A hallway presents a unique set of decorating challenges. It is often both narrow and long, meaning larger furniture items, such as sofas or armchairs, cannot be easily used. At the same time, its life as a highway of the home means people are passing in and out, up and down, constantly, meaning you don’t want it to be left completely empty.
Yet, just because we don’t spend much leisure time in our entryway, doesn’t mean you can’t add a place to sit to take off your shoes, hang up your jacket or do a final check of your appearance in that handy hallway mirror.
A hallway bench works whether you’re looking to decorate an entrance hallway or simply a corridor in your house and is often a good alternative to endless chairs. The beauty of it is that a bench is so transferable. So, if you decide to move it out of your hallway, you can swap out your dining chairs for one of these benches, or use it as an ottoman at the foot of the bed.
The best hallway benches to buy, at a glance:
If you want a brief summary of our favourite hallway benches, selected for their different purposes or design features, take a look at our top few below.
We picked the Umage Audacious Oak TV Bench for best hallway bench with storage because of its slim and stylish design, while having plenty of storage to keep shoes, books or other belongings. It doesn’t have obvious handles or shelves, so the storage aspect is discreetly hidden, another plus for us. It can also be used as an under-TV cable and AV storage unit in the living room.
The beautiful 19th Century Traditional Hand Painted Bench from Vinterior would be the star of any hallway in which it was placed. It is an Eastern European design from around 1890, and the seats lift up to reveal ample storage beneath the seats.
We also love the winged Eugenia Bench for a classic style of hallway bench. Its neutral colour palette makes it easy to fit into existing traditional schemes, and it could be dressed with a couple of small cushions. A very elegant piece.
Oliver Bonas’ Bistro Black & White Rattan Bench is our pick for best rattan bench. It is styled after vintage French bistro furniture, but is much more affordable than many similar styles of seating, including original vintage pieces. Handmade from Indonesian rattan, the seat has a striking black and white woven chevron design.