Think You Haven’t Got Space for a… Boot Room?
Declutter your hallway and check out these clever ideas on how to tidily stash your outerwear in your home
Not many of us have enough rooms in our homes that we can allocate a whole one to storing our muddy boots, but there are plenty of fantastic spaces you can carve out. In the process, you’ll restore your hallway floor to the clear and welcoming space it was always meant to be.
Read more in this series: Think You Haven’t Got Room For a… Walk-in Wardrobe
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
Read more in this series: Think You Haven’t Got Room For a… Walk-in Wardrobe
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
Go for slimline and subtle
Storage for your outdoor gear need only be as deep as your biggest pair of wellies. Check out this shallow cupboard with rows of shelving to store all the shoes. It barely impacts at all on the room, and with the doors shut, there’s not a muddy shoe in sight.
Storage for your outdoor gear need only be as deep as your biggest pair of wellies. Check out this shallow cupboard with rows of shelving to store all the shoes. It barely impacts at all on the room, and with the doors shut, there’s not a muddy shoe in sight.
Here’s a similar idea featuring an a different style of rack, suitable for if you need an even slimmer space for stashing shoes and coats.
In narrow hallways, sliding doors will ensure everyone can get past even when the cupboard is open.
Discover how to make a skinny hallway feel more spacious
In narrow hallways, sliding doors will ensure everyone can get past even when the cupboard is open.
Discover how to make a skinny hallway feel more spacious
Build a bespoke boot bench
If you have the space, you can design some lovely furniture that’s helpful both for storing boots and for putting them on. Incorporate a niche for walking sticks and umbrellas and you’ll have a boot room in a fraction of the space.
Try taking footwear off the floor to keep the space looking tidier. Just lifting these boots and shoes a couple of inches onto a shelf looks far neater than shoving them under a bench.
If you have the space, you can design some lovely furniture that’s helpful both for storing boots and for putting them on. Incorporate a niche for walking sticks and umbrellas and you’ll have a boot room in a fraction of the space.
Try taking footwear off the floor to keep the space looking tidier. Just lifting these boots and shoes a couple of inches onto a shelf looks far neater than shoving them under a bench.
Add some decorative touches
Many homes really don’t have any space for outdoor clothing and shoes other than in the hallway. Make use of a small corner by zoning it off with some stylish details. Here, the painted panelling and accessories make a feature of this storage unit.
Be careful not to overload your storage – you don’t want the first view of your home to be stuffed to the gills with outerwear. It’s good to reassess which items are housed in hallway storage at the start of each new season, so that heavy boots don’t clutter things up in the height of summer, and likewise you don’t have flip-flops stacked throughout the winter months.
Many homes really don’t have any space for outdoor clothing and shoes other than in the hallway. Make use of a small corner by zoning it off with some stylish details. Here, the painted panelling and accessories make a feature of this storage unit.
Be careful not to overload your storage – you don’t want the first view of your home to be stuffed to the gills with outerwear. It’s good to reassess which items are housed in hallway storage at the start of each new season, so that heavy boots don’t clutter things up in the height of summer, and likewise you don’t have flip-flops stacked throughout the winter months.
Install a storage seat
This characterful pew is useful to perch on when dragging on boots and sports footwear, but also hides some capacious storage under the lift-up seat. Any small alcove (preferably near the back door for minimal mud-tracking through the house) can be used in this way, and the bench you use could be antique, modern or even built to fit your space exactly.
This characterful pew is useful to perch on when dragging on boots and sports footwear, but also hides some capacious storage under the lift-up seat. Any small alcove (preferably near the back door for minimal mud-tracking through the house) can be used in this way, and the bench you use could be antique, modern or even built to fit your space exactly.
Oust the outerwear to outbuildings
If your home simply doesn’t lend itself to housing wet wellies and dripping jackets, why not look to your garden for storage? A greenhouse maximises sunlight all year round, so it would be a great place to dry off and store your boots.
A garden storage box with seating would be a pleasant place to change from muddy to clean – and this way the dirt stays well and truly outside!
If your home simply doesn’t lend itself to housing wet wellies and dripping jackets, why not look to your garden for storage? A greenhouse maximises sunlight all year round, so it would be a great place to dry off and store your boots.
A garden storage box with seating would be a pleasant place to change from muddy to clean – and this way the dirt stays well and truly outside!
Put doors on it
A whole room may be out of the question, but how about allocating a corner or recess and adding some doors? The space could become your bespoke boot room.
It would be superbly effective in a hallway where you don’t really want all your items on display, and you can plan shelving and cubbyholes to your exact specifications. Don’t forget to include bright lighting so everyone can find what they need.
Thinking of adding some bespoke storage? Find carpenters and joiners in your area
A whole room may be out of the question, but how about allocating a corner or recess and adding some doors? The space could become your bespoke boot room.
It would be superbly effective in a hallway where you don’t really want all your items on display, and you can plan shelving and cubbyholes to your exact specifications. Don’t forget to include bright lighting so everyone can find what they need.
Thinking of adding some bespoke storage? Find carpenters and joiners in your area
Clear the decks
Get those mucky boots off the floor with a wall-mounted rack from which to hang them. To protect the wall, you could tile a space like this for a wipe-clean backdrop.
Find more compact hallways on Houzz
Get those mucky boots off the floor with a wall-mounted rack from which to hang them. To protect the wall, you could tile a space like this for a wipe-clean backdrop.
Find more compact hallways on Houzz
Uncover your under-stairs potential
The space under the stairs can be used for a mini cloakroom or for the vacuum and cleaning equipment.
However, if yours is looking a little scruffy, consider maximising every inch of the room to store boots, coats and shoes. Pull-out shelving units like these ones are excellent for accessibility and a good joiner will be able to make them to fit your requirements perfectly. No more scrabbling around to get to the back of the cupboard – you just bring the back of the cupboard to you!
What do you think of these ideas for adding a boot space to your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
The space under the stairs can be used for a mini cloakroom or for the vacuum and cleaning equipment.
However, if yours is looking a little scruffy, consider maximising every inch of the room to store boots, coats and shoes. Pull-out shelving units like these ones are excellent for accessibility and a good joiner will be able to make them to fit your requirements perfectly. No more scrabbling around to get to the back of the cupboard – you just bring the back of the cupboard to you!
What do you think of these ideas for adding a boot space to your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
One of the most useful and attractive storage solutions for boots and sports equipment is the humble basket. Line several up along a shelf or slot them into cubbyholes, as these homeowners have done.
You can organise the baskets by theme, such as boots, sportswear and gloves, or by owner. Household organisation will immediately go up a notch.
Add seating, hooks and shelving to the basket area and you’ll create a compact boot space that has it all.
Find a range of wall and coat hooks in the Houzz Shop