Corridor & Narrow Hallway Storage Ideas: 20 Smart Solutions
Finding efficient corridor & narrow hallway storage solutions, which work for both you and the space you’re working with can be difficult. But, it shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on the look and attractiveness of your entrance hall.
As the main entrance and exit to many homes, it is often the most overlooked room when it comes to decorating and furnishing. Clever hallway storage ideas for small spaces that help you declutter mess and create more space can be a huge improvement to your home. Everyday living can be enhanced as storage solutions enable smoother transitions when navigating in and out of your home.
The entrance hall and corridor also play a vital role in giving off the right impression to guests, being one of the first rooms they will see upon arrival. Say goodbye to rogue shoes, looking for spare spaces to hang your coat and old letters stuck to the floor by moody footprints.
Discover our 20 smart small hallway storage solutions and corridor storage ideas which put both style and practicality first, enabling you to make the most out of your space. From multifunctional furniture to stylish console tables & shoe storage benches, we take a look at some of the best hallway furniture.
1. Take a seat on a bench with built-in storage
A simple, but stylish narrow hallway storage idea is the traditional hall bench with built-in storage. Hall benches aren’t too wide, therefore are guaranteed to not take up much floor space and can be placed against a wall in a narrow hallway, or corridor. Doubling up as both a sophisticated seat for taking your shoes on and off, taking the pressure off the bottom stair, and somewhere you can store your shoes, hats, and scarves galore.
Our Chatsworth Oak Hall Bench is enough to complement any interior, made from thick warm oak and featuring soft close draws and a comfy top. This is a high-quality hall bench, which will bring comfort and storage to any hallway.
2. Discover an oak bench with draws & storage
Or, if you wanted a seat with a back, solid wood benches like our Harewood Oak Monks Bench, offer more support, while still being a perfect hallway storage solution. This multipurpose bench is fitted with draws that could be used for keys, post, and other bits and bobs that you want out of eyes view and items you might need to grab on your way out. It also comes with space for 8 pairs of shoes, in the form of wooden pockets, for some extra space to keep those shoes off the floor and your hallway tidy. Keeping the shoe storage open means you can quickly grab a pair on your way out of the house, but will also encourage you to keep things tidy and in order with them on display.
3. Tidy up your coats and jackets with coat hook racks
Like keys and shoes, coats are something we also need easy access to on our way out. Coat hooks are an essential for houses so that you’re not leaving coats on the end of banisters or on the back of door handles, which will easily make a narrow hallway feel cluttered.
Using a coat hook rack that can be mounted and attached to your corridor wall will allow you to maximise the storage opportunities in your corridor by taking up wall space as opposed to floor space, which a traditional coat and hat stand would take up. Hanging up coats also keeps your coats and jackets in good condition as it allows them to breathe.
Coat hooks don’t just have to be used for coats either, they’re the perfect place to hang dog leads or scarves too. You can also get coat hooks racks made from a huge number of materials and in different styles to match your other furnishings, and with a different number of hooks.
4. Pop your keys on a coat hook rack shelf
For extra corridor storage, pick out a coat hook rack with a shelf on top. The shelf above the coat hooks is ideal for keys and letters but you can also dress up your coat hook and corridor by adding plants or artwork onto the shelf. It is the best hallway furniture if you are looking to maximise space and add character.
Check out our New Hampshire Oak Coat Rack, for an efficient solid coat hook rack that will add rustic charm to a narrow hallway or entrance hall.
5. Don’t forget the back of the door
If you’re struggling for free wall space, the back of the door can be used for a slim coat rack or pegs. A slim coat rack will allow storage for a couple of coats and jackets or bags. You could also attach a couple of lower hooks or pegs for the younger and smaller members of the family to hang coats or bookbags.
6. Get creative with your wall pegs
If you want to keep your corridor and entrance hall organised but don’t want to sacrifice style and art, turn your storage into art! Choose hangers and pegs that double up as art and arrange them in an interesting layout and pattern.
7. Utilise the forgotten space under your stairs
Understairs areas are often rife with potential in narrow hallway storage solutions. Although they may come with challenges, optimising your understairs space and transforming it into storage space is completely worth it.
Adding storage into your understairs could look like: custom-built draws, cupboards, or shelving units. Challenged with a lack of light, it is important to store items that don’t need light and also to assess the amount of moisture & temperature in the area.
For the understairs which are open, cabinets, bookcases and shoe cupboards are the perfect, low-fit storage solutions to keep away under the stairs too.
8. Maximise space with a classic console table
When looking for narrow hallway storage ideas, look no further than the trusty console table. If space is tight, console tables offer a very practical & very sleek, and attractive solution. Console tables take up little floor space, particularly in comparison to large desks or storage units.
Opt for a design that comes with different compartments to store a number of different shaped items and can be used for different purposes. Like our Vanya Console Table, console tables often come with a table on top, for items you need quickly or to be used for plants or other decorative items, draws for out of site items and additional storage and a bottom compartment, ideal for bags, books, umbrellas and more. Console tables are often paired beautifully with wicker baskets as seen in our Florence Oak Large Console Table.
