8 Clever Ideas for Designing Your Dream Hallway Cupboard
Shoes, coats, bags… Keeping your hall free of clutter can be a challenge. The solution is well-designed storage
If you want to keep your hallway neat and organised, it’s worth investing in bespoke cabinetry. Take a look at these smart pieces of joinery to find inspiration for your own space.
2. Work with architecture
It’s possible to make storage furniture feel like part of your original home with a few thoughtful details.
Here, the designers at Thomas & Thomas have built an attractive cabinet at the side of an existing wall in this UK home. They’ve added a base panel that continues on from the skirting boards to integrate it neatly. The cabinet is also painted the same colour as the walls to help it blend into the space.
It’s possible to make storage furniture feel like part of your original home with a few thoughtful details.
Here, the designers at Thomas & Thomas have built an attractive cabinet at the side of an existing wall in this UK home. They’ve added a base panel that continues on from the skirting boards to integrate it neatly. The cabinet is also painted the same colour as the walls to help it blend into the space.
3. Integrate a surface…
If you can’t decide whether to opt for a full-height cabinet or a low console, try combining the two.
The designers of this space, Zulufish, used the whole wall to build a frame of storage around a handy console unit in this London home. The wall cabinets and shelves encasing the unit are slightly shallower, so they don’t protrude into the hallway. And a window above the console surface, which looks into the living room, helps prevent the bank of storage from feeling oppressive.
If you’re planning a shallow cupboard for your coats, use pull-out hanging rails rather than a rail that runs from side to side.
How Do I… Decorate My Hallway Table?
If you can’t decide whether to opt for a full-height cabinet or a low console, try combining the two.
The designers of this space, Zulufish, used the whole wall to build a frame of storage around a handy console unit in this London home. The wall cabinets and shelves encasing the unit are slightly shallower, so they don’t protrude into the hallway. And a window above the console surface, which looks into the living room, helps prevent the bank of storage from feeling oppressive.
If you’re planning a shallow cupboard for your coats, use pull-out hanging rails rather than a rail that runs from side to side.
How Do I… Decorate My Hallway Table?
4. …Or add in a seat
This idea works for a seating nook, too. By going up and over, the designers at Lisette Voute Designs have managed to create masses of storage while still providing a spot to sit down in the hallway of this London home.
The cushioned perch is ideal for putting on shoes, and the hooks above can be used for hanging small items such as scarves and hats.
For an Organised Hallway, Follow These 7 Simple Steps
This idea works for a seating nook, too. By going up and over, the designers at Lisette Voute Designs have managed to create masses of storage while still providing a spot to sit down in the hallway of this London home.
The cushioned perch is ideal for putting on shoes, and the hooks above can be used for hanging small items such as scarves and hats.
For an Organised Hallway, Follow These 7 Simple Steps
5. Cut out some cupboards…
The understairs area is a popular spot for hallway storage, but the angled shape can make it hard to access. So instead of fitting just one standard hinged door, consider incorporating three or four, as the team at EMR Architecture did here.
By dividing the surface into a series of stepped doors, they’ve made it easier to reach every area of the cupboard cavity.
What to Build Under the Stairs
The understairs area is a popular spot for hallway storage, but the angled shape can make it hard to access. So instead of fitting just one standard hinged door, consider incorporating three or four, as the team at EMR Architecture did here.
By dividing the surface into a series of stepped doors, they’ve made it easier to reach every area of the cupboard cavity.
What to Build Under the Stairs
6. …Or design some drawers
To go one step further, you could invest in pull-out cupboards on runners, like these ones by Margot Tsim Interiors. This is particularly useful if the cupboard space is quite deep, as the drawers can be pulled out to allow easy access to items at the back.
Here, the drawers have been fitted with sloped shelves for the owners’ shoe storage.
How Do I… Store My Shoes?
To go one step further, you could invest in pull-out cupboards on runners, like these ones by Margot Tsim Interiors. This is particularly useful if the cupboard space is quite deep, as the drawers can be pulled out to allow easy access to items at the back.
Here, the drawers have been fitted with sloped shelves for the owners’ shoe storage.
How Do I… Store My Shoes?
7. Open up
Another way to make your understairs area more accessible is to ditch the cupboard doors altogether in favour of open shelving. These cubbyholes designed by Ensoul fit this London household’s shoe collection perfectly.
There are taller spaces for boots and smaller ones for shoes, and the open design makes it easy for the owners to take out their footwear and – importantly – put it back again.
Another way to make your understairs area more accessible is to ditch the cupboard doors altogether in favour of open shelving. These cubbyholes designed by Ensoul fit this London household’s shoe collection perfectly.
There are taller spaces for boots and smaller ones for shoes, and the open design makes it easy for the owners to take out their footwear and – importantly – put it back again.
8. Let it slide
If your hallway is narrow, it makes sense to go for a space-saving cupboard door. A bi-fold design, which opens like a concertina, will protrude less than a hinged model, but even less obtrusive is a sliding door like this one by Macdonald Wright Architects.
The wide door glides back to give access to the slim but ample cupboard space without blocking the way for those who want to walk past to the entrance.
Your turn
Which of these hallway storage designs is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Need more inspiration to orgaise your home? We have you covered with Get Sorted: The Joy of an Organised Craft Area
If your hallway is narrow, it makes sense to go for a space-saving cupboard door. A bi-fold design, which opens like a concertina, will protrude less than a hinged model, but even less obtrusive is a sliding door like this one by Macdonald Wright Architects.
The wide door glides back to give access to the slim but ample cupboard space without blocking the way for those who want to walk past to the entrance.
Your turn
Which of these hallway storage designs is your favourite? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Need more inspiration to orgaise your home? We have you covered with Get Sorted: The Joy of an Organised Craft Area
The most useful storage cabinets are those that have been carefully designed around your own needs.
Before you plan any storage, it’s important to first declutter your home, recycling or donating the items you don’t need. The pieces you’re left with should be those items you require over the long-term, so the storage you plan will be perfectly tailored and will last for a decent length of time.
Here, the designers at Lovejoy Interiors have divided this Boston, USA hallway cupboard into functional sections – hooks, plenty of open shelves and even a niche for boots.
Find a joiner or cabinetmaker near you on Houzz to custom-design the perfect storage for your home