Only owners of private houses can boast of a spacious hall. And even then not everyone. In standard apartments, residents are most often content with tiny corridors separating the front door from the living area. In such conditions, it is especially important to properly organize the space so that there is enough space for all the necessary things. We offer tips on how to choose a wardrobe and other furniture for your hallway.
Functional elements
There are a huge number of options for furnishing the hallway, each of them requires certain conditions. What matters is the size of the room, the overall style, and the set of necessary functions. The key elements of any design solution are:
- coat hanger designed for daily use;
- cabinet for storing various things;
- place for shoes;
- mirror.
Hangers can be wall or floor. The first ones are optimal for heavy clothing; as a rule, they do not have a maximum permissible load indicator. They are equipped with 6 or more hooks and can be supplemented with shelves for hats, umbrellas, and other accessories. Floor hangers are less practical. Most models can withstand a weight not exceeding 30 kg; it is impossible to increase their functionality.
The hallway should also have a large wardrobe - regular or compartment. The most popular are two- and three-leaf doors, but some models may have 6 or more doors. Such structures store not only everyday clothes, but also those things that are used from time to time.
Single-door cabinets are not very functional, but are indispensable for small hallways.
There must be a place to store shoes. It is irrational to equip it in the same cabinet; it is better to use a separate built-in or independent element. This could be another chest of drawers or a regular shelf. Some models have a bench. More practical are products with drawers designed for storing shoe care products.
No hallway would be complete without a mirror. They can be small or full-length, wall-mounted or floor-mounted. They are often used to decorate the fronts of cabinets, which looks great in small rooms.
Wall hanger
Floor
Three-leaf wardrobe
Double door wardrobe
Single leaf
Shoe maker
Mirror
How to furnish a small corridor
If we are talking about tiny corridors, then furnishing it is an incredibly large-scale problem. After all, you want the corridor to fit as many things as possible, and at the same time it would be cozy. Some tips for small corridors from famous designers:
- A small shoe cabinet can be connected to the seat. Then you get 2 in 1, both a seat and a place where you can put your shoes, which will undoubtedly save space in a small hallway.
- Corner cabinets are very convenient to use, they are multifunctional.
- In a small corridor, a simple hanger looks more appropriate than a huge wardrobe, and a small stool than a long bench.
- You can close the shelf under the ceiling, then you will have additional space.
Choice depending on the size of the hallway
When choosing furniture for the hallway, first of all, you need to evaluate the area of usable space. The larger its value, the more opportunities provided. Today, designers successfully furnish small rooms, making them not only beautiful, but also multifunctional.
Big
The possibilities for furnishing large hallways are limited only by the owner’s imagination. Furniture of absolutely any shape can be placed here. In spacious rooms, large mirrors are appropriate; small ones should be used only as decoration. For storing clothes and shoes, furniture factories produce rectangular and corner structures, both options are comfortable to use and spacious.
The nuances of choosing a built-in wardrobe in the hallway, options for shapes and filling
Product doors can be hinged or sliding. If you arrange the furniture correctly, its doors will not get in the way. Before purchasing products, you should also learn about the advantages and disadvantages of built-in and cabinet options. The first ones are cheaper, occupy the entire space, right up to the ceiling, but they cannot be moved if necessary. Cabinet furniture is mobile, but due to the presence of side and back walls it is more expensive.
To reduce the time spent searching for suitable models, you can pay attention to ready-made kits. They can be:
- corner;
- built-in;
- modular.
They include not only basic but also additional items. To increase the degree of comfort, the sets are equipped with places to relax: ottomans or sofas, open shelving, drawers, and other elements. By the way, any of the products can be purchased separately, complementing an existing set of furniture.
Small
Small hallways require compliance with some rules that will allow you to make the most of the space. The following tips apply in most cases:
- If there is a significant lack of free space, you should pay attention to open furniture for the hallway.
- Single-door cabinets and slim models will allow you to save space.
- It is advisable to use a large mirror only as decoration for the facade of a wardrobe; in other cases, it is better to give preference to small items.
- Unlike rectangular ones, corner structures are more compact and practical, as they make use of empty corners.
- Sliding doors fully replace swing doors, but they do not block an already narrow passage.
- Built-in models are more spacious than free-standing ones.
If you want to purchase a set of furniture for the hallway, you will only have to choose mini options. They usually consist of a small hanger with hooks and a narrow cabinet. In addition, you can use multifunctional furniture. Hangers combined with a wardrobe, built-in shoe racks, racks with a mezzanine and others are in demand.
Where to store shoes
- It is convenient to do this in a shoe rack. These are narrow cabinets of varying heights and widths, equipped with sections. Each of them holds a pair of shoes. The capacity of the shoe rack, as the shoe rack is also called, is due to the fact that pairs are stored vertically and take up minimal space. An important point: the height of the sections varies. If you plan to place high women's boots in them, this must be taken into account when choosing.
- The simplest solution is bookshelves. They can be any shape and color. The material from which they are made also differs. The most affordable ones are made of plastic or chipboard, but there are models made of natural wood. It’s a good idea to combine a shoe rack with a bench or ottoman. This will make it comfortable to put on your shoes.
Instagram @marbukhdesign
Instagram @woodwerk_ua
In our recommendations on how to choose furniture for the hallway, all the subtleties and nuances are discussed in detail. In order not to make a mistake, you need to correctly correlate the size of the room, the quantity and dimensions of the furniture. It is important that the environment looks harmonious: there is no feeling of clutter and crampedness or, on the contrary, too empty space. The easiest way is to choose a ready-made set, but you can do it differently - combine different items into a single ensemble, getting both convenience and an attractive look.
