Leave at least 60 cm of clear floor in front, so you can stand up without moving the bench.
How deep should a hallway bench be?
As shallow as you can sit on comfortably. Wilma and Alva are 39 to 40 cm deep, enough to sit and lace a shoe without the bench taking over the floor.
Narrow hallway: how shallow can a bench be?
Shallow enough to leave about 60 cm of clear floor in front, deep enough to sit on properly. Wilma, at 39 cm, is the shallowest bench we make; Alva is 40 cm. Add the two and a bench along the wall needs a hall of about 100 cm.
Measure at the narrowest point, and check the door: the bench must sit outside its swing.
| Hall width | What fits | Clear floor in front |
|---|---|---|
| 110 cm and wider | Wilma or Alva along the wall, any length | 70 cm or more |
| 100 to 110 cm | Wilma, 39 cm deep, along the wall | 61 to 71 cm |
| Under 100 cm | A 65 cm bench where the hall widens: by the door or in an alcove | Under 60 cm along the walkway |
What seat height?
46 cm, which is dining-chair height. Your feet rest flat while you put shoes on, and standing up is easy with a coat and a bag.
Lower benches look calm but are harder to get up from. Higher ones leave short legs dangling.
Which length?
Wilma Design Your Own takes a custom length up to 160 cm if a wall or an alcove dictates it.
| Length | Seats | Hall it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 65 cm | 1 | Small hall, beside a door or under a mirror |
| 100 cm | 2 | Most halls, a family putting shoes on at once |
| 130 cm | 3 | Long hall or a wall under a coat rail |
Upholstered or wood seat?
Vegan leather is the hall seat: wet coats and boots wipe off. Wilma comes in Jade Black or Latte vegan leather, or in boucle if the bench sits somewhere drier.
Solid oak Alva has a bare wood seat that needs nothing but a damp cloth. It suits a hall that already has oak floors or doors. Alva also takes a boucle cushion seat.
Do you make a hallway bench with storage?
No. Wilma and Alva are open frames, so shoes can sit underneath and the floor stays easy to clean. If storage is the need, a closed shoe cabinet is the better buy, and a bench beside it is where you sit.
Depth, then length, then the seat
- Clear floor
- 60 cm in front
- Seats
- 1, 2 or 3
- Custom
- up to 160 cm
