Imagine returning home after a long, exhausting day only to find your house in disarray. The hallway is cluttered, things are scattered around, and it’s the last thing you want to come home to. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution that can transform this chaos into comfort: a hall tree.
What Is a Hall Tree and Why Is It Called That?
You might be picturing a massive oak tree or a pine tree sprouting up in your hallway, but it’s not quite like that. A hall tree is a piece of furniture typically placed in a hallway or at the entrance of a home. It features shelves or hooks for storing items and hanging coats. The name “hall tree” was coined because of its tree-like structure often found at entryways.
Some homes also have a mudroom, a practical space near the doorway where guests and family can leave dirty shoes or jackets. A hall tree can efficiently declutter this space, offering numerous benefits.
Benefits of Having a Hall Tree
- If your hall tree has a bench, you can quickly sit down to put on your shoes.
- A hall tree with storage provides an ideal place for shoes, jackets, keys, and other essentials.
- It creates a convenient and easily accessible spot for belongings.
- A hall tree helps prevent your home from becoming cluttered.
- A hall tree with seating offers a perfect place to relax for a few minutes after a long day.
Now that you understand the advantages of having a hall tree, we’ve put together a list of 20 hall tree ideas, featuring various styles and sizes. This list covers the best hall tree sizes, features, and designs to help you choose the perfect addition to your home. With one of these hall trees, you can look forward to a clean and organized entryway, free from tripping hazards, key hunting, or haphazardly draped coats.
Take control and build an organized entryway with a versatile hall tree. Before you get started, it’s essential to know how you can use a hall tree.
How Do You Use a Hall Tree?
A hall tree is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture you can have in your home. You can use it to organize your storage space, sort children’s clothes and school items, or even as a drop station for shoes, umbrellas, or bags. The possibilities for utilizing an entryway hall tree are vast.
How Do You Measure a Room to Set up a Hall Tree?
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Before purchasing or building a hall tree, it’s crucial to take accurate measurements of your entryway or mudroom. Start by measuring the room’s depth, height, and width. Ensure that the depth of the hall tree won’t obstruct the hallway or take up too much space. If you plan to place the hall tree near the exit, make sure it doesn’t block the front door.
What Are the Different Hall Tree Sizes?
Hall trees come in various sizes, allowing you to choose wider, narrower, shorter, or taller options based on your available space. Here are the different sizes to consider:
- Narrow options range from 12β18 inches wide (30β45 cm), perfect for tight entryways.
- Medium hall trees range from 24β30 inches wide (60β76 cm), suitable for most rooms.
- Large pieces range from 30β36 inches wide (76-91 cm), accommodating some entryways and most rooms.
- Giant hall trees wider than 40 inches (101 cm) are ideal for large entryways and foyers.
What Is the Best Material for a Hall Tree?
When choosing the material for your hall tree, consider durability and aesthetic appeal:
- Wood: Wood is one of the most common materials used for hall trees due to its sturdiness and weight-bearing capacity. It can seamlessly fit into almost any home design and add an organic and rustic feel.
- Metal: Metal hall trees are perfect for industrial, modern, or minimalistic homes. Their sleek design complements contemporary interiors, and combining metal with wood can create a classic effect.
- Wicker: Wicker hall tree styles are light and airy, suiting rustic and classic home decor. While they may be less durable, the fine finish of wicker adds a playful touch to your home.
What Are Some Hall Tree Features to Look Out For?
Hall trees should come equipped with hooks or rods for hanging jackets or accessories. Ideally, they should also include benches, cubbies, shelves, or cabinets for additional storage. A bench serves as extra seating while putting on or taking off shoes, and some hall trees even feature mirrors for a final glance before heading out.
Now that you’re well-informed about hall trees, it’s time to explore various design options to find the one that suits your needs and complements your home’s style. We’ve categorized these hall tree ideas into two sections: design-based options and functionality-based options.
Design-Based Options
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Classic Hall Tree
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This classic piece is best suited for homes with a traditional or transitional interior design. Typically made from carved oak, maple wood, or cherry, it often includes bench-style seating. These traditional hall trees combine elegance with functionality.
Best Way to Use
Pair the warm tones of a traditional hall tree with bright colors in your home, setting it up near a well-lit entrance.
