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Entryway Ideas For A Hallway With Almost No Space

Narrow entryways fail for the same reasons everywhere: nowhere for shoes, nowhere for keys and nowhere for a bag. Three fixes, none of which need floor space.

By Dana RuizPublished September 10, 2026Updated September 11, 2026
A narrow entryway with a wall hook rail, slim shoe rack, woven basket and mirror
Illustrative photograph.

Work upwards. In a narrow hallway the walls are the only surface you can spare.

Give every daily object one place

1.A hook rail at adult and child height

Two heights stops coats ending up on the floor and costs very little.

2.A shallow shoe rack, not a cupboard

Anything deeper than about ten inches will block a narrow hallway.

3.One basket, deliberately

A single basket absorbs the things that have no home. More than one and it becomes storage for clutter.

Make it feel wider

A mirror opposite the light source and a paler wall colour do more for a narrow hall than any furniture.

About the author

Dana Ruiz, Senior editor

Dana writes about small-space living, storage and low-cost decorating.

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