Manufacturing materials
It is also important what hallway furniture is made from, because the materials have a direct impact on the reliability and service life of the product. The most commonly used are 4 options. Each has certain advantages and disadvantages.
| Material | What is | Advantages | Flaws |
| laminated chipboard | Pressed sawdust and shavings from unmarketable tree trunks together with binding formaldehyde resins | Good thermal and sound insulation performance. Relatively low price | Short service life. Lack of resistance to high loads. Low security |
| MDF | Medium-density fiberboard created by pressing chips under pressure and high temperature | Located in the middle price category. Reliable, durable, environmentally friendly | Deformed due to strong impact or prolonged contact with moisture |
| Plastic | A complex combination of several layers of paper, various types of resins and a clear coating | Does not corrode, rot, or develop fungus. Resistant to moisture. Easy. Accessible | May release toxic substances when heated. Not protected from mechanical damage |
| Natural wood | Solid wood of oak, pine, birch and other species | Environmentally friendly. Practicality. Aesthetics. Maintainability | High price. Low moisture resistance. Need for regular care |
Steel or aluminum are suitable for the production of furniture components. Any metal, tempered glass, leather, bamboo fiber are used for decoration and cladding. To create a stylish design, a combination of several types of materials is sometimes used. The main thing is the perfect harmony of all components of the furniture.
laminated chipboard
MDF
Plastic
Natural wood
Design and color
One of the most common interior styles is classic. It is characterized by natural wood, decorative forging, a mirror in a carved frame, and exquisite accessories. Furniture in the hallway of an apartment should be symmetrical, strict geometric shapes, light shades close to natural. Along with a wardrobe with blind, hinged doors, you can use a carved wooden hanger, dressing table, soft pouf upholstered in silk, satin, jacquard.
If the apartment is decorated in a modern style, furniture made of MDF or plastic is ideal for furnishing the hallway. Here the emphasis is on small, light objects that do not clutter up the space. A corner or sliding wardrobe should be supplemented with an external hanger, a mirror, a shelf for shoes and hats. For a high-tech style hallway you can use transforming elements and chrome-plated metal parts. For a loft, shelves with metal frames, open hangers, and any other furniture without decorations are recommended.
Designer furniture in a modern style is often used in small spaces.
There are a huge variety of color options for hallway furniture: from light pastels to charcoal black. When choosing the right shade, it is important to consider other interior elements. For example, against the background of pink wallpaper, a red cabinet will look tasteless. But white furniture is universal, as it can decorate any hallway. In addition, it will visually expand a small space. You can achieve a similar effect in other ways:
- Use vertical stripes in design.
- Install large, long mirrors.
- Give preference to a glossy surface of facades rather than a matte one.
- Avoid large, elaborate decorative elements.
Almost any idea can be brought to life. The key to a good result will be following the recommendations of specialists regarding sizes, shapes, and color schemes. The location of the furniture also matters.
Classic style
Modern style
High tech
Loft
The meaning of drawings
The hallway, like any other room, should be comfortable, cozy and match the interior of the apartment or house.
A drawing of the hallway with dimensions will be of great help in its design. It helps you decide on the shape of the furniture and how to place it or order future furniture, taking into account the existing dimensions.
The drawing clearly shows the shape (square, rectangular, narrow, wide), the location of the front door, the number of free walls for installing furniture.
Tips for arranging furniture
The hallway should not only be beautiful, but also comfortable. This directly depends on the particular arrangement of furniture. To avoid mistakes, it is worth considering several important nuances:
- The wardrobe is installed along a long wall.
- A shoe rack and a place for umbrellas and bags should be located near the front door.
- An open hanger should not be used to store out-of-season items.
- Niches and recesses in the hallway are optimal for built-in furniture.
- The mirror should be near the hanger, not near the exit.
The arrangement of furniture also depends on the area and shape of the room. Furnishing a small apartment will be very different from furnishing a large country house.
Square hallway
The idea of purchasing a U-shaped wardrobe is feasible only if the hallway is large enough and has a square shape. One design can combine all the necessary elements: a hanger, a shoe rack, shelves, drawers, and a place to sit. When arranging small rooms, it is better to give preference to a wardrobe combined with an open hanger.
Another option is to use transformable types of furniture, for example, a rotating model. On one side there is a mirror, which also serves as a cabinet door; underneath there are shelves for small things. On the sides of the module there are recesses with hooks, and on the reverse side there is a cross bar for medium-sized clothes.
U-shaped cabinet
Combined with an open hanger
Rotary model
Corridor
If the arrangement of a wide corridor can be anything, then with a narrow room the situation is more complicated. Here you need to use furniture with minimal depth. To significantly save space, you should buy a slim shoe rack. Small shelves in it are placed at an angle of 45 degrees, making it compact and convenient for storing shoes, boots and shoes. If the corridor is wide enough, the choice of furniture is unlimited - stationary cabinets of different shapes, in particular radius ones, and various designer chests of drawers and shoe racks are also suitable.
In narrow corridors, furniture is placed along one wall. There may be a corner cabinet or a long, rectangular one with a depth of no more than 40 cm. It is important to use one or more methods to visually increase the space.
According to generally accepted standards, the passage in the hallway should be such that a stretcher can easily pass through it. The average width of this is 120 cm. It is allowed to reduce the size to 90 cm, but the length of the narrow section cannot exceed 150 cm. Cluttering the room with a large amount of furniture is unacceptable.
Slim shoe rack
Radius chest of drawers
Designer chest of drawers
Stationary wardrobe in the hallway
Designer shoe rack
Style
Style is everyone's choice, so advice is not particularly relevant here. The only thing is that the room should be in harmony with the overall style of the whole house, or at least some of its elements.
By the way, for small, narrow hallways, furniture should be chosen in light colors in order to visually expand the room.
