Expedit unit to contain hall clutter/chaos?

[Pannacotta]

I really need to sort out my hall which resembles our local Primark!
It's hats/gloves/book bags/PE kit/post/spare bags which I need to store -there is no porch/hall cupboard/utility room.

I need a cheap solution which will help contain the above but will look ok - the hall is quite large and formal with dado rail, wooden floor and panelled ceiling etc.

Colours will be cream above dado and dark grey under the dado once it is painted.

Would an Expedit unit (plus baskets inside each cube) work here or would it just look messy and modern?

The other option is to get a chest of drawers and bung it all in there but am not sure my DSs would ever bother to put anything away (am trying to house train them but its a slow process)!

Any thoughts/other suggestions?

TIA

We have the canvas boxes in DD's room - a mix of the Cath Kidston pattern and bright pink. They are pretty sturdy and hold lots.

Slinky no Cargo near here.
Am veering towards the Expedit as I have other units already and so can mix and match the boxes/baskets and can always move the units around if needs be - I like them grouped together as a storage wall.
Will check out the boxes options.
Thanks!

After reading this thread I had a fabulous 'result' on gumtree. A huge sideboard + mirror with a gazillion drawers. £100 all in delivered.

That's a result Primal

It really is. I still need a bench for under the slope of the stairs though. Have a really useless pine sideboard that we could slice up into a bench, but computer says no (or OH does). I may have to over rule him, as otherwise I have to faff about putting it on gumtree.

Gosh my local gumtree is not like that - not many people offer delivery and I cant lug furniture about on my own in my little car. Oh well.
Have you looked at IKEA for benches or ebay?
I like a hall bench with baskets under for shoes. But I need more serious storage esp now the DSs are swimming at school - ie yet more kit bags to store!

It was a charity. There are a few on the Edinburgh gumtree.

I have the canvas boxes - the ones in the expedit are fine, we have a loose one for each of the dds in a cupboard and one of them has bent a little, as it only has itself to support itself iyswim.

Jane do you think the canvas ones would be ok for storing shoes/PE kit etc?
I use the IKEA baskets at the moment which are strong but I need more and £15 each seems really steep....

Yes, i do, my girls have shoes, wellies, bookbag, lunchbox, hats, scarves, gloves, wellie socks in theirs (and often their coats, although i'm trying to discourage this). It is essentially cardboard inside canvas, so the canvas is still there if the cardboard gets a bit bent (one bit of ours has, but they are still more than functional). Don't forget we keep ours separately, the ones we have in the expedit are fine.

I wouldn't recommend sitting on them or anything, but for £2.50 i'd say it's worth the risk. And i speak as someone who doesn't use disposable anything...