Do you have an awkward or narrow entryway like we do? Come see how I gave our small entry a makeover with DIY trim, organization hacks, IKEA shoe storage ideas, and tons of hidden hallway storage.
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We built our home 7 years ago, and while we love almost everything about it I wish we would have made our entryway larger. There’s hardly any room between the front door and the stairway, and the entrance flows into a narrow hallway in a somewhat awkward L-shape. The hallway lacked storage solutions, and as a family with a lot of shoes that was a huge issue.
Our entry hallway BEFORE
Oh, I like to keep my before photos NICE and messy. I had a little mirror with a shelf on the West wall, and a photo feature on the East wall.
Shoes and boots always piled up in the hallway, and it drove me NUTS! I knew we needed some better shoe storage for our generous footwear collection, but nothing that was too deep for this narrow hallway.
Our little guest closet on the West wall was a disaster too. No upper shelf or a shoe shelf made it hard to organize our coats, boots and shoes. (Yes, MORE shoes.)
I finally gave our awkward entry hall a much needed makeover with one of my favourite IKEA hacks of all time! Two IKEA STALL shoe cabinets were my jumping off point since I knew they were only 6″ deep and would offer much-needed storage. I painted and trimmed them out to make them look more built in to the wall.
Watch our whole small entry makeover from start to finish here:
How I did this IKEA shoe storage hack
Here’s the quick run-down on how I built this shoe storage unit and made it look buil-in:
- I began by mounting two IKEA STALL shoe cabinets beside each other on the wall of my hallway entry. I used wood screws to mount them to studs in my wall. I used some wood filler to fill the crack between the units to make them look like one piece.
- Then, I sanded, primed and painted the frames and doors of pieces to match the white colour of the trim and doors in our home. The original colour was much too off-white. I wanted these cabinets to look seamless & built-in.
- After the paint had cured, I put the cabinet drawers into the frames.
- Finally, I used around the shoe cabinet. This makes it look so much more high-end, and I love how it matches the traditional feel of our home.
Our entry hallway NOW:
Oh, I just LOVE it! Even though it was one of those projects that seemed to take forever to complete (hello, caulking and painting for days!), it was all worth it. The shoe cabinets give us so much more storage while not taking up too much space. Best part? All the trim detail matches the traditional bones of our home.
I sanded, primed and painted the Stall cabinets in BEHR Whisper White to match the rest of the trim in our home. I also added DIY board and batten to the shoe cabinet & closet walls for the traditional look I love. You can .
For a sleek look and to help with cleaning under the cabinets, I decided to float them above our baseboards. The STALL cabinets come with legs, but they don’t need to be attached to the cabinets. The top ledge of the Stall cabinets offers just enough space to hold a basket for keys and phones. I like to also decorate it with a few books, plants and a candle. Keeping it simple for such a high-use area is key!
Finishing touches
We were able to fit many pairs of shoes in the cabinets. We even reserved a couple of the pull-out drawers for hats and mittens for Winter.
I find I can store 2 pairs of my husbands larger shoes in one drawer of this IKEA shoe storage solution. Alternatively, I can store 3 of my smaller shoes (like heels & oxford styles), or up to 4 of my kids’ shoes in each drawer. Each of the drawer compartments has a plastic, ventilated backing so they’re easy to clean.
The gigantic 36″ wide mirror above the cabinets is my favourite piece here! I mounted it to the top molding piece for stability. It’s such a lovely scale for this wall, and it’s also practical for checking makeup and hair as we rush out the door.
You can find this large mirror here from Wayfair. I bought the 36″ size. It has a simple shape that would work well in both modern and traditional spaces!
The distressed looking turqouise runner is from Wayfair too (find it right here). I think the long length is perfect for our long & narrow hall.
Organizing the hallway closet
As for the closet, I grabbed a 16″ deep shelf from The Home Depot. Then, I cut it to size and installed it over the clothing rod. Some large baskets from Walmart sit on the shelf and are the perfect place to store seasonal items. I placed a small IKEA shoe rack in the bottom of the closet to store seasonal shoes and taller boots.
Between the better organized closet and new shoe cabinets, we were able to organize and store all of our family’s footwear in our hallway area. Such a win! I think IKEA has the best shoe storage ideas, and it was so fun to incorporate the STALL cabinet.
To the left of the closet, I hung a couple of little butterfly prints – a purchase from The Crown Prints. I love how framing them in simple white Ikea frames adds a little more texture to this wall. I’m trying hard to remember that not ever wall needs to be busy!
Overall, I’m absolutely ecstatic with how this space turned out. It’s so much more functional for our family, and it’s beautiful too! Our favorite shoes are neatly tucked away, and our hallway looks so much more stylish.
It’s a great reminder that with better organization and a little DIY, even an awkward space can be improved!
2023 Update
It’s been over 3 years since I’ve hacked the two IKEA shoe cabinet units into this built-in look hallway solution. It’s still one of my most favourite IKEA shoe storage ideas EVER. How has it held up, you ask?!
Well, I’m happy to report that I’m still in love with this DIY, and it still looks great. There’s hardly any wear-and-tear minus a little bit of cracking where the two units meet. Because I used a satin sheen paint, the IKEA cabinets are easy to clean and maintain.
Watch my video to see how this hallway has held up:
Now if only there was a hack to make my kids pick up their shoes and put them in the drawers every time, right?
FAQ
How has the paint held up?
The paint has held up almost perfectly. There’s a little wear where the two units meet and on the handles. The trick to painting MDF IKEA furniture is to ensure you do a scuff sanding and use a good bonding primer before painting.
What is the width of your hallway?
My hallway measures 42 inches wide, so with the 6 inch deep IKEA shoe cabinets there’s now a 36 inch width as a walkway.
Did you paint the STALL handles?
Yes, I primed and painted right over the shoe cabinet handles.
Now tell me: What do you think of our small entryway makeover?
Want more IKEA shoe storage ideas?
IKEA actually has some more clever ideas for storing footwear right on their site. Click here for more budget friendly inspo!
