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A Hallway Makeover With Steffi

This hallway makeover with Steffi Woodhatch shows how Howdens’s products can be used to transform an empty hall into a valuable place to store shoes and bags. Steffi was looking for something practical that tied into the design of her home and struggled to find an off-the-shelf option. To overcome this, she worked with her builder to create a bespoke bench solution that looked great and met all her needs using our Fairford Navy collection.

Before and after

An underutilised space

After renovating their 1960’s property, Steffi and her husband found themselves struggling to find storage for their hallway that would be practical and fit with their interior style.

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An underutilised space

After spending the past five years renovating their 1960's bungalow, Steffi and her husband found their entranceway to be lacking storage. With such ample space, they struggled to find something shop-bought that would fit the area with many options too small, too shallow, or simply not what they were looking for. Steffi also wanted to ensure that what they settled on would match the rest of her interior.
Stylish and practical

Turning to Howdens, Steffi and her husband found an innovative solution by using wall cabinets and an oak work surface to create an attractive shoe bench to fit their hallway.

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Stylish and practical

Steffi and her husband came up with an innovative solution. Using two extra-tall wall cupboards that were positioned on their side, Steffi was able to create a bespoke bench that gave easy access to internal shelves. This created plenty of room to store shoes and accessories while still having them within easy reach. A slim width ensured these units kept that open plan feel without taking up much floor space. They went for a solid oak work surface to create a bench-like structure to make this a multipurpose area that finishes the look.

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Design details

Cabinets with a twist

By using two wall units and turning them on their side, Steffi has created a compact storage area that can be filled with shoes and bags.

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Cabinets with a twist

Steffi has gone with the extra-tall, white wall units to maximise her storage. When turned on their side, the additional height makes the bench longer offering more room to store the whole family’s shoes. This created bespoke storage that suited what she wanted to store - a mixture of shoes, handbags, and accessories.

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Bold and blue

Wanting a bold hue that contrasted the otherwise neutral interior, Steffi went with an on-trend shade of navy that complemented the overall style of her home.

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Bold and blue

When it came down to choosing a colour for their space, Steffi knew she wanted a bold shade to make the bench look like freestanding furniture. Thanks to the amount of space available, she could also play with darker tones without the fear of overpowering the room. She decided on a stylish navy shade, which has the same cool tones found in the rest of her interior, creating a harmonious look.

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Get the look

Timber tones

Steffi turned to nature for inspiration when completing the look of her unit and chose a solid oak work surface to create a place to perch when getting ready.

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Timber tones

After considering what surface to use to finish the new storage bench, Steffi knew she would need something that could stand up to the rigours of people sitting and walking past regularly. Thanks to its solid timber construction, an oak counter would withstand wear and tear and add a warm feature to the bench. Steffi further customised her design with a stain to create a bespoke finish that takes inspiration from the great outdoors.

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Handled like a pro

Wanting to add heritage details to the design, Steffi went for cup handles in a brushed copper shade evoking the feel of more traditional spaces.

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Handled like a pro

The curved lines and rounded shape of Steffi’s cup handles means there are no sharp lines or edges that could catch on clothing. Meanwhile the brushed copper shade complemented the warm tones of the oak and punctuated the cooler, navy fronts for a unique design that payed homage to heritage decor.

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Working with Howdens

Wide product choice

Steffi and her husband chose Howdens thanks to the vast array of products. This meant they could create a bespoke feature that met their exact needs.

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Wide product choice

After deciding on a bespoke unit, Steffi knew Howdens would have what she was looking for after using our products in the past. Steffi and her husband worked with their builder and decided to use the Fairford fronts in an on-trend navy colour. They knew this shade and unit would work as it mirrored the style found in their kitchen. This helped create a natural flow throughout the home.

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Installation process

Thanks to her husbands' connections in the building industry, Steffi knew who she wanted to work with when installing her new units.

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Installation process

When installing something new in your home, it is vital to have someone knowledgeable and trustworthy to help you bring your ideas to life. With Steffi's husband working in the industry, they already knew a reliable tradesman who was familiar with Howdens’ products. From the design through to delivery, everything ran smoothly thanks to the help from their local depot.