On Your Way In

In many Asian cultures, it is customary to take off our shoes before entering the home or Entryway. You may notice shoe cabinets or storage units in Asian homes for this very reason. For convenience purposes, having some sort of sitting area makes total sense for us. Today’s post is dedicated to this particular concept. Shoe cabinets can easily be custom made to fit discreetly into a space. However, if you aren't ready for a small project, I will show you some of my favorite premade pieces which you can adapt to your space as needed.

Slim and Simple

This metal shoe cabinet has a very slim body which works well in many spaces. You can either mount units on the wall side by side or put them together back to back to make one deeper cabinet. Do make sure to secure from the back for extra stability.

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Stand Tall and Proud

These shoe cabinets are very similar in design to the “Slim and Simple” one. The difference lies in the body material and size. This one is constructed with an MDF body which is a slightly heavier material in weight. It is also slightly deeper and has options for three or four tiers.

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Stack to New Heights

Ikea has a few shoe storage solutions to choose from. The design is minimal which is great if you want it to disappear in a space. This particular unit caught my eye because of its full depth design allowing you to hang another unit over it to make it a full height shoe cabinet. Great for smaller Entryways.

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Look at Me

If your entryway is more generous in space, consider picking a quality furniture piece instead. Use it as a greeting point to welcome you and your guests home. A cute tray over the top catches your keys for extra convenience.

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Functional Sculpture

Let's look at alternative ways to use some pieces from previous posts. For example, these cork stools which appeared in our “Break the Coffee Table Norm” post, can be used to build up a coffee table cluster. If you feel like you need to refresh your home, instead of purchasing new items, first consider switching a piece around from room to room.

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A Bench Does All

This piece from “A Bedside Table Story” post was used as a night stand and fits right at home in an Entryway. Simple forms work well in many spaces.

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Bench Story

If your Entryway is generous in space, consider clustering up 2 to 3 round stools like the cork stools shown above, or go for a bench from “The Memory Maker” post. You can easily go with any one of the benches from the same post as long as the size fits your space.

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Divide and Conquer

Working from home is becoming a steady new norm for many professionals. However, how many of us city dwellers have an extra bedroom lying around waiting to be turned into an office? How many of us work at our desks in the morning then lean backwards and fall into bed ? In the age of online virtual meetings, we can easily hide our backgrounds with blurring presets or fun Caribbean sand and ocean wallpaper backgrounds. How do we give ourselves some clear separation so that when it's time to clock out we can fold everything away and say bye bye for the night? Unless we have a magic bag, completely putting away the “home office” is impossible. Efficiently utilizing a divider or shelving unit will help draw our focus away from work and enjoy the comfort of our homes. I hope this post will inspire you to reevaluate your work from home schedule and bring balance back to your daily routine.

A Shelf to Show Off

Don’t be fooled by this beautiful design. The “Zig Zag Shelf” in fact comes flat packed thanks to its clever accordion folding design on a supporting frame. Stretch the solid oak frame open and snap the horizontal shelves over it. Instantly you have a shelving unit that divides your space elegantly.

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Lift to New Heights

Steel is a material that has high compressive strength, meaning it is very good at supporting weight from above. An X-Frame is commonly used to resist lateral loads in high rise buildings. (Imagine strong winds as a force coming at you horizontally). The designer took advantage of these two strengths by putting them together to bring us the “Lift Bookcase” resembling a scissor lift. We can see why this sturdy bookcase looks as light as it is.

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Dividing in Style

This thin iron shelving unit comes in three colors: White, blue/green and yellow. If you are a color lover, these may become a best friend at your home office.

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Front is Back

Don’t underestimate this budget friendly, simple yet elegant column shelving unit. It is made out of a sturdy thin metal frame. The Yin and Yang opening provides us with endless configurations. Use it as a room divider, or let it sit shoulder to shoulder for the extra privacy you need. Want a more airy feel? Try giving some space between each unit or turn alternate units front to back to create a checkerboard pattern. Tell me what other great ideas you can come up with using this versatile design!!

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Back to Basics

If you are looking for something more utilitarian that still fits into your modern dwelling aesthetic this one is a strong contender with its basic white coating over a trusty metal frame. This budget unit even comes with wheels for extra mobility and the 14” deep shelves will host your home office equipment very comfortably.

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Keep it Organized

Open shelving can sometimes become a place for visual clutter. However, if it is done right, it can be a great place to display your books and memorabilia as well as office supplies. Utilizing baskets, boxes and trays helps keep small items and tools looking more orderly and aesthetic. If you need inspiration in the organization department, my favorite expert is Marie Kondo, and I encourage you to take a look at her method.

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Felt that Feels Good

If you need multiple storage baskets on a budget, this IKEA open box is a great option. The felt body is made with recycled polyester and comes flat packed in a cardboard box without any plastic. It’s soft to the touch and minimal in its design. Smart design that “felt” good!

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A Mission Put in Motion

This Brooklyn made, 100% recycled rubber catch-all by Slash Object, not only looks good, it literally helps our communities. We can all make a big positive impact by choosing to go small, and supporting local artisans.

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The Art from Far East

If you ever traveled to Vietnam, you probably came across many local stores that carry these seagrass bell baskets. Thanks to the recent trend, this basket can now be easily purchased in many of your local furniture stores. Like the name, most are made out of a very sustainable and renewable material, seagrass. Some are made by local artisans who pay Fairtrade wages, some are not, so please choose wisely and support Fairtrade products whenever possible.

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Make it Stand Out

Another renewable & natural material I'd like to show you is the Water Hyacinth bin. The skeleton of this box frame is made out of sturdy wire which is infinitely renewable. The outer skin is wrapped with native aquatic plants that will decompose naturally at the end of their life cycle. Of course, in an ideal scenario, we would want it to be passed on to the next user, but if it doesn’t go as planned, we don’t want it to stay behind for the next few hundred years either.

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The Wonder Grass

Bamboo is the wonder material nature created for us. Its tensile strength is higher than carbon steel, and that’s why you can find many Asian countries still use bamboo as a stand alone structural element. Besides its many uses in building environments, this wonder grass grows super fast compared to trees, which makes it even more sustainable than wood products. Here's a bamboo box that wonderfully showcases the beauty of this material.

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