Boot rooms and hallways
One place for muddy boots, wet coats and the dog
A boot room is the first thing you see when you come home and the last thing you pass on the way out. Made to measure, it can fit a narrow hallway alcove or a whole side porch.
The idea
Stop the mud at the door
Most hallways end up as a pile: shoes by the radiator, coats on the newel post, a lead hanging off the door handle. A boot room gives each of those things a fixed place, close to where you take them off.
It doesn't need a room of its own. A bench and a run of hooks in the right spot does most of the work.
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Sit to take boots offA bench at a comfortable height, with storage underneath.
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Hang what's wetHooks with space around them, so coats dry instead of sitting damp against each other.
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Hide what's notCupboards above for hats, gloves and the things only needed in winter.
The parts
Six zones, mixed to suit your household
Pick the ones you need. A couple with one dog wants something quite different from a family of five who play football on Saturdays.
Sit
The bench
Lift-out cushions optional. Underneath, open cubbies for everyday shoes or soft-close drawers for the clutter you'd rather not see.
Hang
Coat hooks
Two heights: one for adults, one the children can reach.
Store
Boot cubbies
Tall enough for wellies, so they stand up rather than fall over.
Rest
Dog bay
A low open bay sized to the bed, with a drawer above for leads, towels and treats.
Grab
Keys and post
A shallow shelf or drawer by the door, so keys stop going missing.
Dry
Vented drying cupboard
A tall cupboard with vented doors for waterproofs and sports kits. If you'd like a heated airer or dehumidifier inside, we mark the socket on the drawings for a qualified electrician.
How you'll use it
Back from a wet walk, and the house stays clean.
The dog goes straight to its bed. Boots go into their cubby, coats onto their own hooks, and nobody tramps sand from the beach at Tynemouth through to the kitchen.
It's a small change to the routine. Before long, it's simply how coming home works.
Where could yours go?
Boot rooms are usually made from a space the house already has. These are typical sizes; yours will be drawn to your own measurements.
| Space | Typical size | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| Hallway alcove beside the front door | 900–1200 mm wide, 350–400 mm deep | A bench with cubbies, hooks above and a shelf for hats |
| Back door of a terrace or semi | 1200–1800 mm wide | Bench, a tall coat cupboard and a dog bay |
| Side porch or lean-to | 1800–2400 mm wide | The full set, including a vented drying cupboard |
| Shared with the utility room | A run of 2400 mm or more | Boots at one end, laundry at the other |
| Under the stairs | Follows the line of the stairs | Pull-out drawers for shoes and coats |
Have a different space in mind? Try your wall sizes in the planner and see what fits to scale.
Heights that work
The numbers worth knowing
Good starting points for planning. Your designer will adjust them for your family and your ceiling.
- Bench seat
- About 450 mm high and 380–450 mm deep. Comfortable to sit on and lace up.
- Adult hooks
- Around 1650–1750 mm from the floor, so long coats clear the bench.
- Children's hooks
- Around 1100–1200 mm. Easy to raise later as they grow.
- Welly cubbies
- 400–450 mm tall inside. Taller boots need 500 mm.
- Coat cupboard
- 600 mm deep for coats on a rail, or about 400 mm with hooks facing forward.
- Fixing
- Tall cupboards are fixed to the wall. Hooks are fixed through to something solid, because wet coats are heavy.
Example sizes in millimetres. Everything is made to your measurements.
Finishes that forgive a muddy day
Mid-tone colours and grained woods hide splashes and scuffs far better than white. These are the ones we'd look at first for a boot room.
- Pebble greige Halfway between grey and beige. Forgiving on busy family doors. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Living room or media wall, Utility or boot room About pebble greigeTry it in the planner
- Sage A soft grey-green. Easy to live with and kind to natural light. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Home office, Utility or boot room About sageTry it in the planner
- Stone grey A mid grey that sits well with white worktops and steel. Good for: Kitchen, Living room or media wall, Home office, Utility or boot room About stone greyTry it in the planner
- Grey elm A weathered, driftwood grey with a strong grain. Good for: Bedroom or dressing room, Home office, Utility or boot room About grey elmTry it in the planner
- Natural oak Honey-toned oak that warms up any colour next to it. Good for: Kitchen, Bedroom or dressing room, Living room or media wall, Home office, Utility or boot room About natural oakTry it in the planner
- Forest green A dark, botanical green. Striking with brass and oak. Good for: Kitchen, Living room or media wall, Home office, Utility or boot room About forest greenTry it in the planner
Free samples are posted out, so you can see them by your own front door. Order samples.
Free design
Show us the space by your door
A photo and two rough measurements are enough to start. We'll draw your boot room and send a price range, at no cost.
Free guide
Get the free planning guide
Measuring, styles, finishes and how to plan your budget, in one short guide. Then the odd email with ideas worth stealing.
Questions people ask
Anything else, send us a message and we'll talk it through.
Can a boot room work in a narrow hallway?
Yes. A bench 350 mm deep with hooks above still takes a lot off the floor. In a tight hall, shallow pull-out shoe drawers can be better than open cubbies.
Will wet boots damage the cabinets?
Edges are banded all round, and we can raise the cubbies off the floor or add a removable tray. For a space that gets really wet, ask about the moisture-resistant multi-ply carcass we offer for utility rooms.
Can I combine a boot room with my utility room?
Often that's the best use of the space. Boots and coats sit by the back door, laundry sits by the plumbing. See our utility rooms page for how the two halves work together.
Can I fit it myself?
Many people do. Every panel arrives labelled with an assembly pack. If you'd rather not, one of our fitters, or your own joiner, can fit it.
Keep exploring
Utility rooms Under-stairs storage Handles and doors How it works