Alice, stylist & photographer and Creator of ‘Journal of a Considered Home’, is known for bringing her richly decorated yet classic and calm style to her UK new build. All too aware of their negative reputation, Alice champions the fact that new build homes can achieve a warm and homely look with a little care and we take plenty of inspiration from her over at @alicegraceinteriors. Here Alice shows us how to tackle the hallway in autumn.
It’s always a little daunting when space is tight to equip the hallway with everything you need to store all those bits and pieces ready for colder weather. As an expert in balancing homeware that is practical with pieces that are aesthetically beautiful in her interior design, Alice’s practical capsule boot room sits perfectly in place in her elegant hallway. There’s really no need to long for a boot room and hide everything behind a closed door, with clever small space design and practical little lifestyle accessories.
As we head into autumn, our hallways have to work a lot harder, which is a challenge for a busy household.
Yes, it is! Our home has a relatively small hallway with no designated boot or coat room. I, therefore, needed to make use of the space without making it feel cluttered and think of ways to provide our family with useful storage options. I used the foundations of the Rounded Storage Console Table and Industrial Hook Rack with Mirror because I wanted to use the hallway itself for regularly used outerwear, hats and scarves now autumn has arrived, and general bits and pieces that need to be accessed quickly such as scissors (for deliveries!), keys and umbrellas. It needed to be a multi-functioning space!
Essentially, you added a boot room to the hallway! Tell us how you achieved such a seamless look.
I’m a firm believer that spaces can be both practical and beautiful. It just takes careful planning and everything needs to have a particularly designated place. That first impression when you open the door in a home sets the mood - having somewhere specific to place your coat and your shoes for example makes such a difference to me and to visitors. A spare hook for a guest, a place to put muddy boots - it makes someone feel more welcome.
We imagine the hallway boot room has to function well, for the space to look this good.
If a hallway is properly planned, it can mean the rest of the house can function in its intended way and there is less likelihood of a trail of mess through the house! Having little ones able to access baskets lower down, a little stool to sit to take off wellies, and for him to stand on to reach his own jackets. He likes being independent so having these little things in place really helps contribute to how well this space works.
Your home is a rich tapestry of style Alice, tell us about your approach to design.
I am particularly focused on layering - making a house feel like it has depth! A small space like our hallway needed attention from top to bottom - from the floor and the rug choice, to low storage options for shoes, easily accessible level lighting (I chose the Turned Taupe Bedside Lamp for its slim profile) and trays for keys, and higher hanging and eye level mirrors. Furniture and furnishing choices were to complement the paint colours, door hardware and existing lighting, with the opportunity for beautiful textures and colours of the clothing to enhance as well.
Let’s talk about the floor... what informed your choice of rug and boot accessories?
Being able to store wellies upside down is a great trick to keeping the floors clean. A good boot rack offers a tidy way to keep boots off the floor and gives easy access to them too. I find that things are more likely to be maintained if they are within reach and easy to get to! The flooring in the hallway needs to be durable and easy to clean. This is a space that has quite a lot of traffic, so go for a floor covering that will stand the test of time and one that is easy to hoover; I chose a dark patterned rug - it works for the space and complements the look.
The Rounded Console Table has now been replaced in our collection by the Camille Display Console - Black.
Photography and Interior Design by @alicegraceinteriors