And L shaped bench with basket storage and board and batten pony wall with hooks on the top part.

Another option would be to have lockers above the bench

If the closet is useless for hanging coats but you don’t want to remove door, could you add shelving to top 1/3 & attach hooks to back wall to hang coats on? Or, shelves all the way down with the bottom couple shelves confiigured for shoes? That would at least remove the shoe clutter from open area & then either a larger bench or a console table could be placed on the length of half wall. The full height narrow wall on other side of stair bottom looks like natural place for art - but, have you hung any art in the big niche by front door? I looked at your first post in November to see the other pictures. The film on window looks perfect for all light no undesirable view!

@KW I like that closet idea with the hooks. I haven’t hung any artwork in the big niche by the front door. Would a mirror be too much? Then maybe I could hang some artwork on the narrow wall to balance the space.

@lisa Caudill, I really like the L-shaped bench!

Don't add pillows. They will just be in the way and look fussy. All you need are baskets for the shoes to use under the bench, and leave the rest of he space clear. Put a piece of art on the taller wall behind the half wall, to the left of the stairs.

@Stephanie - glad you like my idea for coat hooks in closet - I thought it was pretty clever myself! 😁 If you do that you may as well do something for shoes at the bottom of closet so everything‘s in one place & that opens up more options for what you do at the window & half wall. I definitely do not think a mirror is too much for that big wall niche. A mirror in an entry is always a nice thing. The mirror should be sized to balance the niche & I do think once you’ve decided on colors for the art on the opposite wall by stairs, I do think pai ting the niche a color from the art would be great.