Help with front door entryway (narrow shoe storage) + dining area

1920shomereno

5 years ago

Hi, I'm stuck on how to handle shoe storage in an aesthetically pleasing/non-cluttered way, in a very high-traffic area right next to my front door (which is also my dining room!)

We use the front door as the main entrance, and I'm currently vacuuming 2-3x/day with all of the dirt that gets tracked in from the rug, since my household ends up just putting shoes on the wood floor.

We'll have to look at this storage solution every time we eat, so am hoping not to have a hall tree or any other open storage.

I currently have 3 shoe storage ottomans under our large front window, which keeps it generally uncluttered on a normal basis (photos attached are worst case), but still looks sloppy overall.

A few thoughts,

- I'm thinking of getting one, large shoe storage bench to put under that window (instead of the three there currently), and leaving the space to the right of the window empty.

- Or, that space to the right of the window is 23 1/4" wide, and I could remove the mirror, put a narrow shoe cabinet (there is one from the Container Store I've been eyeing...though it's not really my style so have hesitated), or find some sort of narrow entryway table that could become creative shoe storage - I'm just not having much luck with that width so far.

- I might be able to get some sort of L-shaped rug that wraps around the corner & keep the current ottoman storage, but worried that will still look sloppy.

I included a few photos of the surrounding area (you can see how close the dining room table and the front door are) - and hoping maybe there's some solution I haven't thought of yet! Thank you for your help!

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Comments (5)

kayozzy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
What about closed storage with a bench so you can sit to put on your shoes? There are a lot of different options.
1920shomereno thanked kayozzy
1920shomereno
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you! yes, that is one of the options I was considering (just one long storage bench instead of the three ottomans) but am struggling a bit with ones that look too small under my giant window - the 'extra long' storage benches seem to be few and far between, so was wondering if I should go a totally different route.
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housegal200
5 years ago
Find a work person who can make a simple storage/window bench for you exactly to your specs. Consider shelves underneath the bench like this one, which has two levels of shelving.
Allenby · More Info

Or a lidded hinged bench. You might be able to spec a bench that aligns with outdoor chaise cushions, so you don't have to get an upholstered cushion made.

Complete Kitchen Renovation/Dining Room with New Entry Way and Powder Room · More Info

Something with a drawer for each person with lovely cushion on top that coordinates with dining room.
Charlestown Beach Cottage · More Info

Drawers:
Seattle Craftsman House · More Info

Deep bench with baskets underneath for each person. Put a great indoor-outdoor rug in front of it to catch the outdoor grit. Etsy has many woodworkers who make benches on spec and ship them unassembled. This isn't from Etsy, but they do offer some styles like this. The trick is training the household to take shoes off on indoor-outdoor rug and walk shoes over to their bin/basket/drawer.
bali & pari Terah Mid-Century Modern Natural Brown Teak Wood Ottoman Footstool · More Info
housegal200
5 years ago
You could also order two storage benches already made and put them side by side if they fit in a way that looks built in. During gatherings it's nice to have extra seating in the dining area. Something to consider: a bench built high enough, say windowsill level if that's seating level as well, so you can still use your pretty storage bins underneath.
1920shomereno
Original Author
5 years ago
This is so good! Thank you for the detailed advice and photos as inspiration!