9. Keep posted with a mail holder
It’s perfectly normal to pick post up out of the letterbox and leave it on the side on top of the pile of doom. But, when you’re short for space, a pile of letters is not only messy but at risk of getting knocked in passing in a narrow corridor onto the floor. Eliminate this risk and get organised with a mail holder. Mail holders are a tidy piece of kit when you want to keep all your post in one place and out of the way.
10. Opt for a traditional hall table
For traditional entrance hall furniture ideas, you can’t go wrong with a small hall table. Hall tables are built and designed with narrow corridors and spaces in mind, and usually have a couple of draws for storing small bits and room on the table for more items whether it be a wifi box, landline or key and post storage.
Our Canterbury Oak Hall Table ticks all the boxes when it comes to fulfilling your hall table needs. Rustic, with a modern finish, it is fitted with Dovetailed drawers and classic metal drop handles.
11. Establish light and space with a wall mirror
Wall mirrors are an excellent narrow hallway storage solution as they can create an illusion of space and make the smallest spaces feel more open. A lot of corridors and entrance halls also struggle from a lack of light without windows and wall mirrors help to capture any light and reflect it back into the room, enhancing the light of the whole space.
Entrance halls are a great spot to place a wall mirror so you can have a last-minute check you’re looking your best quickly on your way out! If you’re looking to add depth and light to your narrow corridor, check out our real oak wall mirrors, which are designed and built to stand the test of time, strong and stable enough for any hallway. We’re particularly loving our Rustic Solid Oak Large Mirror, built using traditional carpentry skills with a modern finish, this is the perfect style and size for narrow corridors and entrance halls.
12. Boost your mirror with an additional shelf
For extra storage, look at adding a shelf just underneath a wall mirror or choose a wall mirror fitted with a shelf. Wall mirrors with shelves can be a tidy way of storing a couple of small items or adding a plant for decorating to make the space more interesting.
13. Organise lose footwear in a shoe cupboard
If you’re looking for a place to keep all your shoes in one space, a traditional shoe cupboard will help you stay tidy help you quickly hide your shoes away. Shoe cupboards come in all heights, widths, shapes, and sizes but to take up less floor space, and make the most of your space, opt for a taller shoe cupboard. Choosing a shoe cupboard with doors on will also hide your shoes away and look less cluttered, allowing you to close the door and forget about the mess behind the scenes.
Closed shoe cupboards like our Chatsworth Oak Shoe Cupboard are sturdy and timeless and can also be used as console-like tables with storage options on top.
14. Add character to your hallway with a home library
A narrow hallway or entranceway could be the ideal place to keep a bookcase. Bookcases are can be large pieces of furniture but you can also get smaller and thinner bookcases. Bookcases are a great storage solution as you can place them up against a wall, and they are relatively out of the way. Bookcase uses also extend to holding personal items, ornaments, and photographs and they can really enhance a room.
15. Mount your cabinets onto the wall
Short for floor space? Choose storage cabinets that you can mount onto walls and that are closed up and narrow enough to not block the hallway. Narrow wall-mounted cabinets take advantage of a narrow entrance hall and can also be used for a shelf to store other items on.
16. Never lose your keys again with a key box
Forever putting your keys down and forgetting where you left them? Key boxes can be found in all shapes, sizes, designs, and materials. Fit a beautiful key box, which fits with your interiors and colour scheme to a convenient wall, preferably out of sight of a window, and safely store your keys all in one place.
17. Allow your clutter problems to float away
Floating shelves are an excellent narrow hallway storage solution and decorative piece. Floating shelves are small in build and take up no floor space whatsoever. Smart in appearance and functional, you can dress floating shelves how you would like them to make them unique. Place rows of books on them, ornaments, or hanging plants, floating shelves are ideal for the contemporary home and lifestyle.
18. Let height be on your side and build storage right up to the ceiling
Utilise the space that you do have in a narrow hallway or corridor and build storage solutions right up to the ceiling. Look for pieces of furniture that use height and are multifunctional, or combine pieces of furniture such as a shoe rack with a coat hook rail further up the wall.
A bespoke built unit could be the best solution for you if you are looking for multifunctional areas that meet your exact needs and space.
19. Coat rack with spaces for boxes/shoes underneath
Coat racks are not always considered the best hallway furniture for small or narrow corridors and entrance halls, as they can be bulky and take up a lot of floor and wall space. However, multipurpose coat racks which come with spaces for boxes or built-in boxes for shoes are exceptionally efficient. Instead of letting a coat rack take up all the space, make the most of it and add storage boxes or shoe storage. Coat racks are great for grabbing your coat in a hurry and keeping everything together.
20. Keep your storage flexible with storage boxes
Wicker and wooden storage boxes are a flexible corridor storage solution. With the ability to stack them on top of each other or to the side along the floor, they can be fitted and arranged in different ways depending on the shape and size of your hallway. You can also store more or larger items in storage boxes too, such as toys, or designate a box per person for an individual place for everyone to keep and manage their own belongings. 
There are loads of different hallway storage solutions, if you’re looking for real oak, high-quality hallway furniture explore our huge ranges and collections of oak furniture items.