Clever Storage Solutions for Halls
Is your entrance hall clean, tidy and clutter-free? Or, is it filled with coats, bags, keys, mail, and other clutter? Without effective storage solutions, the hallway can very quickly become a dumping ground for items that are discarded on entering and leaving the house. This gives visitors an unfavorable impression of your home, even if they do not cross the threshold.
A place to hang coats, scarves, hats and other outdoor wear is essential. A free-standing coat and hat stand can be an elegant addition to a hallway. It also makes it easy for family members to quickly grab their coats on their way out.
An alternative is to fix coat hooks or pegs to the wall. However, coat hooks often appear cluttered and they can become weighed down with coats, making it easy for them to come away from the wall, causing damage. Coat hooks are perhaps better attached to the wall inside a hallway closet, such as the closet under the stairs, so that they do not look cluttered and damage to the wall is not noticeable if they fall down.
Another option is to use a freestanding clothes rail on which you use coat hangers to hang up coats, scarves and other outdoor apparel. Some clothes rails also incorporate a shoe rack at the bottom. A clothes rail can be wheeled into the closet under the stairs to save space and reduce the appearance of clutter.
A shoe rack is also indispensable, so that outdoor shoes can be stored cleanly and neatly. Again, you may wish to conceal this inside a closet. Choose a shoe rack or shoe racks that are large enough to hold two or three pairs of shoes, boots and sneakers for each member of the family. It is also possible to buy shoe storage units that look like neat cabinets, so that shoes can be hidden out of the way and the hall gains a sophisticated look.
An umbrella stand is another useful storage item for the hallway. Both wet and dry umbrellas can be stored in a tidy fashion. An elegant chrome design is ideal for a modern hallway, while an antique wooden style would fit in with a more traditional decor.
If you have enough space, a dresser or free-standing cupboard, with or without a mirror, is a useful and attractive addition to your hallway. It also provides extra storage space: keys can be housed in a drawer; bags can be tidied away in a compartment; and gloves, hats, and scarves can all be organized and stored. You can place fresh flowers and framed family photographs on the dresser or cupboard, making it into a practical and stylish centerpiece for your hallway.
If space is more limited, a storage bench is a good alternative to a dresser or cupboard. It serves a dual purpose as people can sit on it to put on their shoes or to untie their laces and all sorts of paraphernalia can be hidden inside.
The hall can quickly become cluttered with mail, newspapers, magazines, advertisements and other items that are put into the mailbox. In order to avoid this, you can fix a letter rack and a newspaper and magazine rack to the wall. Alternatively, you could put a free-standing letter rack on the hall cupboard or dresser and a magazine caddy on the floor. As soon as mail and other items are brought into the house, they can be sorted and placed into the appropriate storage receptacle, rather than ending up on the floor in a pile of clutter.
Although your hall is the gateway to your home, it is often overlooked as far as storage solutions are concerned. This is a mistake because, not only do family members waste time looking for items in a disorganized and cluttered hall, but visitors to your home gain an unfavorable first impression. If you take some time to implement a few simple storage ideas, you will reap the benefits of an uncluttered entrance hall.