My Hallway Nook Makeover

May 18

I recently tackled a small, underused nook in my apartment, with a fresh makeover. Now a spot for storing shoes, keys and handbag, it’s a practical yet stylish space in my home.

I think you’ll find in most apartments, there’s always some kind of weird, pokey spot that serves zero purpose or is hard to furnish because of the size. For me, that spot was a small nook (technically probably too small to be called a hallway), in between my bedroom and bathroom. Measuring approximately 1.1m wide x 1.8m in length, this petite spot was crying out for a makeover.

Prior it had become a bit of a dumping ground for shoes and bags. It wasn’t ideal, given that this space needed to be clear for the purposes of walking in between the two rooms. So I decided to investigate into shoe storage that looked stylish but that also had a super thin profile – as there was only a space of 18cm from the wall to the edge of the bathroom door – and I didn’t want to put something there that encroached in any way, into the door space.

I decided to purchase the STÄLL shoe cabinet from IKEA with four storage compartments that open up to hold shoes (or anything you want really). Each compartment fits 2-3 shoes, depending on their size and bulkiness. And with a depth of just 17cm and width of 96cm, it fits the space like a glove! Whilst it may be thin, there’s ample room for decorating the top – I’ve now got a spot for my keys, fresh flowers and other favourite decorator pieces.

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So with shoe storage now being taken care of, it was time to add some extra storage – for things like my handbag, umbrella or even a scarf. Hooks seemed to be the obvious answer, and having lusted over Muuto’s wall dots for some time, I decided to take the plunge and purchase a couple in the white finish – one medium and one small size fit the wall adjacent to the shoe cabinet perfectly. Just take note that if the hooks aren’t being screwed direct into a stud, and into just plasterboard on its own, you’ll need to purchase a wall anchor. I recommend you get someone with experience to do this.

To finish the space off, I added a round Middle of Nowhere Flynn mirror with black frame (80cm size) from Life Interiors. I just love the look of it – simple and elegant. And on the floor, I used a HK Living bathmat from Kira & Kira (on the Gold Coast). It’s just the right size for a small space like this, and doesn’t look overly like a bathmat, more so like a Moroccan shaggy rug.

I’m so happy with this space – it really feels complete now. I hope I’ve given you some inspiration on how to transform your own small nook! To shop the look, scroll to the bottom of this post.