Bench with a shelf for shoes in the hallway: types and recommendations for choosing

Banquettes are an excellent design solution for the hallway and fit organically into the interior. Earlier models looked like simple benches and were designed for comfortable changing shoes. However, modern pieces are functional pieces of furniture with thoughtful design and stylish design. This allows you to use them not only as a pouf or a chair, but also store shoes and many other useful things in them.

The hallway bench is a bench or pouf, under the seats of which there are shelves for shoes and compartments for shoe accessories. The history of this comfortable and practical piece of furniture goes back to Ancient Greece. It is generally accepted that the progenitor of the modern banquette is a wedge - a cross between a sofa and a bed. Over time, the wedge was reduced in size and began to be used as a bench.

Banquets became widespread in the middle of the 18th century in Europe., where they were installed in halls for balls and social events. The furniture was appreciated by the nobility and quickly migrated to the homes of wealthy persons.

Today, banquets are a very convenient device, combining the functions of a bench and a shoe rack. They allow you to change shoes with convenience and serve as a spacious storage for outdoor and indoor shoes, as well as for a large number of different things.They are distinguished from a classic bench by the presence of a soft seat, and often a comfortable back, and from traditional shoe racks, by a much smaller capacity of compartments due to height restrictions.

The high consumer demand for hallway banquets is due to a number of undeniable advantages of these comfortable and practical pieces of furniture:

• the presence of a comfortable and soft seat allows you to change your shoes comfortably when you return home;
• compact size makes it possible to install banquets in small hallways and narrow corridors;
• due to the simple design and the absence of complex elements, the banquettes very rarely break and have a long service life;
• a wide assortment with a wide variety of shapes, colors and designs allows you to choose a model for any interior style.

Consumers have no particular complaints about banquets as a piece of furniture.

However, this criticism does not apply to banquets, as to furniture structures, and therefore cannot be taken into account.

The classification of banquets in the hallway is made according to several criteria, the main of which is the type of construction. According to this criterion, several types of products are distinguished.

• Open type models. The shoe compartments of such benches do not have doors, as a result of which all shoes are in plain sight and are not covered by anything. The advantage of open structures is the ability to determine at a glance who from the family is not at home, as well as whether there are guests in the apartment.

The undoubted advantage is that the absence of doors greatly facilitates the structure and eliminates the risk of breakage. Due to the lack of door hardware in such models, there is simply nothing to break. This greatly simplifies their operation and significantly increases their service life. The disadvantages of open benches include the inability to use them for long-term storage of shoes. This is because dust can easily enter the open compartments and contaminate the shoes.

• Closed models. Such shoe racks are equipped with swing or sliding doors and look very aesthetically pleasing. The shoes stored in them are hidden from prying eyes and do not violate the harmony of the room.

In addition, door fittings often do not withstand a large number of closings and quickly fail. This is especially true for budget models made of chipboard, in which, due to the looseness of the material, the fasteners loosen and fall out of the plate.

The next sign of the classification of banquets is their internal content. According to this criterion, several varieties are distinguished.

• Models with one shelf are lightweight structures that often do not have a front in the form of doors. Such products constitute the most numerous category and are in high demand among consumers.

• Banquettes with several tiers allow you to place a large number of shoe pairs in them, which eliminates the need to purchase such a piece of furniture as a shoe rack. This saves space in the hallway, which is especially important for owners of small apartments. Multi-tiered models can have both open and closed design, and are available in a large assortment.

• Cell models very convenient for summer and demi-season shoes, where a separate compartment is provided for each pair.The advantage of such products is ease of use and order inside the compartments, and the disadvantages include the impossibility of storing high-toed boots.

• Benches with pull-out wicker baskets are the ideal solution: they reliably hide their contents from prying eyes, but at the same time do not interfere with full air exchange and allow the shoes to be ventilated and dry.

• Drawer models structurally resemble the previous version, only, unlike wicker counterparts, they let air pass much worse and weigh much more. In addition to shoes, drawers can be used to store umbrellas, bags and other items.

• Benches with folding shelves structurally resemble the device of shoe racks, in which the facade is combined with several shelves and leans outward at a certain angle. The advantage of such models is the ability to store a large number of shoes, restricting the access of children and pets, and the disadvantages include poor ventilation and the impossibility of placing massive shoes and boots.

Finishing the review of the designs of banquets, one should dwell separately on the operation of closed models. Regardless of the inner content, their common disadvantage is the smell coming from damp, dirty and old shoes. All kinds of air flavors only mask the problem, but are unable to cope with it. A way out of the situation can be the acquisition of a quartz lamp, which kills bacteria and prevents the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

Another criterion for the classification of hallway banquets is their size and shape.

They are quite compact and are available in lengths from 40 to 80 cm. The multi-seat models are available in lengths from 90 to 120 cm and are suitable for spacious hallways and large halls.

As for the shape of the benches, they can be straight or angular, which greatly facilitates the search for a model for a specific interior. In addition, the benches can be free-standing or built into the headset. The former are a separate piece of furniture and are purchased separately. The second - represent one of the parts of the furniture set and make up a single structure with cabinets, a hanger and pedestals.

Banquettes in the hallway consist of a frame, soft filling and upholstery. Metal, wood and wood-based panels are used as materials for the frames.

• Metal banquettes are the strongest and most durable, but they are heavy and not suitable for all styles.

• Wooden models they look very noble and elegant, but they are expensive, require careful maintenance and weigh a lot. For the manufacture of banquettes, hardwoods such as birch and oak are used. They are not prone to absorbing and retaining moisture, so they serve for a very long time.

• Chipboard and MDF banquets represent the largest group of models and are in high demand among the population. They are not inferior in their attractiveness to natural wood products, but they weigh less and are much cheaper. The disadvantages of wood-based panel products are not too high performance and a short service life. Fasteners quickly loosen in the soft structure of the slabs, and furniture breaks down much faster than wooden or metal counterparts.

The modern manufacturer offers hallway benches in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Among them there are both budget models made of chipboard with a leatherette seat, as well as exclusive options with carved lacquered legs made of expensive wood and upholstered in white genuine leather. A wide range of products greatly simplifies the choice of the desired model and allows you to choose a bench for any interior.

For classic and retro style, models made of natural wood with soft upholstery made of leather or noble fabrics are ideal. Often these models are equipped with carved backs, which makes them even more attractive and comfortable to use. Products are often decorated with gold paintings, which allows them to fit more organically into the retro interior. For the English direction or the Art Nouveau style, an ideal option would be a forged open bench with a shoe rack, which will also look good in hi-tech and minimalism styles.

The banquette is usually the first piece of furniture that a guest who enters the apartment sees. Therefore, one should approach its choice very responsibly, taking into account not only practical functions, but also general compatibility with the interior. It is great if the details of the bench will overlap with the fittings of the hangers or cabinets, and also harmoniously match them in terms of color and texture of the material.

Another important point to look out for when buying is size. In this case, you should focus on the number of family members and the size of the hallway. If the area of ​​the room is small and does not allow you to install a separate shoe rack along with the bench, then it is better to purchase a multi-seat model with a multi-tiered or cellular storage system.

If a person lives alone, then you can stay on a compact open model or be guided exclusively by the decorative properties of the product.

The next criterion for choosing a banquet is the type of facade. So, if there are animals or small children in the house, then it is better to buy a product with doors, while in other situations the presence of doors remains at the discretion of the buyer. In addition, it is advisable to buy furniture from trusted manufacturers who value their reputation and produce quality products.

How to make a do-it-yourself bench, see below.