A picture is worth a thousand words.

You say ”the space is tight.” Surely there’s more space than 16” in a great room. Give us a good picture of the area you are considering; back up so we can see the room features and furniture.

Entry to the apartment showing the front door.

You need to show the rest of the space from all four sides so we can brainstorm some storage possibilities. What do you mean by storage unit? Did you just move in and those things in the hall haven't been moved yet--lamp, two mirrors, water dispenser, garbage can, water bottles? Confused here.

Here is how to post a Design Dilemma to get the best results. You need to show the whole space—all four sides of an entire space—even if it’s about one specific Dilemma. A layout fix is often a Design Dilemma fix even if it doesn't seem like that. Commenters need to see doorways, windows, closets, finishes throughtout the space to make informed suggestions.

State right at the beginning what the room will be used for and who will use it. State the non-negotiables at the beginning, what has to be kept. Give some idea of the budget. And provide approximate measurements

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6417709/unofficial-design-dilemma-boot-camp

Keep in mind that you're inviting some design pros and people with a design eye into your home via photos. If they walked into your actual space, they would take in all of it: all four sides, doorways, floors, windows, ceiling, built-in fixtures, lighting, trim--the "givens"--then the features that can be changed--furnishings, paint, art, rugs, decor items, etc. It's all one first impression. Same thing with photos. That's why it's important to provide well lit photos of the entire space, taken from all sides of a room regardless of the size of your problem.

To clarify. I don't have a problem with the great room just the space inside and behind the front door. My question is:

Will it be too tight to place a storage unit behind the door, which is only 18 inches deep from the door itself. 16 inches from the door frame?

Do I have to move the storage unit into the great room for better flow (move it R and away from the door). So the front door can fully swing open?

Also, how deep can the storage unit be? I would love to have a bench, but I'm not sure there is enough space for it.

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You can't really fit a storage piece so close to the door. What you could fit for keys, mail, and a mirror is something like this, which would look great. Then get a long console cabinet pushed farther down that becomes part of the great room.

Brooklyn Heights · More Info

Or put a storage piece right in the great room. It's frustrating that you haven't shown us the entire room so we can give you the best possible suggestions that will harmonize with the rest of your living room. But here goes anyway:

John Peers House · More Info

The Olivers House · More Info

Ikea offers all sorts of things like this, but you really haven’t given us a good idea of available space (obviously behind the door is too small) nor what your decorating style is. This particular picture is a random Ikea wardrobe which may or may not fit (physically or visually) in your room.

Thank you!