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

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

The banquette for the hallway is a bench or pouf, under the seats of which shelves for shoes and compartments for shoe accessories are located. The history of the appearance of this convenient and practical piece of furniture has its roots in Ancient Greece. It is believed that the ancestor of a modern banquette is a wedge - something 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 the halls for balls and social events. Furniture was appreciated by the nobility and quickly migrated to the homes of wealthy people.

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

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

• the presence of a comfortable and soft seat allows you to comfortably change your shoes when you return home;
• compact size provides the ability to install banquets in small hallways and narrow corridors;
• due to the simple design and the absence of complex elements, banquets very rarely break and have a long service life;
• A wide range 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. By this criterion, several types of products are distinguished.

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

An undoubted advantage is that the absence of doors greatly facilitates the design 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 banquets include the inability to use them for long-term storage of shoes. This is due to the fact that dust freely penetrates into open compartments and contaminates shoes.

• Closed models. Such shoe boxes 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 hardware often does not withstand a large number of closures and quickly fails. This is especially true for budget models made of chipboards, in which, due to the friability of the material, the fasteners loose and fall out of the slab.

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

• Models with one shelf are lightweight structures, often without a facade in the form of doors. Such products make up the largest category and are in high demand among consumers.

• Multi-tier banquets they 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 true for owners of small apartments. Multilevel models can have both open and closed versions, and are available in a large assortment.

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

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

• Drawer Models structurally reminiscent of the previous version, only unlike wicker counterparts they let air through much worse and weigh much more. In addition to shoes, umbrellas, bags and other items can be stored in drawers.

• Folding banquettes structurally reminiscent of the device shoe, in which the facade is combined with several shelves and leans out at a certain angle. The advantage of such models is the ability to store a large number of shoes, limiting access for children and pets, and the disadvantages include poor ventilation and the inability to place massive shoes and boots.

Concluding the review of the designs of banquets, you should separately dwell on the operation of closed models. Regardless of the internal content, their common drawback is the smell coming from raw, dirty and old shoes. All kinds of air flavors only mask the problem, and are unable to cope with it. The way out of the situation could be the acquisition of a quartz lamp, which kills bacteria and prevents the appearance of an unpleasant odor.

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

They are quite compact and are available in lengths from 40 to 80 cm. Multiple models have a length of 90 to 120 cm and are suitable for spacious hallways and large halls.

As for the shape of the banquets, they can be straight or angular, which greatly facilitates the search for a model for a certain interior. In addition, the banquets can be freestanding or built into the headset. The former are an independent 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 cabinets.

Banquets in the hallway consist of a frame, soft filler and upholstery. As the material for the frames, metal, wood and wood boards are used.

• Metal banquettes They are the strongest and most durable, but they are heavy and do not fit all styles.

• Wooden models They look very noble and elegant, but are expensive, require careful care and weigh a lot. Hardwoods such as birch and oak are used to make banquets. They are not prone to absorb and retain moisture, so they last a very long time.

• Chip and MDF banquettes 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 disadvantage of products from wood boards is not too high performance and short service life. Fasteners are quickly loosened in the soft structure of the plates, and furniture breaks down much faster than wooden or metal counterparts.

A modern manufacturer offers banquets for halls 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 versions with carved lacquered legs made of expensive wood and leather trim made of white genuine leather. A wide range of products greatly simplifies the selection of the desired model and allows you to choose a bench for any interior.

Models made of natural wood with soft upholstery made of leather or noble fabrics are ideal for classic and retro style. Often, such models are equipped with carved backs, which makes them even more attractive and convenient to use. Products are often decorated with gold murals, which allows them to more organically fit into the retro interior. For the English style or modern style, the forged open bench with a shoe stand, which will also look good in high-tech and minimalism styles, will be an ideal option.

A bench is usually the first furniture that a guest who enters an apartment sees. Therefore, one should approach her choice very responsibly, taking into account not only practical functions, but also general compatibility with the interior. It’s great if the details of the banquet will resonate with the accessories of the hanger or cabinets, as well as harmoniously correspond to them in the color scheme and texture of the material.

Another important point that you need to pay attention to when buying is size. In this case, you should focus on the number of family members and the dimensions of the hallway. If the area of ​​the room is small and does not allow to install a separate shoe rack along with the bench, it is better to purchase a multi-seat model with a multi-tier or cell storage system.

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

The next criterion for choosing a bench 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 banquet with your own hands, see below.