one place and keep any surfaces clear.
• Telephone/Console table. This could be an incredibly useful addition to your hallway should you have the space. Narrow or extra narrow ones can be found, providing you with enough storage for such items as telephone, dog leads, spare keys and perhaps a set of individual storage boxes to hide clutter from view. It’s also a handy surface for in-coming parcels and can help brighten-up your hallway with the addition of a vase of flowers or a favourite photograph.
• Instead of a table, you may opt for floating shelves or a dual purpose bench with integrated drawers or a flip-up lid which allows for storage within.

Got a subject you want us to cover? Ask Bubsy!