Solve the shoe situation
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Every piece of furniture in the hallway should be streamlined – or have built-in storage. These are the rules, especially when it comes to organising shoes, the biggest hallway-clutter culprits.
If yours is a busy household, the entryway is likely to be a chaotic spot. Reduce stress levels by giving everyone their own basket to store items like gloves, hats and scarves. This built-in unit was designed by oliveandbarr.com.
If you have a narrow hallway, opt for slimline shoe storage that hugs the wall and doesn’t take up valuable floor space. At wayfair.co.uk there’s a selection of colourful fold-down options that can hold up to 30 pairs of shoes neatly inside, while also doubling as a surface for trinket trays, table lamps or vases. One holding 24 pairs of shoes costs £95.
If you’re lucky enough to have more space, storage benches are your best bet. They keep muddy shoes out of sight and can be accessed via an ottoman-style top. Try the new Beatrice storage bench, £229, at dunelm.com.
Curate your coats
We all have our favourites – the raincoat permanently on standby and that oversized woollen number that goes with everything. But the hallway isn’t the place for every jacket you’ve ever owned. Edit your collection down and rotate seasonally to save valuable space.
Strike a balance between stylish and functional with a built-in seating area with hooks for coats and hats. The units on either side store a multitude of winter warmers, kept neatly out of sight.
Pegs are your superpower in the battle against coat clutter, especially in households with young children who need multiple layers to grab in winter. Avoid the design temptation of a freestanding rack: they may add sculptural shape, but they also eat into your floor space.
Instead, install double rows of hooks or pegs – one high and one low for easy access. Be sure to choose sturdy materials that can handle heavy winter coats, like the Rama iron hooks, £38, at nkuku.com. B&Q (diy.com) also stocks a selection of plain wooden pegs you can customise with your chosen paint colour, spacing them along the wall to avoid that overcrowded look once the coats are hung.
Remove the micro-scooter menace
Few things wreak more hallway havoc than a rogue scooter or bike. They scuff walls, block walkways and create daily trip hazards for pets and kids. Items such as the Elfa scooter and skateboard storage track (£76, ironmongerydirect.co.uk) are designed to hold scooters securely against the wall.
Tonal shades and a well-placed wall mirror open up the entranceway of interior designer Gemma McCloskey’s home, and make it appear larger than it is. Jumpers, coats and boots are stored in the cupboard, which has doors of stained plywood.
For bikes, try the Hornit CLUG, a minimalist wall-mounted bike holder no bigger than a doorstop yet strong enough to hold bikes vertically. It’s easy to fit and comes in a range of sizes to suit everything from mountain to balance bikes (from £15.99, hornit.com).
They’re best mounted near the front door to keep comings and goings seamless, along with a basket below to store helmets, gloves and locks.
Make stairs the stars
If you’re fortunate enough to have extra space under the stairs, don’t let it go to waste. One of the most effective clutter-busting solutions is to add built-in, pull-out stair drawers. These are especially useful for storing shoes, seasonal accessories and pet supplies – all the bits and bobs that tend to accumulate in entryways. Designed to blend seamlessly with the stair profile, they make the most of dead space while keeping everything neatly out of sight when not in use. Try clevercloset.co.uk for bespoke solutions at competitive rates.
Leave just one jacket per person in the hallway and put out-of-season coats away in a wardrobe. For a similar adaptable storage unit, try ikea.com. Etsy.com sells a selection of mirrored wall pegs.
For homes with open staircases or under-stair nooks, consider a built-in design to maximise every inch – even awkward corners. Think integrated cabinets for coats and boots or a hidden utility zone for brooms and vacuum cleaners. A good place to look is hammonds-uk.com.
Create the illusion of space
Most hallways are little more than glorified corridors, where it’s normal to feel tight on space. The simplest and most effective way to visually expand a narrow hallway is with neutral colours such as soft creams and putty pinks that reflect both natural and artificial light around the walls and ceiling. This creates a sense of openness and makes the space feel larger than it is.
Avoid dark tones such as navy or charcoal across large surface areas, as these can make it feel as if the walls are closing in. We like the new sludgy pastel shades at coatpaints.com.
Fix the flooring
Now that you can actually see the floor, it’s time to give it a bit of love. Traditional hallway flooring tends to be hardwood or monochrome check tiles. For a more contemporary take, try the Biba Taupe Porcelain from mandarinstone.com, which features a lively wipe-clean design. It’s ideal for disguising dirt, while the large motifs will trick the eye into perceiving more space.
If the budget won’t stretch to new tiles, you could always paint your existing floor. Chalk Paint by anniesloan.com (from £27 for 1 litre) works well on floors. But be sure to lacquer the surface for protection.
STORAGE STARS
Smart buys to keep your hall neat and tidy