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Rustic Hall Tree
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Rustic hall trees are typically crafted from rough-hewn and repurposed wood, emanating an old-world charm ideal for bohemian settings. The raw and unfinished quality of the wood adds character to your decor while providing a sturdy structure for storage.
Best Way to Use
Since rustic pieces feature nature-inspired designs and colors, they are more decorative than industrial hall trees. They can seamlessly blend with a farmhouse-style theme or rustic bohemian settings.
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Farmhouse Hall Tree
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Farmhouse hall trees are often constructed using various types of wood and boast handsome front, back, or side furnishings. The farmhouse design exudes a classic appeal, working well in traditional or rustic settings and adding warmth and a gentle feel to your home.
Best Way to Use
Personalize your farmhouse hall tree by adding family pictures or knick-knacks, enhancing its homely vibe. Highlight the furnishings by pairing them with brightly colored accessories.
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Wooden Hall Tree
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Wooden hall trees are versatile and can fit into any home decor. They are practical, durable, and can withstand substantial wear and tear. These hall trees efficiently store and hang various items, ensuring an unobstructed entrance pathway.
Best Way to Use
Wooden hall trees are ideal for homes with children, as they maintain their appearance even after rough handling.
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Ultra-Chic Elegant Hall Tree
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This hall tree features a bench seat made from ash with stained wood, complemented by whiteboard plywood with a walnut finish. Its elegance adds a touch of glamour to your home’s entryway, and the cubbies provide ample storage space.
Best Way to Use
Enhance this elegant piece by adding an Art Deco-style mirror and a velvet cushion to the seat.
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Modern Hall Tree
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Modern hall trees boast sleek, streamlined designs with matte or glossy finishes that enhance your entryway’s allure. They pair perfectly with stone tile flooring or rooms with soft lighting, aligning closely with industrial styles that prioritize function over decorative details.
Best Way to Use
Modern hall trees are highly functional and should be paired with matte or glossy decor items.
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Industrial Hall Tree
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Industrial hall trees often feature natural wood tones or exposed metal lining, drawing inspiration from urban architecture with clean, straight lines. These pieces are lightweight and durable, ideal for hanging coats and organizing smaller clothing items.
Best Way to Use
Opt for an industrial-style narrow hall tree with a bench that seamlessly fits into modern decor while retaining functionality.
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Antique Hall Tree
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Antique hall trees cater to those who appreciate vintage objects. Most antique pieces are compact and highly decorative, adorned with elaborate furnishings and intricate handiwork. Placing an antique hall tree in your entryway can make it a captivating centerpiece.
Best Way to Use
Pair vintage pieces with white or cream furniture, and consider finding an antique hall tree with a mirror to serve as a statement piece for your hallway, allowing people to admire both their reflections and the ornate craftsmanship.
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Minimalist Hall Tree
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Minimalist hall trees feature clean lines and designs that exude simplicity without demanding attention. These sleek furniture pieces can lend your home a calm and elegant look, providing a serene environment that offers a respite for your eyes and mind.
Best Way to Use
To make your minimalist hall tree stand out, ensure it is painted in contrast to the wall.
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Corner Hall Tree
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While most hall trees are placed against walls in mudrooms or hallways, sometimes space constraints necessitate a corner hall tree. These space-saving options fit snugly into corners, maximizing your available space and making use of unused nooks in your home.
Best Way to Use
Corner hall trees typically offer greater depth than average storage spaces, allowing you to store numerous items efficiently.
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Distressed Wood Hall Tree
Distressing wood involves weathering it using chemicals, tools, or manual methods to create imperfections that enhance its character. This type of wood adds a rustic touch to your room and can have a stylish effect, especially when paired with dark distressed wood and earthy elements.
Best Way to Use
Enhance the distressed wood by adding a patina coat or oxidizing it to deepen the hues and preserve the material.
Functionality-Based Options
Hall trees offer various storage options and features to enhance your home’s organization. Here are some functional hall tree types, along with storage options to consider:
Hall Tree With Shelves
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While most hall trees come with shelves, if storage is your primary concern, consider models with multiple shelves. Popular options include zigzag and mirrored shelves, which not only serve a functional purpose but also add a decorative element to your hall tree.
Best Way to Use
Use this hall tree to place small accessories or decorate it with knick-knacks to enhance its aesthetic appeal.
