Jannice Wistrand, the Swedish design personality behind the successful blog Add Simplicity, has brought order to her family hallway with Elfa Décor. The result is an attractive, functional entrance with the perfect storage solutions. Here Jannice shares some of her top pro tips.
By Charlotta Flinkenberg Photos Jannice Wistrand
Feng shui consultant and interiors blogger Jannice Wistrand lives in an eighteenth-century house in the fishing town Råå, near Helsingborg, Sweden.
However, despite Jannice’s unerring sense of style, she and her family struggled to achieve harmony in their hallway. The space was cramped, untidy and not particularly well-thought-through in terms of décor.
– We started out with how it had looked when the previous owners lived here. There was a drying rack and tumble dryer right in the entrance, which took up a lot of space. They didn’t have a separate laundry space back then, which made the hallway very messy, says Jannice.
The Wistrands are a family of four, which inevitably means plenty of outerwear, jackets, shoes and accessories to manage in their hallway. Once they were finally able move the tumble dryer to another place in the house, they replaced it with a storage box to keep their things in.
– We weren’t thinking holistically at all – we were just adding temporary storage solutions as we went along. None of it was consistent. It definitely wasn’t functional storage for four people, or a good use of space.
Jannice started sketching out her vision for the ideal hallway where there isn’t much space to play around with. Her wish list included a gliding shoe shelf for every member of the family, as well as a drawer each for gloves and accessories.
– We also wanted the option of different hanger heights, for shorter or longer jackets. And ideally extra built-in storage on top. Having a clear floor was an absolute must, as that’s what makes a hallway seem messy.
Elfa Décor’s new storage series ticked all of these boxes, leaving them with a practical, inviting hallway that is easy to keep tidy. It even features two smaller shelves, for smaller accessories.
– Our family seems to collect sunglasses, so this is a great place for them! Otherwise sunglasses can often lie hidden away in a case in some drawer, and you forget you even have them.
- Jannice -
Jannice plumped for the elegant grey shade for the fronts, with black knobs that pick out the black in the floor tiles.
– Initially I wasn’t sure which to go for. I thought about choosing white as it’s a small room, and white tricks the eye into thinking it’s more spacious. But in the end I went with practicality, as the grey fronts aren’t as susceptible to the dirt and marks that can often appear in hallways. In hindsight I am really pleased with my colour choice – I think it looks great! It made a big change over such a small space.
At the very top of the unit Jannice has added decorative black storage containers, intended for those lesser-used items such as shoe care accessories.
– I want people to try to keep the space calm. Our hallway now gives an impression of tidiness, modernity and organization. The space feels bigger now, and the kids ask me if I’ve cleaned every day, even though I haven’t!
The accessories drawer that each family member now has also comes equipped with an organiser, making it easier for everyone – including the kids – to separate their gloves and more. But what Jannice is most pleased with is Elfa’s signature flexible shelving system with hang standards.
– We put in the system in August, but I have already wanted to shuffle the hangers and units around to adapt the storage to the season. I love the adjustable system – it’s incredibly flexible!
A curtain had previously served to hide the slightly messy hallway storage units. The current storage system is so stylish that it doesn’t need to be hidden away, but every now and then it can be nice to “put it away” – which the family can now do thanks to Elfa Décor’s chic sliding doors.
– We chose the sliding doors called Estetic with mirrored filling to give an impression of space, as mirrors enlarge. The black frames tighten things up, pick out other décor in the house and make it feel more elegant. I was inspired by a hotel room in Paris that had very similar sliding doors, which stuck in my mind.
