Entrance and storage ideas for new house?

[Recorder]

We are moving to a new home which is a rental, so there's a limit to improvements we can make. It is a small cosy cottage and it has a front door which opens straight into the living room. I've always had some sort of hallway or at least a cupboard to put your coat and shoes in as you enter the home. There is a coat cupboard under the stairs but that's at the other side of the living room. I'm just thinking about what I could do to help the door area feel like an 'entrance', and also be convenient for bags / keys etc. There's not too much space before you reach the sofa. Does anyone have any clever ideas?

Paint it over

Could you put a small wardrobe by the front door? You could put coats in there, and shoes in the bottom.

Maybe a small storage ottoman under a couple of wall coat hook with shelf or similar wall storage?

In my old house with little space by the front door, we had coat hooks at adult height and then a second one - one of those accordian-style ones - lower down at child height and kept a cloth bag for gloves, hats and other winter wear.

In my current place with more room by the door, we got a long storage ottoman we can sit on - so helpful for sitting to put things on and handy waiting spot for heavy parcels - and we put all the winter wear in there and we have multi-level shoe rack that has a coat rack over top of it though that's been okay and not as much of a success in keeping things out of the way.

Have you got a floor plan or a photo?

Thanks. Yes @NoSquirrels I have attached a floorplan here. I drew on where the front door opens and rough position of sofa and dining table.

Is it possible to fit a Kallax unit or similar either directly to the right of the door, or as a console table at the back of the sofa?

We’ve got a shoe bench- solid wood with a lid that lifts for all the shoes that would otherwise litter the hall. Love it. That with coat hooks above would be perfect in a small entrance.

Something like this?

www.cotswoldco.com/hallway-furniture/shoe-storage-bench/chester-dove-grey-2-door-cloakroom/

They do bigger 3 door options or small single as well

A bit like this with console at the back of the sofa, then some unobtrusive hooks for keys etc on the wall by the door. So you create a sort of open ‘corridor’.

www.cotswoldco.com/hallway-furniture/shoe-storage-bench/chester-charcoal-hallway-tidy/

Or this

This is from someone I follow on Instagram, Grillo Designs. She has loads of brilliant ideas for putting your own stamp on rental properties.

Amazing ideas! Thank you.