Choosing Storage for the Entryway

Mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves are taking over our dining room chairs and table. It’s getting cold out and the dining room is the next space beyond our entryway, so everything is landing there. I’ve been planning to add some storage in the entry, below the stairs, as we do have some space to work with and could use the added functionality. The entryway vignette below would be entirely welcome in my house! Too bad it would never work (even though I do already have a framed vintage botanical print).

First of all, that particular table is a dining table. We have some space to work with, but not that much. That’s easy enough to remedy by substituting a sofa/console table, but the second reason it wouldn’t work is that while it looks great, a simple table is low on practicality. We need storage, and that setup offers none. Baskets could be added, over even one of the random old treasure chests that came with our house, but I’d like something with doors or drawers. Third, the paneling below our stairs is beautiful, but this is a very wood-heavy Victorian and more wood is probably the last thing the entry needs.

Mixing woods can be done, but it would have to be done carefully and I’d prefer to contrast the details of our woodwork with a more clean-lined, modern piece in a painted or lacquered finish.

The feel of that entryway above though, that’s still good! There’s still plenty of inspiration to pull from it. As I mentioned above, I have a similar botanical print. It may not go in the entryway itself, but it will probably be on the first floor nearby somewhere. The other elements — a light, a pretty bowl, some decorative vases, books, and a place to sit — are just the result of good styling. Easy enough to incorporate with a different piece of furniture. So, speaking of, here are fifteen sideboards, buffets, bars, dressers, and credenzas that I’d considered, including the one that I bought. There were more options (!), but it was getting a bit ridiculous to present all 442 of them here.

1. Lubna Chowdhary Tiled Buffet, West Elm, $699
   The metallic finish is nice, but the squares would compete with my paneling.

2. Amsterdam Cabinet, Ballard Designs, $999
   WANT WANT WANT. Just not for the entry.

3. Broyhill Brasilia Dresser, Chairish, $2400
   Mid-century doesn’t play so well in a Victorian, though this is beautiful.

4. PS Cabinet, IKEA, $99
   I had one of these little guys as a dining room buffet years ago in our apartment. LITTLE is the key word here.

5. Dupla Credenza, CB2, $499
   Cute, but probably too cute.

6. STOCKHOLM Beige Sideboard, IKEA, $379
   (It’s in stores but not the US site yet.) Kind of plain, but good proportions.

7. Tree Rings Cabinet, Anthropologie, $398
   I’m so into this little cabinet! Again though, too small.

8. Rustic Raw Mango Storage Console, West Elm, $499
   Nice, but not enough storage.

9. Moro Dining Cabinet, Room & Board, $2299
   This comes in five wood finishes, and I’m sure one of them would look fine in the entryway. I love it, but it’s pricey.

10. Mid-Century Dresser, Chairish, $499
    Another great vintage piece that would look fantastic… in a different house.

11. BJURSTA Sideboard, IKEA, $249
    I’m not feeling the blocky legs, but it isn’t bad.

12. Fuel Red Credenza, CB2, $499
    Super glossy with rad proportions, but a bit low to the ground.

13. Traveler Chest, Anthropologie, $1698
    This wouldn’t look right against my woodwork, but isn’t it interesting?

14. Metal Bexley Bar, World Market, $529
    Looks cool empty, but would look cluttered with the kids’ winter gear.

15. Circulation Chest, The Land of Nod, $799
    I’ve been crushing on this since it came out, but like the first option, those little squares would compete.

I’m going with number 6, the STOCKHOLM beige sideboard. I don’t want anything too precious, since it’s going to be used on a daily basis by the whole family, and I’m hoping the sideboard will hold up. It’s not my absolute favorite of the bunch (that would be a toss-up between numbers 2, 7, and 9), but the style, scale, and price are right. There’s potential for modification down the line with paint and/or beautiful hardware, but I think it will look great as-is once it’s in place and styled up a bit.

Which would you have chosen?