One of the necessary and irreplaceable interior items in the hallway is the original cabinet. You can store things, shoes and other household items in it. Let's look at the main types of cabinets, their features and much other interesting information.
Brief overview of the article
A compact cabinet allows you to maintain order in the hallway, since you can put various things and objects in it. Often, a cabinet is used to store shoes. Tall models allow you to place small items, such as keys or glasses, on their upper shelves.
Designers advise placing a cabinet at the entrance. Thanks to the soft top surface, it can replace a regular ottoman. It would be great if there was a mirror opposite it.
In addition to practical purposes, an interior item can be part of the decor. The cabinet may contain vases with flowers, various souvenirs, photo frames and other elements.
Types of models
Today, cabinets can be floor-standing or hanging. Each of these categories has its own types – open and closed.
The floor stand stands on the floor surface, has legs and a solid bottom. The model is considered one of the most popular because it is used for storing shoes.
The wall-mounted model is attached to the wall surface, which allows you to free up additional space on the floor. In cabinets of this type you can place clothes and other important things in everyday life.
An open-type shoe cabinet does not have doors, so it should be as deep as possible in volume. Due to the absence of doors, air enters inside the furniture piece, which allows water to be ventilated.
Closed cabinets are designed to accommodate shoes and care products. These wardrobe items are equipped with hinged doors or drawers with pull-out capabilities.
Advantages of a shoe rack with a seat
The hallway can tell a lot about the owners of the house. Guests judge the rest of the apartment by its decoration, order and comfort. Even by the arrangement of furniture you can learn about the habits of the owners. People living in the fast pace of city life prefer conciseness, simplicity and comfort. But it is not so easy to keep the hallway in order, especially in large families. Purchasing a shoe rack will allow you to organize the hallway space; all shoes with small accessories will be stored in one place.
If the hallway is small, you might consider purchasing a shoe cabinet with a seat. This technique will solve the main drawback of small-sized rooms - the lack of sufficient space for a separate bench or pouf. A shoe rack with a seat above the drawers serves as a small sofa. It’s convenient to sit on it before going out to put on your shoes comfortably.
The design of shelves for storing shoes is different, it depends on the designers’ ideas, as well as the personal choice of the home owners. For some people, open shelves are enough, while others need to have hinged doors. Often a small cabinet is added to a cabinet with a seat for storing shoe polishes, brushes and other small things that make life easier.
Types of cabinet coverings
A cabinet suitable for a hallway interior can have a different external coating. It is not at all necessary to use special moisture-resistant compounds for this:
- The most popular option is paint. Thanks to it, the most unusual shades of a piece of furniture are obtained.
- It is recommended to varnish wood products. With its help, the surface of the cabinet becomes smooth, without rough elements.
- Cabinets made from chipboard and MDF panels are covered with a wood veneer composition. The appearance of the finish looks like natural wood.
- Film is a well-known type of coating that is resistant to mechanical damage.
Bedside table in the hallway interior
In most cases, the hallway space does not have a wide area, so the furniture must be universal.
The purpose of this item is as follows:
- organizing small and good shoe storage;
- creating an improvised seat to make putting on shoes comfortable;
- location of other necessary things: keys, bags, care products;
- combination with a mirror will visually make a narrow space larger, and will also give a person the opportunity to evaluate their own appearance before leaving the living area;
- giving the interior completeness.
Current styles
The hallway is an essential corner of the interior, where the individual characteristics of the style that prevails in the entire apartment are revealed. For ease of implementation, current furniture manufacturers produce designer cabinets with individual elements of different stylistic trends.
Classic design
Interiors in the classic style, for example baroque, bring with them luxury in design, expensive types of materials and the use of rich colors. Cabinets in this style look quite massive. Often their surface is decorated with gilding or forged metal elements.
The classic style involves placing cabinets made of high quality natural wood in the hallways.
Which material to choose
A shoe rack for the hallway can be purchased ready-made or made to order. The latter type is more suitable because it takes into account the individual characteristics of the room, and also allows you to independently choose the design, number of modules, material of manufacture, etc. Plastic models are the cheapest, but they are not the most durable. A shoe cabinet made of metal and chipboard with MDF will last longer, but you will have to spend more.
Natural wood
Shoe racks made from this material can be found in classic, country and Provence interiors. Natural material looks cozy and solid. Classic shoe racks can be distinguished by rich decor, while Provence and country are distinguished by simplicity of decoration and even slight negligence. Wooden furniture is quite massive, so it is not suitable for every hallway. Natural wood is an expensive and solid material, so right from the doorstep it tells guests about the good taste and wealth of the apartment owner.
Wood is a durable material that will last for generations if properly cared for. It is worth considering that wooden furniture does not tolerate high humidity and water, so it must be periodically treated with special water-repellent agents. Additional antiseptic treatment will not hurt, since wood attracts bugs, they will quickly ruin the appearance of the furniture.
There are models on sale that are coated at the factory with a special compound that protects them from water. The surface looks glossy, as if covered with varnish. Wooden shoe racks can be decorated with patterns or images using the decoupage technique.
Important! You cannot place wet shoes in wooden cabinets; they must dry well.
