Designed by Marc Wood, all our modern rustic hallway furniture and shoe racks are handmade by Marc and our small team in our Somerset farmhouse workshop from sustainable natural wood like Redwood or Larch.
The hallway is the borderland between your private sanctuary space and the outside world, it’s also true that ‘first impressions count’ which is why this small territory matters to both you and your visitors.
This area will set the scene and give visitors an impression of what to expect from the rest of your home.
It is also important when considering your hallway furniture and styling ideas, to think about what you need before you leave and when you return home.
There are a few key questions you may want to ask yourself:
- What are your feelings when coming home or leaving to go out into the world, how do you get ready mentally and practically? Is there something you can place here which will help set you up for the day ahead or that you will want to see as soon as you come home?
Tall coat and hat stand with 12 coat hanger hooks (left) £185.00 on Etsy, £166.50 Direct price.
- What do you want this entryway space to tell visitors about you and your home? Are you vibrant and arty, sleek and organised, or do you simply want them to remove outdoor shoes and coats before heading in?
- How do you want to use your hallway? Is it for utility or expressive decoration, maybe both are important? Can you give up storage space for ornamentation or will the storage itself need to be your backdrop?
From a design stance this is the staging area for your entire residence and it’s a good idea to consider how the styling of this location will flow into the other rooms.
As Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux says:
‘Hallways are the most important transitional spaces within our homes so whatever we choose to do decoration-wise has to work perfectly with the other rooms that lead off it ‘
Although the same design principles can apply, the difference between a hallway and a corridor is that a hallway connects different rooms together while a corridor is a narrow passage with several rooms leading off from it.
The definition of a hallway, according to the Collins English Dictionary is “a long passage with doors into rooms on both sides of it “
While the concept of the hallway as a way of getting from one room to another was invented in the 17th Century it didn’t become a common feature in UK homes until the 19th century.
Low shoe rack £145.00 Etsy price, £130.50 Direct price.
Does it matter how big your hallway is?
We believe that whether it is a small entryway space or a cavernous high ceilinged grand entrance, you need hallway furniture and storage pieces which will help organise key outdoor items such as coats, shoes, hats and keys and also perfectly suit your individual taste and style.
At Marc Wood Joinery UK you can buy hallway furniture and wall mirrors that are practical, well made and stylish.
We are always happy to create something bespoke for you, if any of the pieces seen in our online Etsy shop are not quite right for your space.
Because it is usually a narrow and compact space, before making any design changes it is important to take some time to remove jumble and organise the possessions which you really want to keep tidy in your hallway cupboard and closet.
As Cato Cooper says ‘Make sure there’s a home for everything and everything has a home.’
Our double ‘dovetail’ door hall and meter cupboard below can be made to any size (from £198.50 Etsy price, £178.65 Direct price)
This zone can become a dumping ground as we change our mind about taking something out with us or decide to change clothes, shoes, and accessories when we catch a glimpse of the ever-changeable British weather outside.
To help you to organise your hallway you can make use of:
These will store anything from gardening equipment to coats and bags.
They are great for small spaces and to gather smaller items you can sit natural wicker baskets on top of the shelves.
Shelf with 6 wooden coat hanger hooks £68.00 Etsy price, £61.00 Direct price.
25 cm deep shelf with 5 chunky iron hooks £68.50 Etsy price, £61.50 Direct price.
For our single wall shelves, we offer a variety of options:
- With or without hooks, upcycled wooden coat hanger hooks, chunky iron double hooks or delicate ‘leaf’ head hooks.
- With a 2 cm or an extra chunky 4 cm thickness (as pictured)
- With a narrow 13 cm or 25 cm deep shelf.
- With bookends, either side or a single side.
- Finished in light or dark Danish Oil.
Above: 44 cm long shelf with double bookends £52.50 Etsy price, £47.00 Direct price and 114 cm long shelf with single bookend £64.00 Etsy price, £57.50 Direct price.
Tall coat and hat stand with 8 coat hanger hooks (pictured) £165.00 Etsy price, £148.50 Direct price and with 12 coat hanger hooks £185.00 Etsy price, £166.50.
2. A tall hat stand or hall tree like ours will elevate bulky coats away from lower shoe storage space beneath and allow 360 degree access (where the hallway space allows)
Our sleek and modern rustic design comes with the option of 8 or 12 upcycled coat hanger hooks and can be finished in light or dark Danish Oil.
(When you buy your coat stand from us this item will need to be delivered via a door to door furniture courier, contact us with your postcode for costs)
3. A table in a hallway is often called a console table, although when placed near to the front door it can be referred to as an entryway or hall table.
This multitasking storage hero is usually set out of the way against a wall and our rustic wooden shoe rack and hall table is designed to hold keys and small items safely on the chunky tabletop.
For added comfort, accessorise with a cushion or two in an accent colour or texture to fit your chosen theme.
Our sturdy wooden shoe rack doubles as a hall table and shoe bench seat
‘Add bench seating as a further incentive for shoes to be left at the door. Why not opt for an option where the bench is also the storage?’ Emily Dunstan
The best hall table designs tend to be narrow and taller than a coffee table, ours comes in a storage friendly 90 cm long and a more compact 65 cm long (pictured right) for small spaces.
Shoes and bags are tidied away on the lower shelves of our hall table shoe bench.
As Emily Dunstan says ‘Ensure you have enough storage for everyone in the home to have a couple of pairs of shoes in the hallway, plus room for guests to leave theirs when they arrive.
Both of our hall table shoe benches are traditionally constructed in our Somerset UK farmhouse workshop to be strong enough to perch on while you change shoes and this can help your guests to feel more comfortable as they part with their footwear.
(When you buy your hallway table from us this item will need to be delivered via a door to door furniture courier, contact us with your postcode for costs)
Deciding what to put on your hall table really depends on how you want to decorate and use this space.
A rustic piece in a natural wood tone like ours is large enough for books or ornaments and will compliment deep or bright colours which you can add with a floral arrangement, vintage hardback books or catch the light with a cluster of different sized sculptural vases in tinted glass.
4. To complete your look a large mirror like our wide 12 cm wooden frame ‘dovetail’ design will draw attention and neatly compose the space and is another way to shimmer light from the doorway and light fixtures.
A mirror with shelf and hooks can take the place of a hall table in narrow spaces, allowing for storage.
This focal point of interest will reflect the light, creating a roomier atmosphere.
Our wooden frame hallway mirrors are among the best loved of our handmade designs and this classic rustic mirror with shelf comes in a variety of styles to suit your space.
Our handcrafted hallway mirrors are made with our signature ‘dovetail’ detailing at the softly rounded edges and are constructed from 2 sturdy layers of natural wood.
Having a mirror with a shelf and coat or key hooks is very practical for storing your house keys, coats and bags or even a hairbrush right where you need them before you go out and an easily accessible place to unload when you get home.
When you look to buy your hallway mirror from us you will find that we offer a variety of options such as:
- With or without a solid inbuilt shelf
- With upcycled wooden coat hanger hooks, chunky iron double hooks or delicate ‘leaf’ head hooks.
- Finished in light or dark Danish Oil.
Visit us at Etsy.com to view our hallway furniture and wall mirror collections; we have over 400 excellent reviews!
Contact us to buy directly via BACS or PayPal for 10% off Etsy prices (not delivery)