Hall Tree With Shoe Storage
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A hall tree can also double as a shoe storage space. Many hall trees come with an attached shoe storage unit, but you can also mix and match pieces to suit your needs. Instead of leaving shoes cluttered around your home, neatly arrange them in the shoe storage section, providing convenience as you head out the door.
Best Way to Use
Encourage family members to leave soiled shoes in this storage space to maintain a clean and tidy home.
Hall Tree With Bench
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The best hall trees combine practicality with uniqueness, and a hall tree with a bench achieves just that. It allows you to store shoes and other items while providing a convenient seating area. This feature is particularly beneficial for larger families with children, as it offers a spot for children to sit while putting on their shoes or a place to temporarily store groceries or coats.
Best Way to Use
Make the most of the bench by using it for seating and utilizing the space underneath to store shoes.
Hall Tree With Blackboard
A hall tree can serve more than just a storage purpose; it can also include a blackboard. Use it for writing notes to your family members, sharing reminders, making lists, or creating chalk drawings. Don’t limit your hall tree to storage when it can be a versatile addition to your home.
Best Way to Use
Utilize the blackboard for jotting down grocery lists, daily tasks, and simple reminders.
Open-Back Hall Tree
Farmhouse Hall Tree. I love impressing my wife with scrap lumber π
. I repurposed some old cedar fencing into this creation.
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Open-back hall trees are designed with the frame supporting and holding your items while leaving the middle open, allowing the wall’s color to show through. This design showcases your wall’s hue and maintains a clean, minimalist appearance, often featuring multiple hooks and small cubbies for storage.
Best Way to Use
Open-back hall trees are best suited for traditional or minimalist decor, although they may offer limited storage space.
Hall Tree With Lockers
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Maximize the efficiency of your hall tree’s storage by incorporating lockers. These lockers can be divided to help you categorize and arrange items systematically. With cubbies, shelves, lockers, and hooks, you’ll have ample space to store a wide range of items.
Best Way to Use
Look for lockers constructed with composite wood laminate for the highest quality material.
Narrow Hall Tree
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Narrow hall trees are tailored for smaller spaces, featuring a compact design that can accommodate essential items such as shoes, coats, and small objects. They often include small double-prong coat hooks and a bench for brief seating or bag placement. These hall trees are ideal for optimizing space while ensuring convenience.
Best Way to Use
Place them in small mudrooms or at the end of an entryway to free up more space in your home.
Wide Hall Tree
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Wide hall trees are perfect for larger households with bustling activity. If your home accommodates many family members, investing in a wide hall tree is a wise choice. These hall trees offer over ten integrated cubbies for shoe storage and can support significant weight, with some models holding over 200 pounds. Multiple hooks and shelves ensure everything stays organized.
Best Way to Use
Position these large hall trees in a foyer or spacious entryway to maximize storage while creating a grounded atmosphere in an expansive room.
Mirror Hall Tree
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Hall trees are strategically placed at home entrances for easy access to essential items. Adding a mirror to your hall tree allows you to check your appearance before leaving the house, enhancing the furniture’s functionality and making your hallway more inviting.
Best Way to Use
Use the mirror for a final look before heading out and for quick touch-ups if needed.
Get Started With Your Hall Tree
Hall trees transcend mere functionality to become statement pieces in your home, warmly welcoming guests and family while maintaining an organized entryway. Whether you choose a hall tree with a bench, cabinets, or racks, you’ll elevate your home’s entrance.
Now that you have a better understanding of hall trees, you can create a clutter-free space at home. For further home beautification, explore this list of 97 creative decoration ideas. It’s time to take your home to the next level!
Hall Tree FAQs
1. Is a hall tree a good idea?
- Yes, a hall tree is an excellent way to save space and enhance storage, making it a valuable addition to your home.
2. What do you put on a hall tree?
- You can use a hall tree to store gloves, jackets, coats, umbrellas, shoes, and children’s items.
3. Where do you put a hall tree?
- Hall trees are commonly placed in hallways or mudrooms near the entrance of a home.
4. What are the different names for hall trees?
- Hall trees are also referred to as hatracks, clothes trees, or hat trees.
5. Why is it called a hall tree?
- The name “hall tree” is derived from its tree-like shape and design, often featuring knobs, and its placement in home entrances.
Explore the diverse world of hall trees and choose the one that best suits your home and personal style. Your entryway will thank you for it!