Metal
Metal furniture is often heavy, especially if it consists entirely of forged parts. This decor will definitely attract the attention of guests. Metal is an incredibly durable material that is resistant to any load, and products made from it look stylish and noble. However, it is worth considering the size of the hallway. Ornate shoe racks look a little heavy in the interior; for small rooms it is better to purchase furniture with simple outlines and glass inserts - glass looks weightless.
Forged shoe cabinets will fit perfectly into a Gothic, Baroque or Renaissance interior. Models of simple shapes made of metal and glass are suitable for modern styles - high-tech, fusion or modern. Mirrors look great in combination with metal; such a shoe cabinet will decorate the hallway.
Rattan
This material is distinguished by its extraordinary lightness and exotic appearance. Rattan shoe rack is easy to clean and is also not afraid of moisture. Among other things, this material does not pick up dirt and allows air to pass through. Rattan cabinets will fit both into the corridor and into the dressing room.
But rattan is not suitable for every style. This type of furniture looks best in rustic styles such as country, Provence, rustic or chalet. In addition to its natural light color, rattan can be painted in pastel colors that will easily fit into shabby chic.
laminated chipboard
An inexpensive and practical option for a shoe rack. Laminated boards are natural wood, but due to special processing, such furniture is not afraid of water. Chipboard can be purchased in any color, choosing a surface like oak, cherry, wenge, etc. A rich palette of natural wood shades allows you to fit a chipboard shoe rack into any interior. If you have the necessary material, nothing prevents you from making a bedside table with a seat in the hallway with your own hands.
Plastic
The easiest material to care for. Plastic shoe racks are easy to care for, not capricious, and affordable. Plastic furniture is lightweight, which allows you to move it from place to place without effort. Plastic models are not suitable for every interior; they fit best into modern styles: minimalism, hi-tech, modern.
Ethnic style
Reincarnates the special features of different cultures of the people. Individual national motives, expressed as images, geometric patterns and other elements, are involved in creating the design of the cabinets.
Note!
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Modern styles
Trends such as high-tech and modern have an individual feature in the clarity of lines and shapes. In a hallway decorated in one of these styles, you can place a cabinet made of plastic and glass, with mirrored decorative elements.
As for the color scheme, here it is worth giving preference to basic and restrained shades.
How to open
If everything is clear with an open-type shoe rack, then closed models are divided by type of storage. These can be drawers (cassettes) or hinged doors. The latter are convenient in rooms where there is little space; such a door opening mechanism saves space.
Cassette type
The doors of the shoe rack are designed according to the principle that they have one or more drawers. The door opens and the drawer slides out on its own. The location of the cassettes can be vertical or horizontal. Such shoe racks almost take up space, but are quite roomy and allow you to store tall shoes, since all pairs are in a vertical position. This shoe cabinet with a seat is perfect for hallways where there is not enough space for larger options.
When choosing a cassette shoe rack, carefully inspect the back wall; it should be strong and rigid. If the wall is too thin, such a shoe rack will not last long. The best option is when it is no thinner than 0.5 cm. If the wall does not fit well, it will let dust inside the drawers.
You should buy a cassette cabinet with a seat for the hallway already assembled or use the services of specialists; it is very difficult to assemble it yourself. It is important to check the magnets that hold the doors in place in advance. If they are weak, the door will constantly open.
Hinged doors
The doors are attached to the cabinet using bar hinges. This is an almost classic chest of drawers with a lot of shelves inside, each of which has a separate door. This type of shoe rack is the most spacious; you can even store shoes in boxes in it, which is very convenient. The boots will not be mixed up with other shoes and will maintain a clean and neat appearance. It is also convenient to store shoes there. You can see what a cabinet with a seat and folding doors will look like in the interior of a hallway in the photo below.
Drawers
Not the most popular option, but it becomes the only option if there is no other furniture in the hallway. Inside the shoe rack with drawers you can fit shoes, umbrellas, scarves, gloves, etc.
Cabinet dimensions
Initially, the dimensions of this piece of furniture will depend on the area of the hallway. A large cabinet in a small room will look out of place. Low shoe furniture of medium length will be a suitable solution if an open shelf is placed above it at the top of the wall.
The standard length of the cabinet is 60-90 cm, but it all depends on the area of the room. For example, you can opt for a narrow but high cabinet in the hallway. It is no different in its capacity from the usual standard type model.
The choice of a specific cabinet model depends on the preferences of the owner, as well as the free space in the hallway. The main thing is that the cabinet you purchase has good capacity and serves for many years. Models with glass surfaces require special care and caution when using.
Why do you need a bedside table?
Many people, when arranging hallways, make do with only a closet and a coat hanger, preferring to store the most frequently worn shoes right at the doorstep or on a special rug, but a pile of shoes does not look entirely aesthetically pleasing, and it is with the purpose of getting rid of it that many people buy a special cabinet.
In addition to its main purpose, a shoe cabinet in the hallway can:
- Act as a seat for a person changing shoes
- Save space by freeing it from a large number of shoes
- Visually expand the space if the bedside table is installed with a large mirror or covered with a “glossy” material
- Be closed or open, of virtually any shape and size
- Fits into any interior
